The Ancient Language Institute’s Biblical Hebrew course offers a slightly different angle from the usual online language learning platforms that I’ve experienced. For one thing, the platform offers several ancient language courses, and not just Biblical Hebrew.
Initially, I was worried that this more general approach, with a focus on ancient languages rather than Hebrew in all its forms, would be a drawback in my Hebrew language learning journey, however, I was pleasantly surprised.
Ancient Language Institute’s Course Content
As with other online language learning platforms that offer Biblical Hebrew courses, the Ancient Language Institute’s Biblical Hebrew courses are divided into three:
- A beginner’s course, for learners with no prior experience with Hebrew. This level teaches you to read, write, and speak in Hebrew (although not necessarily Biblical Hebrew) as a base. You’ll have access to an interactive digital textbook and live online classes.
- The intermediate course, for learners who have some experience with Hebrew, but aren’t entirely comfortable reading the Hebrew Bible. There’s a heavy focus in this course on developing reading skills, in order to read from the Hebrew Bible more comfortably and fluently.
- The advanced course, for learners who have around 2 years of Hebrew learning experience, or who can demonstrate some level of fluency with the language. This course is the most interesting, allowing students to customize their curriculum by specifically dealing with certain biblical texts that they’re most interested in. The aim of this course is to get learners to study Hebrew texts independently.
I really liked that there are different levels of courses depending on your individual needs and abilities. I did think that the beginner course was a little oversimplified, but then again I’ve been learning Biblical Hebrew for quite some time. I also thought that the Ancient Language Institute could have offered at least two more courses, aiming somewhere between intermediate and advanced, for students who don’t quite fit into either course category.
Ancient Language Institute’s Teaching Methodology
Here’s where things get interesting. The Ancient Language Institute’s teaching methodology is somewhat old-school, using an interactive digital textbook and live online classes.
The digital textbook is a little more interesting than it might sound. Using images and sounds with biblical terms, the textbook exercises train you to link visuals and sounds, in what was a very effective way to learn new vocabulary. I found myself quickly picking up pretty complex terms and vocabulary, and having fun while doing so!
There are also short lectures that you can access on your own time outside of the lessons, explaining more deeply about certain Hebrew grammatical characteristics, with super clear explanations and helpful images on the side.
Ancient Language Institute’s Instructor Expertise
As I mentioned above, rather than being Hebrew language experts, the Ancient Language Institute instead focuses on teaching ancient languages, of which Biblical Hebrew is one.
As such, the instructors that I encountered weren’t necessarily native Hebrew speakers and taught the language from a place of passion, rather than native knowledge. This was a small nitpick for me, as sometimes I felt that the pronunciations weren’t exactly as sharp as they would have been with native Hebrew speakers (for example, when pronouncing the incredibly tough ‘kh’ sound that native English speakers find incredibly tricky to replicate), but they all seemed knowledgeable and as if teaching Biblical Hebrew was an extension of their life’s work.
I for one really appreciate passion, but I would have also appreciated a native Hebrew speaker to have explained the nuances of pronunciation a little more deeply. Call me a stickler, but I just feel that native Hebrew speakers have more of a grip and understanding of the language than a native speaker who’s learned and studied the language from an academic point of view.
Ancient Language Institute’s Student Interaction
A key element of the course is based around interaction, with teachers and with students. Each weekly session relies on heavy interaction between students among themselves and directly with the teacher and is based on discussion and practice of what students have learned throughout the course.
I think this is the first Biblical Hebrew, or any Hebrew course that I found that is so directly student-led, even when the course is mostly teacher-led. It was a very refreshing change, and really forced me to up my game and contribute more to the lesson because I know personally that I have a tendency to shy away and let other more dominant voices lead when there is a need for student interaction. In the Ancient Language Institute’s courses, there was really nowhere for me to hide. It really forced me to push myself, and my Biblical Hebrew learning was all the better for it.
Ancient Language Institute’s Course Length and Pace
Each of the Biblical Hebrew courses on offer at Ancient Language Institute’s last 14 weeks, with rolling start dates. Sessions last 1.5 hours, with one class session per week.
Interestingly, the Ancient Language Institute makes a promise that class schedules are only built once all students have enrolled. This is both an interesting concept and also potentially problematic. Because the attraction of learning Biblical Hebrew typically draws students from around the world, I was a little apprehensive about what times would be available to accommodate us all. Not only that, but I often like to decide on whether to commit to an online program based on my availability, and I was a little nervous that this would be preventative for me after I enrolled. In the end, we found a group of similarly available students, and all was well.
Otherwise, I found myself looking forward to the weekly lessons, and a session of 1.5 hours is the perfect amount of time to do such a tricky activity as learning Biblical Hebrew! I found 14 weeks was a good amount of time as well, keeping me dedicated, but not bored. With other online Biblical Hebrew courses, I find that – since there’s so much source text to get through – the course tends to drag on across several months. However, I felt that this course was the perfect length of time.
Ancient Language Institute’s Accessibility
Unlike with other language learning programs, there is no offline access to courses at the Ancient Language Institute. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you do need a WiFi connection and a computer with a microphone and video in order to access the Biblical Hebrew courses.
That and, as I mentioned above, the start date of each course is based on rolling semester start times, and class schedules are built only once students have enrolled. While you could get lucky with this, you could also potentially not be pleased with the times that are picked for your weekly sessions, and then potentially get stuck with this for the 14 weeks of your course’s lessons.
However, if fitting into the scheduled lesson times is too tricky for you, the Ancient Language Institute also offers one-on-one tuition, which allows you to set your own class schedule, although this costs a lot extra (but more on that below).
Ancient Language Institute’s Cost
Here’s the thing. Biblical Hebrew courses at the Ancient Language Institute cost a pretty penny. For each 14-week course, you’ll be looking at paying around $725 to $850 per course, with monthly installments available.
Ancient Language Institute also provides a risk-free guarantee. You’ll be able to get a 100% refund if you request it any time before your second class session, with refunds requested between weeks 2-4 provided on a pro-rata basis, and no refunds after week 4. This sounds pretty fair to me, and is even pretty generous based on the other language learning platforms’ refund policies that I’ve seen.
If you find it too difficult to fit into the course’s scheduled lessons (more on that above), then you can opt for one-on-one tutorials for 14 sessions, at 1 hour a session, for a grand total of $1,350. If you have that kind of money to spare, and that suits your timings and your learning style, then I would suggest you go for it. For everyone else, if you can fit into the course’s scheduled lessons (which you won’t know until after enrollment closes), then that’s also an excellent choice… provided you have the money.
The Bottom Line on Ancient Language Institute
I found a lot to like at the Ancient Language Institute. Even though I was a little apprehensive at the focus on teaching ancient languages, rather than being Hebrew specialists, I found that the passion of the teachers and the learning methodology across the lessons really converted me.
This is a little bit of an expensive course, but if you have the money and the timings of the lessons fit your schedule, I would encourage you to try a lesson or so (especially since there’s a risk-free guarantee and 100% refund if you choose not to continue before your second lesson).