Greek programs

I was probably the first to write software for ancient Greek, in 1984. Though very extensively tested, only recently have they been available for the Windows  platform in a very much extended form. They are very flexible, need little or no introduction and are all instantly (unlike software on the Web) available to the student from a desktop icon, but are just as easily networked in the school environment. Thus, they can and should be used for homework and private study as well as class work. The two packages, one for GCSE and one for AS, have 40 or so programs in all, for vocabulary, noun endings and verb endings. The programs have their own Greek character set pre-loaded, complete with breathings and iota subscript (but not accents), and allow typing in Greek or English as called for in the tests. Answers in Greek are a challenging part of these programs. The vocabulary programs aim to teach the whole of the OCR GCSE or OCR AS list (this second list completely revised), but the alphabetic list is analysed, without omissions, into grammatical categories eg contracted verbs, adverbs, adjectives by type, nouns by type – focussed and clear learning which allow the student to tackle logical sections of the list in a way which incidentally reinforces a feel for the kind of word being learnt. They consist of a multiple choice test of meanings (easily repeated) followed, if wanted, by a rigorous test requiring the correct Greek word to be typed in. Mistakes are re- tested. The vocabulary for any test can be the total list or a self- selected part of it, but the aim is complete and systematic coverage. A second group of programs tests the endings of the main Greek noun types, asking for cases from an extensive bank of nouns designed to extend experience and offering excellent reinforcement. They give assistance by clear and helpful pages of grammatical information. For the confident, a test of all these noun types, some 13 in all, is combined into one. These could be used at various stages. Further programs test the indicative of verbs, allowing firstly the selection of tenses to be included in the test, in any combination, and then the choice of working from English to Greek or from Greek to English. Where appropriate several translations are available for tenses (eg the present). One test deals simply with the indicative of λύω, another with a group of simple verbs like λύω. A more advanced test allows questions on any indicative tense or combination of tenses of verbs with consonantal stems, the common Greek irregular verbs in fact. This is a potentially ferocious test! Virtually no Greek verb type is unavailable. This program also allows the pupil to see the complete conjugation of a chosen verb, with appropriate translations. Separate tests deal with the participles, infinitives, subjunctives and optatives of a wide range of verb types, with all tenses available or tailored to the individual student, from low demand to very high demand. Another test deals with the earliest contracted verbs encountered (present and imperfect), while a second test has a full range of contracted verb vocabulary, and yet another test deals with their subjunctives and optatives. An extra feature of the AS set is that it includes a syntax tester, a first in Greek software production. Try my samples here.