Can I learn Ancient Greek through conversation with a teacher?

Question

Yes, the old traditional way of learning Classical Greek, aka Koine/Attic Greek, by the Grammar Translation Method is being challenged in recent decades by the newer conversational methods such as TPR (Total Physical Response) and other spoken methods to better acquire the language. This is similar to how we learn our native language, and once we do, learning to read in that acquired language is a snap!! Many people learning living languages like Spanish, German, French, Russian, Hebrew and others through, in part, conversation, intuitively know that this is the way to learn the language. Why do we imagine that this does not make sense for ancient languages as well?

Answer 1

Can I learn Ancient Greek through conversation with a teacher? Learning many ancient languages that might have been thought to be dead languages, are being resurrected today and taught though speaking with skilled teachers in these ancient languages. In order to comfortably read an ancient text, it works best to be sure to internalize the language where you begin to naturally think in that language. That can only happen through speaking the language; whatever it might be. So in order to read better Ancient Greek texts, we should be speaking the language.