ThisWeek
Flow OF Language
            Learning any foreignlanguage is challenging, but some languages traditionally top the listin level of difficulty.
         Languages like Latin, Chinese and Hebrew have reputations of beingsome of the most difficult to learn.
         These languages typically are the ones with few course opportunitiesat colleges and high schools and often are not even offered in some highschools. 
         Thanks to Batya Reichman, a Meyerland area resident, some schoolsare offering more Hebrew classes and are seeing them fill up with interestedstudents. Her new book, Let My Hebrew Grammar Flow, has puta spin on the traditional teaching techniques of the language.
       "I did not create or invent a new language," Reichmansaid. "I took the Holy Land's language that seemed to be so difficultand simplified it."
       The book is the text of choice in her Hebrew classes at SharpstownSenior High School and also is being considered for use by some universitiesin Texas and across the nation. The book is not just for educational institutions.Since its first publication in April 1996. seven Houston-area stores havecarried it.
      “The book is self-learning," Reichman said. "It's clearEnglish, and it is written from the student's point of view, not from theteacher's point of view."
       Reichman perfected her methods in a number of educational institutions.She was a special-education teacher for middle-and high school aged childrenfor nine years in Israel.
      "In Israel, the students' language was Hebrew. " she said."Due to their special problems, they had trouble even with their firstlanguage. That caused me to look for ways to take the most difficult partof the Hebrew language and simplify it so they could learn.
       "I love and I know the Hebrew grammar very well, " shesaid. "I have been teaching the method for 20 years, and I've beentraining teachers on the method for 12 years. I tested the method and theidea, and then it became a book."     In 1976, Reichman moved to theUnited States and taught Hebrew in Miami.
      "Here I discovered a number of different problems because Hebrewwas the second language." she said. "These students were thereason for my looking for a similar, yet different way to teach Hebrew"
        Reichman moved to Houston in 1979, and a year later she began teachingHebrew in her "different" way at Bellaire High School.
         "When I came to Bellaire, I created the Hebrew curriculum- they had nothing," she said. "I started with one single class,and within a year or two, it became a full-time job where I was teachingseven classes a day."
          After a couple of years with a private school in the mid- 1980's,Reichman joined Sharpstown High School and started the Hebrew program there.
         "The majority of my students are not Hebrew" Reichmansaid. "They are not Jewish kids."
          One of her recent students, Shirley Lupu, did not think she wouldlearn anything in Reichman's class.
Lupu, 18, is an exchange student from Israel who is studying at Sharpstown.Hebrew is her first language.
         "I found out they had Hebrew, and I was shocked: she said."I didn't think I could learn something in a Hebrew class here. Ihad already graduated in Israel. I passed everything and made good grades."
           However, Lupu was impressed with Reichman's teaching methods.She provides private English lessons in Israel and hopes to use some ofthe book's methods to help her teach.
       "My students know Hebrew well, and if they know Hebrew, theycan use this book." she said.
        Reichman's methods could potentially be in practice around theworld. She hasn't limited her processes to the Houston area or to herselfas the only teacher.
        "I'm Invited to Canada and to Chicago to do teachers' training,"she said. "I've been in San Diego and even in Israel." she said."I simplify grammar rules for teachers, directors of education andrabbis."
          After testing her methods in so many different areas and afterseeing the results of her teaching techniques, she and her husband, Nechemia(Nick), "my investor, publisher and distributor" decided to publishher ideas.
         Their first run in April was for 5,000 books. They have sold 3,000so far at the cost of $29.95 - "what you'd spend on one private tutonal."Reichman said.
          The book is 128 pages of lessons, reviews and dictionaries.
          "There are 45 short units - every unit is one page."Reichman said. 'The right page is Our Review Tree. The most important informationtaught in the unit is growing on the tree. Each tree is surrounded by activities."
         The answers to the activities are included in the back of thebook, so students can check their own work.
         The book also includes two dictionaries. One might guess that,like in most language books, one dictionary is Hebrew-English and one isEnglish-Hebrew. But the book doesn't include the English-Hebrew reference.
         "Both are Hebrew-English." Reichman said. "Onefollows the order of the units - the words and terms - in order of appearance.The other prepares the learner to use a regular Hebrew-English dictionary.
          This second dictionary lists Hebrew words in alphabetical orderwith the word's English definition. It then refers the reader to the sectionof the book that features the word in a lesson.
         "By the end of the book, you'll know Hebrew." Reichmansaid.
          Sharona Koret, a Houston resident, found an interesting way touse Let My Hebrew Grammar Flow.
         "I bought the book for my son's girlfriend as a gift."Koret said. "She is not Jewish and did not know any Hebrew. Afterone hour, she was able to say a word.   After the evening of study, shewas able to say a sentence."   "It is very hard to learn fromthe old school because of the method." Koret said.
         "There are two things wrong with most Hebrew books."Reichman said. "Many of them don't really teach. And most also havesome religion in them. This one is pure language. It applies to all agesand religions."
           Reichman also uses her book to teach a Hebrew Marathorn.   Themarathon is a three-day, 7 1/2 hour Hebrew class ."My students allleave me after just 7 1/2 hours reading and understanding the language."she said.

Reichman is working on her second and third volumes of Let MyHebrew Grammar Flow.
For a list of Houston stores that sell the bookor to order the book direct,
CALL  BNRBooks Publication at (713)721-7799