GCSE Greek

toff33popcorn

2

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(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1

Nick Longjohnson

16

I did it, but my family is Greek so I knew it anyway.

Absolute joke.

Not sure of what'd be like for someone that doesn't know the language :/

Reply 2

medbh4805

20

Did GCSE Classical Greek last year, doing the AS this year. What do you want to know? :smile:

Reply 3

toronto353

19

I did GCSE and A level Greek and now studying it 1st year at uni. Feel free to ask any questions.

Reply 4

Leigh303

7

doing it now!! taking it in the summer, it's going...ok...

Reply 5

Leigh303

7

Original post by toff33popcorn

Omg hi5! what are you taking for verse and prose?
Its going fairly well for me, I'm getting a tutor for it for consolidation and i'm starting next week. How many people are doing it in your yr? Its 4 in mine
xx

10 of us!! We are studying both latin and greek, 3 hours a week - so 2 subjects in the time we normally study 1.

Verse we are doing some Homer (parts Odyssey 6) and Heredotus, Infancy & Boyhood of Cyrus. What about you?

Just got results from my mock exams - 97% overall for both Latin and Greek! :biggrin:

(Although we weren't examined on Greek verse.)

Leighxx

Reply 6

a mind in tune

Original post by Nick Longjohnson

I did it, but my family is Greek so I knew it anyway.

Absolute joke.

Not sure of what'd be like for someone that doesn't know the language :/

I did the O-level and even that was a joke, so I bet IGCSE/GCSE would have been an even bigger joke.
But I also come from a Greek background; or to be more accurate, Greek Cypriot. But yeah, I knew the language anyway, so I wouldn't know what it would have been like if I did know from before, either.

I'm doing Greek AS level this year and it looks like it'll be a breeze. I don't know if I'll do the A2, but I'll see later on.

Reply 7

Leigh303

7

Original post by toff33popcorn

10??? Oh wow you are keen people :wink:

People think us 4 are weird for doing it, partly cause they think that its hard when its not and cause when they realise that such a small amount of ppl do it..they think we're 'special' AKA weird lol
For Verse we're doing Helen (Euripides) and for Prose we're doing Herodotus too! Personally I think verse is easier and more interesting. Got an A* for my mock but that's only cause I did like amazingly on the verse. Language...total flopsies. Im getting a tutor for it tho (I know! Greek tutors actually exist! who knew!?)
You're board's OCR right?
xx

Yeah OCR, and we are 'special' too, us classicists generally are viewed that way :wink:

don't know your verse... how are you finding the Herodotus? have you been told what happens in part 4 of boyhood, after the bit we have to know - i think we know why OCR stopped us there!! hahaa.
Greek tutors sound amazing.... i want to be one :biggrin:

haha i will offer to tutor the year below next year i reckon... are you gonna continue it to Alevel?
xx

Reply 8

medbh4805

20

Original post by toff33popcorn

10??? Oh wow you are keen people :wink:

People think us 4 are weird for doing it, partly cause they think that its hard when its not and cause when they realise that such a small amount of ppl do it..they think we're 'special' AKA weird lol
For Verse we're doing Helen (Euripides) and for Prose we're doing Herodotus too! Personally I think verse is easier and more interesting. Got an A* for my mock but that's only cause I did like amazingly on the verse. Language...total flopsies. Im getting a tutor for it tho (I know! Greek tutors actually exist! who knew!?)
You're board's OCR right?
xx

Imagine being the only student. And sitting in a room on your own with an invigilator for two hours. In a state school. People think I'm insane :sad:

Memories

Oh and as far as I'm aware OCR is the only board which offers GCSE qualifications in Classical Greek.... (I think Edexcel does a modern Greek course, may be mistaken)

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

toronto353

19

Original post by kate.overall

Please Help me! I am doing Ancient Greek GCSE and I am finding it so hard! I am in year 11 and my exams are in may/june time! Firstly, what is the best way to learn the set texts (I have to learn Odyssey by Homer and the infancy and boyhood of Cyrus) and I am struggling to learn them! Our language is obvs not up to that standard so - like in all schools - we have to learn them off by heart and I am struggling to learn them (THEY ARE SO LONG) and make sure that I can relate them to the Greek! please help :frown:

xxxx

Hi,
It may take a long time, but you could try the system which helped me. Draw a line down the middle of several pieces of A4 paper. On one side, write the English translation down the column starting a new line for each word or phrase and on the other write the Greek which corresponds to each Greek word. I used this system for GCSE and A level and it always helped me.

Reply 10

yoyo1994

Original post by toff33popcorn

Heyy, first off CALM DOWN! you've got roughly 3-4 months before the prose and verse papers! So take deep breaths and don't run yourself down with stress cause it won't help. I'm doing Euripides 'Helen' for Verse and I'm also doing the Infancy and Childhood/Boyhood of Cyrus for Prose. I think most schools prefer that set text for some reason...dunno why. It seems easier.
What I do to learn my set texts is I type the translation out on Microsoft Word and I print it out. Then I get the Greek from an online source (i'll post the website at the bottom) then I copy the lines of Greek that I need and then I paste them onto a new word document. Then inbetween the lines of the Greek I type the english translation under the line of Greek it goes with.
So after all of that is done, I have the English translation and the Greek words with the English.
Then I learn it bit by bit. Just keep saying it over and over out aloud. Soon enough it'll be in your head. Even act out the words. Putting emotion into it aswell helps cause you remember in the exam - ''Oh this is the part where [e.g.] Odysseus gets to the Island of so and so etc''
Also, about learning which Greek words mean what so that you can identify them in the passages...on your word document use the HIGHLIGHTER application and highlight the Greek and English words which mean the same thing.

SO just take it slow, type out the translations and learn it off by heart. Break it into sections that flow into eachother. Practice every free time you have, weekends, holidays, mornings before school, 10 mins before bed and iin no time you'll know it like the back of your hand by June :smile:

P.S...if you need an example of what I mean about the word document just PM me and I'll send you my translations xx

{http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman}

thanx, so can u send me it aswell plz.

Reply 11

jellybean92

Original post by toff33popcorn

P.S...if you need an example of what I mean about the word document just PM me and I'll send you my translations xx

{http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman}

Hey, I'm trying to teach myself greek to gcse in 4 months and it's going really badly :frown:

Please could I have a copy of your Herodotus translation aswell because I am desperate and what i've worked out for myself is definitely not right :/
xxxx

Reply 12

LuxVeritatis

I'm doing Classical Greek on OCR this June - doing the Herodotus "Infancy of Cyrus" for the prose and the Odyssey extracts for verse. Seemplez

Reply 13

jellybean92

Original post by toff33popcorn

I am sooo sorry i'm replying late. Ive been so busy with getting DT coursework finished in time for the deadline which my class was not informed of prior to the deadline :/

ok...hold up! You're self teaching greek?? wowza :s-smilie:

that must be hard How about you get a greek tutor? I have one, it helps a lot.

Ofc you can have a copy of my Herodotus translation :smile:

(and anyone else who wants it too) :smile:

but I just need to get the last bit finished. Ummm...it will probably be done by next weekend :s-smilie:

im sorry, school is just sucking a lot out of me...literally :frown:

I know i'm probably not the only one who feels the same way
but summer is JUST round the corner so imma stick it out :smile:

How's the greek coming along though? You ok with the grammar and translating and stuff?

xx

Hey

Thank you so much :smile:

It's pretty hard but i'm enjoying it...I have these really good "greek to GCSE" books which set everything out really methodically, they are super helpful with grammar and vocab...Hopefully once I learn all the vocab and grammar tables my translating will improve :smile:

I would get a greek tutor but I can't really afford it atm, but at least if I do really badly I can just blame it on time constraints/lack of guidance :P :wink:

Thank you for being so helpful...you're in year 11 right? The summer after GCSEs is amazing, soo long :smile:

Don't worry about rushing yourself, i'm just so greatful for any help on the herodotus front...I feel like if I know what's going on for paper 3 and paper 5 I can pick up some marks there and I won't have to ace papers 1&2 so you're a life saver :smile:

!!
xxxx

Reply 14

toronto353

19

If anyone does need any help on Greek work e.g. help understanding translations or how something works in Greek, feel free to message me. I'm currently studying classics at uni so I can happily help you out.

Reply 15

LuxVeritatis

Hmm. Help! I think I might have a problem. The version of the Herodotus I have is different from other versions that I've seen in books and online. For example, my second paragraph (translated) goes as such:

"Harpagus, the matters which I lay before you in no way neglect. Take the child of Mandane, and carrying him to your own house, kill him, and afterwards bury him in whichever way you like."
And he (Harpagus) replied, "O King, if it is dear to you that this be done, it is certainly necessary for me to serve you fittingly." And Harpagus having said this to him (Astyages), the child being given to him, went weeping into his house: and arriving he told his wife the whole story he had been told by Astyages".

Whereas Perseus has an extra section in Harpagus' reply, going something like "“O King,” Harpagus answered, “never yet have you noticed anything displeasing in your man; and I shall be careful in the future, too, not to err in what concerns you.""

Which version is the right one for the course? Is it the one with the text about Astyages never having been displeased, or is it the one that I've translated? Help :s-smilie:

Reply 16

toronto353

19

Original post by LuxVeritatis

Hmm. Help! I think I might have a problem. The version of the Herodotus I have is different from other versions that I've seen in books and online. For example, my second paragraph (translated) goes as such:

"Harpagus, the matters which I lay before you in no way neglect. Take the child of Mandane, and carrying him to your own house, kill him, and afterwards bury him in whichever way you like."
And he (Harpagus) replied, "O King, if it is dear to you that this be done, it is certainly necessary for me to serve you fittingly." And Harpagus having said this to him (Astyages), the child being given to him, went weeping into his house: and arriving he told his wife the whole story he had been told by Astyages".

Whereas Perseus has an extra section in Harpagus' reply, going something like "“O King,” Harpagus answered, “never yet have you noticed anything displeasing in your man; and I shall be careful in the future, too, not to err in what concerns you.""

Which version is the right one for the course? Is it the one with the text about Astyages never having been displeased, or is it the one that I've translated? Help :s-smilie:

could you link me to the version of the Greek that you are using or send it to me if possible, scan it in a put pictures up? If so, I'll translate it and get back to you.

Reply 17

LuxVeritatis

There you go - the document is attached. I just have a funny feeling that my version of the Greek is abridged...

I did GCSE Ancient Greek a few years ago now, I really enjoyed it! For our lit, we did Iphigenia in Tauris (did we do too? I can't remember). There was only two of us in my set, which was pretty crazy. The other guy was a complete ****tard too, he had no ability. I got an A, although if I'd done slightly better in my Lit paper, I would've got an A*. I remember the language paper, finishing in half the time, having not revised, and still got an A. Boom.