Beginning Biblical Hebrew

""Mark D. Futato's new Hebrew grammar is a simple, thoughtful, and straightforward work that reflects genuine empathy for the beginning Hebrew student. The agenda of the book is to provide the fundamentals of the language unencumbered by information that may fog the road toward basic Hebrew competency. Futato's tenure in the classroom and interface with Hebrew novices prove to be an asset to Beginning Biblical Hebrew. The grammar's strength is Futato's keen pedagogical sensitivity reflected at various points in its appearance and presentation of the language. Futato chooses to impart his expertise in a larger book using larger type, even in the English sections of the book. This provides a positive and welcoming effect for the beginner and helps prevent the student from becoming overwhelmed with the data on a page. His student-centered approach is detected no later than in the introduction of the Hebrew alphabet, where the characters are displayed not only in typed form but also in handwritten style with detailed instructions as to how to fashion the letters. He also uses unique ways of getting the student to adjust to reading right to left and uniquely capitalizes upon the student's familiarity with English to grow comfortable in the pronunciation of foreign letters and words. Futato's goals and objectives listed in the introduction demonstrate a realistic vision for the beginning student.s anticipated abilities after working through the book. The student.s expectation is set at the right place in order to avoid frustration and disappointment.