These specialized courses focus on passages from historical books, poems and religious documents, providing insight into the cultures in which the languages were spoken.
Learn Latin
While Latin may be considered a dead language by some, it is still alive in so many ways! Due to the expanse and longevity of the Roman Empire, Latin influenced both English itself as well as many of the other languages that influenced English years later. So, by choosing to study Latin, you’re not only connecting with texts that were written thousands of years ago, you’re also connecting with many of the modern languages we know and love today.
Learn Biblical Hebrew
Travel back thousands of years to the time of the Old Testament to learn the language in which Genesis was actually written: Biblical Hebrew. Although these stories and scriptures might be familiar to you, approaching them from the viewpoint of a new language will give you a whole new perspective – you may feel closer than ever to words you’ve known for years.
Learn Koine Greek
Koine Greek was the universal Greek dialect spoken from about 300 BCE to 300 CE. Spread in part by the conquests of Alexander the Great, Koine Greek sprung up as a common language among troops of the prolific conqueror and was spoken in the many countries they conquered, all the way from Egypt to India. It is the language in which the Septuagint and the Christian New Testament were originally written as well as the language in which Christianity was spread during its early years. Koine Greek was also spoken in the Roman Empire but was later replaced by Latin in the West, while it survived in the East.
Learn Ancient Greek
Since the Renaissance’s revival of Ancient Greek philosophy and literature, the works of Homer, Plato and Aristotle have established themselves as Western canon that is still taught today. Prevalent in more than just the arts, Ancient Greek – which was spoken primarily from the 9th century to the 4th century BCE – was also the language from which revolutionary breakthroughs in science, math and architecture were first developed.
Along with these new courses for old languages, you can also learn Swedish, Icelandic or standards such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese and even English. Check out Mango Languages now!
Denver Public Library card required.
