The Polis Institute

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Polis – The Jerusalem Institute of Languages and Humanities
פוליס – המכון ללשונות ולמדעי הרוח בירושלים (Hebrew)
Polis name with pi.jpg
Other name
پولــِس- معهد اللغات والعلوم الإنسانية – القدس (Arabic)
TypeLanguage teaching institution focusing on ancient languages
Established9 May 2011
DeanChristophe Rico
Academic staff
20
Administrative staff
10
Students500
Address
8 HaAyin Het St.
,
Musrara
,
Israel

31°46'59.2"N, 35°13'35.6"E
CampusUrban
LanguageAll students are required to be fluent in English. Language courses are given in the target language.
Symbolπ (Greek letter pi)
ColorsMaroon and white
Websitehttps://www.polisjerusalem.org/

Polis – The Jerusalem Institute of Languages and Humanities is a non-profit academic institution based in Jerusalem, Israel founded in 2011 in response to the renewed worldwide interest in ancient languages and civilizations[1] and to revive the study of the humanities through the study of Western and Eastern cultural sources. [2] [3] [4]

Drawing on recent developments in applied linguistics and Israeli expertise in teaching Modern Hebrew (the Ulpan method), the Polis method teaches the so-called "dead languages" in a monolingual, full-immersive environment.

The institute is located in Musrara, near the Old City of Jerusalem. Students come from more than thirty countries from six continents.[5]

History[]

Street-view placard of Polis bearing the official name of the Institute in English, Hebrew, and Arabic

The institute was registered in 2011 in Israel's non-profit Registry (document in Hebrew)[6] and offered Modern Hebrew and Arabic courses along with Ancient Greek throughout the year. The main idea was to teach ancient languages as living ones, and to put together a team of teachers of different languages who could share language teaching techniques and strategies among themselves. It soon became evident how important it was to fully immerse the students in the language being taught during the lessons themselves. This was true for both modern and ancient languages. They counted especially on the methods for teaching Modern Hebrew in Israel and on the experience of Christophe Rico teaching Ancient Greek.

The main reason for running this activity as a non-profit organization was to foster the culture of dialogue through languages to as many people as possible. Soon after its foundation, Polis began to contribute to better understanding among the different ethnic and religious groups present in Jerusalem.

In 2013, the Institute opened a program in ancient Philology, which brought together several students and scholars from the United States and Europe. The program now has students from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Polis and its faculty have organized intensive language courses and as well as shorter seminars and talks to propagate the Polis method and interest in ancient language, culture and literature in other countries, such as Italy,[7] Peru,[8] Argentina,[9] the United States,[10][11] Spain,[12] Morocco,[8] Finland,[13] Sweden,[14] and the Philippines.[15]

The Polis Method[]

Theoretical Principles[]

The Polis Method encompasses a variety of approaches and techniques for teaching modern languages applied to ancient languages.[16] These strategies are unified under two major tenets:

Dynamic language development[]

Polis believes that grammatical structures must be learned according to their natural order of acquisition. It thus recognizes not only the student's continuous progression in language acquisition based on the four basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, but also the modes of discourse or literary genres – dialogue › narration › argumentation › poetry – involved in this progressive language acquisition.[citation needed]

Taking these principles into account, Polis puts together and adapts a wide range of approaches and teaching techniques that have been developed since the 70s in the States and Canada.[17]

Practical Techniques[]

A typical classroom in Polis that facilitates Total Physical Response (TPR) and conversations in groups, strategies used in the Polis Method

Living Sequential Expression (LSE)[]

In the Polis LSE approach, students are presented with a series of sentences that express "sequences of logically connected actions" and they eventually understand the meaning of the sentences "by performing and then reporting on" the actions referred to.[18]

Other activities and techniques[]

Activities that require the use of language as one of its chief components can help a great deal in creating a more natural immersive experience. With this principle in mind, Polis encourages students to attend extra-class activities such as the full immersion lunches, where students and teachers dine together while speaking exclusively in the target language.[19]

Academic programs[]

Among the ruins of an ancient Jewish community during a field trip to Gamla and Susita for Historical Geography class.

Third-party Master of Arts (MA) degrees[]

Through its partnerships with well-respected European universities that grant a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Ancient Philology[20] and in Near Eastern Languages,[21] the Polis Institute is now able to give its students the opportunity to earn a master's degree while attending its programs in Jerusalem and using the Polis method. These universities include the Pontifical University of Santa Croce in Rome, the University of Navarra in Pamplona, and the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona.[22][23] What used to be only two-year certificate courses in Ancient Philology and Near Eastern Languages are now full-blown MA programs.

Master of Arts in Ancient Philology[]

The Ancient Philology MA is dedicated to the study of both Ancient Greek and Biblical Hebrew for which intensive language training is offered over the two years of the program. Students in this program are required to take five levels of Ancient Greek and four of Biblical Hebrew. The MA degree in Ancient Philology is granted by either the Pontifical University of Santa Croce in Rome or the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona.[20][23]

Master of Arts in Near Eastern Languages[]

The Near Eastern Languages MA is focused on training students in Semitic languages as represented by both Hebrew and Arabic. The MA degree in Near Eastern Languages is granted by the University of Navarra in Pamplona.[21][23]

Emphasis in Teaching Ancient Languages[]

Those in the second year of either the MA in Ancient Philology and MA in Near Eastern Languages or other MA graduates who wish to gain first-hand experience in teaching may apply to the Emphasis in Teaching Ancient Languages. The program is focused on "the particularities of teaching ancient languages in an immersive setting" and will likewise give students opportunities to participate in a methodological course and workshops.[23]

Concentration in Semitic Philology[]

The MA in Near Eastern Languages offers a track on Semitic philology for students interested in focusing on the fields of the Hebrew Bible, manuscripts studies, and Arabic literature & philosophy. Biblical Hebrew is required for this track. Courses on Biblical Hebrew philology, Ugaritic language & literature, and Semitic paleography are likewise required for those in this track which would otherwise not be required for those in the regular track.[21]

Certificate programs[]

Students of Historical Geography in the underground network of the Herodian fortress developed by the Jewish rebels during the Revolt of Bar Kochba (130–135 AD).

One-year certificate program in Ancient Philology[]

For those who prefer to stay only for one year in Jerusalem, the MA in Ancient Philology has a shortened program version that grants students who successfully complete them a Certificate from the Polis Institute.[24]

One-year certificate program in Near Eastern Languages[]

The MA in Near Eastern Languages, as well, has its own shortened program version that grants students who successfully complete them a Certificate from the Polis Institute.[24]

Certificates in language fluency[]

For those who wish to focus on learning and mastering how to speak in the languages offered, Polis offers MA-level certificate programs in language fluency that can be finished within two years. Polis offers Ancient Greek and Arabic for its fluency program.[23]

Other programs[]

Summer programs and international programs[]

In the summer, Polis offers several intensive language courses, both in Jerusalem and abroad. Courses in Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Latin, Modern Standard Arabic and Methods in Teaching Ancient Languages have been held in Rome, Italy and the US[23] Venues have included the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome,[25] Christendom College in Virginia,[26] Wisconsin, Ave Maria University in Florida,[27] Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts,[28] and the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.[29] In the Polis Institute itself, during the summer, in addition to the language courses already mentioned, Classical Syriac and Spoken Arabic are likewise taught.[23]

Language courses[]

In the regular school year (October – February) Polis teaches ancient and modern language courses. Ancient languages include Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Latin, Classical Syriac, and Bohairic Coptic. Modern languages include Modern Hebrew (Ulpan), Spoken Arabic, and Modern Standard Arabic. In the past Sumerian was also taught.[30][31] Very recently a theoretical course introducing students to Hittite began to be offered.[citation needed]

Conferences[]

Street-view of the Polis buildings

The institute hosts international interdisciplinary conferences on various topics in the field of Humanities.

The following conferences have been held so far:

2013 – The Origins of the Alphabet[]

The First Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference was held in February 2013, appropriately focusing on "The Origins of the Alphabet."[32][33][34] Some of the leading experts on this topic gathered in Polis to engage in an interdisciplinary debate on this topic, approaching the discussion from the rarely applied linguistic, sociological or psychological perspective on the development of writing. Keeping in mind the much accepted fact that the inception of the alphabet could be traced to the area between Egypt and Phoenicia, even if writing in different parts of the world arose independently of each other, scholars came to this interdisciplinary conference to provide an answer not only to the question of how the alphabet came about, but also to the more difficult question of why it came about.

2015 – The Library of Alexandria: A Cultural Crossroads of the Ancient World[]

The Second Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference was held in January 2015 with the theme, "The Library of Alexandria: A Cultural Crossroads of the Ancient World."[35][36] In addition to linguists and specialists on the Septuagint and on Greek literature, historians and archaeologists gathered in the Polis Institute to discuss abiding questions surrounding the Library of Alexandria, which was regarded as the world's main center of scholarship from the 3rd century BC until at least the reign of Cleopatra (48–30 BC). Where was the gigantic library exactly located, and what sort of texts were in it? To what extent did the Royal Library become a meeting point for different languages and cultures? And finally, why the silence of some ancient authors about its disappearance? These were a few of the key questions which the Conference explored and sought answers to.

2016 – The Cours de Linguistique Générale revisited: 1916–2016[]

The Third Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference was held in the institute's compound on 31 March – 1 April 2016, with the theme, "The Cours de Linguistique Générale Revisited: 1916–2016"[37][38][39][40] to mark the 100th anniversary of the landmark book that compiled the lecture notes of the acknowledged "father of linguistics," Ferdinand de Saussure, the Cours de Linguistique Générale (CLG). More than a dozen international specialists in general linguistics, pragmatics, philology, dialectology, translation studies, terminology, and philosophy came together to discuss themes related to Saussure's seminal work that started a scientific discipline that has profoundly influenced the field of the humanities. The scholars discussed not only Saussure's work itself but also its background and reception as well as its impact in the 20th and 21st centuries.[40]

2018 – Transmitting a Heritage: The Teaching of Ancient Languages from Antiquity to the 21st century[]

For the Fourth Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference, held on 16–17 April 2018, the overarching theme took a pedagogical turn and was entitled "Transmitting a Heritage: The Teaching of Ancient Languages from Antiquity to the 21st century."[41] In this year's edition of the Conference more than 30 scholars and language educators gathered and/or submitted papers which were delivered in various talks and presentations that covered, among others, the teaching of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew through the centuries; learning how to write in ancient Sumer; the depiction of Latin teachers in film; and historical themes. Four continents were represented in this Conference with scholars coming from the Netherlands, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Poland, Sweden, France, Italy, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, and Japan.

The Polis Institute Press[]

Some publications of the Polis Institute

The Polis Institute has its own publishing house that publishes books promoting the Polis Method of language teaching. It also publishes contemporary research on areas promoted by the Institute such as ancient languages and culture, language teaching, history of language, etc.

Ancient language textbooks[]

Πολις (Polis): Λαλεῖν τῇ κοινῇ διαλεκτῳ τῇ ζώσῃ (Speaking Greek as a Living Language)[]

"Polis: Speaking Greek as a Living Language" is a textbook series to complement the teaching of Ancient Greek using the Polis Method.

Level 1 of this textbook series is the first of English-based textbooks published by the Polis Institute Press. This particular volume features original conversation texts written in Ancient Greek by the linguist Christophe Rico, faculty of Polis, and original illustrations by Pau Morales. It likewise contains seven original songs written in Ancient Greek by various collaborators which can be listened to in the Polis Institute's official website (the direct link to the audio files is found below under "external links – audio"). Both the student's and teacher's volumes of Level One were published in 2015. Past publications of this volume include versions in French (Editions du Cerf, 2009), Italian (Edizioni San Paolo, 2010), and German (Helmut Buske, 2011), all of which contained twelve chapters. The English edition is an expanded twenty-chapter version.[42]

In keeping with the principle of total immersion that is a cornerstone of the Polis Method, nearly the entirety of the book series is written in Ancient Greek. Exceptions were made for the introduction, foreword, key grammatical terms and instructions to the exercises which require an advanced knowledge of Ancient Greek. These sections are written in English.

Forum: Lectiones Latinitatis Vivae (Speaking Latin as a Living Language)[]

The authors of "Forum: Speaking Latin as a Living Language" claim it to be the first textbook to complement an approach – the Polis method – that "applies the main teaching methods for modern language acquisition to (the teaching of) Latin."[43] Published in 2017, this book draws inspiration and experiences from its Ancient Greek predecessor, "Polis." A few of the book's illustrated characters as well as some of its conversation themes remind the user of the Greek textbook. The Latin book is written by "Polis" author Christophe Rico together with an international team from France, Austria, the Netherlands and Spain.

Research publications[]

Origins of the Alphabet: Proceedings of the First Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference[]

The philosopher, linguist, poet, and existentialist psychoanalyst, Georges-Elia Sarfati, giving a talk during the Third Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference.

This publication brings together papers presented during the very first interdisciplinary conference organized by the Polis Institute.[citation needed] Edited by Christophe Rico and , this volume demonstrates, that "a broad consensus is emerging concerning the main factors and circumstances that surrounded the birth of the alphabet."[44]

The Library of Alexandria: A Cultural Crossroads of the Ancient World: Proceedings of the Second Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference[]

This volume presents the proceedings of the Polis Conference that explored the big questions surrounding what is arguably the most famous library of the ancient world. The book features papers presented by , , Sylvie Honigman, , , , Jan Joosten, Jane L. Lightfoot, Christophe Rico, and , and covers a variety of topics such as the architecture of the Library, its contents, the Library's connections to the Septuagint and the mysteries surrounding its burning. This publication was edited by Christophe Rico and Anca Dan.[35]

The Cours de Linguistique Générale revisited: 1916–2016: The Third Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference[]

This book, edited by Christophe Rico and presents the proceedings of the Polis Institute's Interdisciplinary Conference on the CLG. The volume's contributing authors and scholars – coming from Israel, Germany, France, Spain and Belgium – are , , , Gilbert Lazard, , , , , Georges-Elia Sarfati, Pablo Kirtchuk, , Christophe Rico, and . A quick run-through of the book's table of contents hints at the three general areas covered by the Conference's discussion and debates: a reassessment of the CLG's sources and its influence on modern linguistics; the main concepts and dichotomies of the CLG; possible avenues of study yet possibly unforeseen by the CLG.[40]

The Polis community[]

International character[]

A map illustration of the provenance of The Polis Institute community members.

Teachers, staff, alumni and students of Polis make up a diverse community whose members come from all parts of the globe brought together by its members' motivation to learn languages. They represent six continents and come from the following countries:[5]

Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey

Africa: Egypt, Nigeria

Europe: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

North America: Canada, Mexico, United States of America

Oceania: Australia

South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

DiaLogo Academy[]

Ha Ayin-Het Street, where Polis is located, is named for the 78 persons killed in the 1948 Hadassah medical convoy massacre.

Starting out as a student initiative in January 2018 within the auspices of Polis, the DiaLogo Academy is now a full-blown language learning platform. It was founded by two alumnae who studied Ancient and Semitic languages in the Polis Institute, and teaches modern languages such as Spanish and English through the Polis Method.[45] The DiaLogo Academy has an academic partnership with the Polis Institute.[46]

Location[]

The Musrara neighbourhood, where The Polis Institute is located, was formerly a place of ethnic conflict and social tensions. One such conflict is commemorated by the name of the street where the institute is located. Ha Ayin-Het (Hebrew: הע"ח) Street literally means "The 77 Street" in reference to the one anonymous and 77 known persons killed in what is now historically known as the Hadassah medical convoy massacre.[citation needed]

Over the years it has undergone renewal, attracting artists, intellectuals and international volunteers. The central location of the quarter, at the crossroad of several different cultures, as well as its history and picturesqueness, are added value features. Together with Polis, other cultural institutions such as the (one of the many names of the Musrara School of Art) and the Museum on the Seam contribute to the neighborhood's new image. The Bezalel Academy of Art also plans to move to the neighborhood, in central Jerusalem's Russian Compound.[47]

The institute is close to other centers of biblical research in Jerusalem, such as the École Biblique (the French Biblical and Archaeological School), and the Swedish Theological Institute.[citation needed]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "A new Renaissance of Latin". Polis. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  2. ^ Katarzyna Ochman, "Zmierzch cywilizacji łacińskiej czy początek szóstego renesansu?"
  3. ^ Chistophe Rico, Forum: Speaking Latin as Living Language, pages 10–15, Polis Institute Press, 2017
  4. ^ Die Tagespost, Die Quellen des Abendlandes freilegen, 16 June 2012
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Polis Community". Polis. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  6. ^ "580539591 – גיידסטאר". www.guidestar.org.il. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Master & Summer courses | Pontificia Università della Santa Croce". en.pusc.it. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Jeltzz (11 August 2014). "Compliant Subversity: Interviews with Communicative Greek Teachers (3): Christophe Rico". Compliant Subversity. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  9. ^ Rico, Christophe; Casa, Romina Della. ""Language, Writing and Alphabet: an Interview with Christophe Rico"". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ Hebrew and Latin Intensive Course Archived 2 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Rogelio Toledo-Martin, περὶ τῆς γλώττης τῶν τελείων ψυχῶν τοῦ σώματος ἠλευθερωμένων – LLiNYC 2019 – YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  12. ^ "News". UIC Barcelona. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Blog". Reason and Religious Recognition. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  14. ^ "The Polis Method: Speaking Ancient Greek as a Living Language – Romanska och klassiska institutionen". www.su.se. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  15. ^ "CRC Research Catalog SY 2013–14 Version 7 Sept 5 2014 | Manila | Philippines". Scribd. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  16. ^ Rico, Christophe. "The Polis Method". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ Nauka jezyka starogreckiego w sposob czynny – metoda POLIS (Michal Kabat), pages 134–136, Nowy Filomata XIX 2015(1)
  18. ^ "The Polis Method "Polis". Polis. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Ancient Greek". Polis. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "MA in Ancient Philology". Polis. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b c "MA in Near Eastern Languages". Polis. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Renaissance der antiken Sprachen". Polis. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Polis Institute (2020). "Polis – the Jerusalem Institute of Languages and Humanities Academic Programs 2020/21" (PDF).
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Academic Programs". Polis. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Master & Summer courses | Pontificia Università della Santa Croce". en.pusc.it. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Christendom College". Summer Classics. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  27. ^ Vidani, Peter. "Classics at AMU". Classics at AMU. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  28. ^ "Polis, The Jerusalem Institute of Languages and Humanities". Summer Classics. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  29. ^ "University of Kentucky". Summer Classics. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  30. ^ "The Sumerian Verb: A Workshop for the Non-Sumerian Speaker". Polis. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  31. ^ Steinberg, Jessica. "Spelling out Harry Potter in Arabic, Greek and Hebrew". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  32. ^ http://terrasanta.net/tsx/articolo-stampabile.jsp?wi_number=4866&wi_codseq
  33. ^ "Origins of the Alphabet". Polis. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  34. ^ Rico, Christophe; Attucci, Claudia (18 September 2015). Origins of the Alphabet: Proceedings of the First Polis Institute Interdisciplinary Conference (in French). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-8347-4.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Library of Alexandria". Polis. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  36. ^ Lemardelé, Christophe (January 2018). "The Library of Alexandria : a cultural crossroads of the ancient world : proceedings of the second Polis Institute interdisciplinary conference , ed. by Christophe Rico and Anca Dan , Jerusalem, Polis Institute press, 2017, XXIX-409 p. ; ISBN 978-965-7698-10-5". Semitica et Classica. 11: 313–315. doi:10.1484/J.SEC.5.116822. ISSN 2031-5937.
  37. ^ Duffley, Professor Patrick (2 January 2020). "The Cours de linguistique générale Revisited: 1916–2016". WORD. 66 (1): 57–61. doi:10.1080/00437956.2019.1708589. ISSN 0043-7956. S2CID 213343854.
  38. ^ Duffley, Professor Patrick (2 January 2020). "The Cours de linguistique générale Revisited: 1916–2016". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  39. ^ "The Cours de Linguistique Générale Revisited: 1916–2016". Polis. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  40. ^ Jump up to: a b c Rico, Christophe. ""Introduction" in The Cours de Linguistique Générale revisited: 1916–2016". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  41. ^ Rico, Christophe; Rubio, Mercedes. "Transmitting a Heritage: The Teaching of Ancient Languages from Antiquity to the 21st Century". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  42. ^ "Speaking Ancient Greek as a Living Language". Polis. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  43. ^ Schonebaum, Niko; Blanchard, Daniel; Morassut, Stéphane; Rico, Christophe. "Forum – Speaking Latin as a living language – Lectiones Latinitatis Vivae". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  44. ^ "Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Origins of the Alphabet". www.cambridgescholars.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  45. ^ "Learn English and Spanish with The Polis Method". Polis. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  46. ^ "DiaLogo Academy – Live & immersive modern languages using the Polis Method". Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  47. ^ "Artful move". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.

External links[]

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