Immersive Ancient Greek language classes at the Princeton Athens Center

Princeton University graduate student Sherry (Chiayi) Lee(Link is external), Classics(Link is external), began teaching spoken Ancient Greek at the Princeton Athens Center in 2022. The latest session of this innovative, immersive class was held from July 3-31. The class met for in-depth study at the Princeton Athens Center and took excursions to museums and archeological sites in Athens.

Here, Lee and her students Antonio Kerstenetzky(Link is external), Philosophy,(Link is external) and Grace Monk, Comparative Literature(Link is external), share reflections on the class:

“It was a tremendous pleasure and privilege to return to the Princeton Athens Center for the third year in a row to teach my immersive Ancient Greek course. This year was especially exciting, as I taught a continuation of last summer’s course aimed at the intermediate level, with the participation of several returning students.

This year’s students acquired familiarity with advanced grammar and concepts through exploring more complex conversational topics and reading Ancient Greek literary texts, including excerpts of Sappho and Plato.Over the course of the class, the students not only got to know one another in conversational Ancient Greek, but also wrote their own versions of historical and mythological narratives in Ancient Greek, ‘experienced’ a divine epiphany while reading the miracle cure inscriptions from the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, and laughed hysterically over the Batrachomyomachia (a mock-epic about a battle between frogs and mice).

A highlight of the class was a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, which included a scavenger hunt in Ancient Greek with the museum’s rich collection of unique artifacts. At the same time, we had thoughtful discussions in Ancient Greek about the historical significance of the Piraeus as a diverse community of Athenians and immigrants, as well as a site of revolution and democratic innovation.

Other extracurricular activities included excursions to the Kerameikos archaeological site, the ancient Athenian agora, and the Athens Olympic Museum.”

– Sherry (Chiayi) Lee

The class visited the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus.

"I had the privilege of being in Sherry Lee’s Ancient Greek class for a second year in a row. Sherry’s use of the active acquisition method allowed us to learn Ancient Greek as if it were a modern language: we spoke, read, wrote and listened in Ancient Greek. This method is both more efficient and a lot more enjoyable. Sherry’s incredible knowledge, empathy and creativity made this the best language class I’ve ever attended."                                            

– Antonio Kerstenetzky

Sherry (Chiayi) Lee (second from left) and her students visited the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens.

“Sherry's pedagogy is a game changer—I've never had a better relationship to Ancient Greek. The method really makes the texts feel accessible in a way that is much more comfortable and enjoyable than grammar translation, particularly for those of us with experience learning modern languages.”                                                                                

– Grace Monk