Wayne Steffen, editor-in-chief of Pacific Magazine, wrote an article for the March 2010 volume about my Biblical Hebrew course here at Fresno Pacific University. It has recently been put on FPU’s website.
Probably not, so here’s what happened: You were surrounded by people much larger than you, who were making noises and moving their faces, hands and arms in ways that made sense to them. After awhile, you realized that these noises and gestures meant things—some good, like food and hugs; some not so good, like night-nights.
Fascinated, you copied those sounds and gestures. Then you discovered frustration as what you did didn’t bring the desired result. Still, the big people were encouraging, so you kept trying.
One day, success! You did something and the big people responded. From then on, no one could shut you up.
That method—immersion—is how you learned your first language. Immersion is also how Brian Schultz teaches biblical Hebrew.”
The link to the FPU site is not working. I’d like to read that again…
Thanks for the notice. I believe it is working again now.