Studying a language like Ancient Greek or Latin might not seem like an obvious area of interest for technology-focused students, but it can make a surprisingly good fit, says Capitol College’s Ken Mayer.
Mayer, an adjunct faculty member and full-time coordinator of distance learning services, taught an Ancient Greek course at Capitol in Fall 2013 – the first time, to his knowledge, that such a class has been offered at the college.
“Latin and Greek find kindred spirits among people who do math and programming,” Mayer said. “They are very regular languages. Sometimes languages change over time and become more regular and simplified; sometimes they become more complex and harder for others to understand. When you look at Greek you see a lot of logical sound changes. And this is something that appeals to logic.”
Some of the skills involved in mastering ancient languages are transferable to technical fields, he said. In particular, students receive training in deciphering and interpreting difficult source material.
“It involves the close study of texts, in which you’re trying to ascertain what is going on,” Mayer said. “In some ways, this parallels signals intelligence, where you’re listening closely and interpreting what you hear.”
Mayer was inspired to offer the course after being prompted by students who had taken an earlier course on classical mythology.
“So, when are you going to teach us Greek?” the students asked.
Initially, he wondered if there was sufficient interest to justify offering a course. As it turned out, enough students enrolled and the class went forward.
Although some had taken classes before in languages such as French or Spanish, none of the enrollees had prior experience with Ancient Greek.
Gaining insights into English...by studying Greek
“I think they enjoyed it, but it was a shock, because the grammar is very different,” Mayer said. “You learn a lot about English in trying to master what's going on in Greek. There are some concepts that English makes a distinction that Greek does not, and vice versa, and so when you're talking about these distinctions you come to understand more about your own language.”
One student, he said, decided to try his hand at creating an algorithmic translation system, feeding in text written by an ancient historian. “He decided this would be a better way to learn Greek,” Mayer said.
Mayer’s own background has combined technology and the humanities: he was a database programmer in high school, but majored in Ancient Greek as a university student. He then went on to complete a doctoral degree in history and literature. After a stint teaching classics, he found new career opportunities using his programming and software skills.
“One of the things I like about Capitol is that it’s a higher education environment,” he said. “I still use my computer skills to earn my daily bread, but it's also given me space to continue exploring the ancient world.”
Mayer says he is open to teaching Ancient Greek again, depending on student demand. He also hopes to offer an encore of his mythology course, as well as other subjects relating to language and culture.
“A student came to my office and asked if I would offer Japanese,” he said. “There may be even be more of a hunger for that, with the anime culture here. Basically, what the students are interested in will drive what we offer,” he said.