Basic methodology and lesson planning

The first grammar and exercise section in GE covers the Text of Section 1a-g. Consequently, the first task is to read and translate the Text of 1a-g as quickly as possible, pausing only over passages which cause difficulties, or passages which exemplify new grammatical points.
Methodological guidelines
Two general guidelines are important: (1) In GE read the grammar section for 1a-g and then in the Text underline or otherwise mark those sentences, clauses, phrases or words which illustrate those points that the grammar and exercises of 1 a-g will test. (2) Go into detail on only those grammatical points that will appear in the grammar section of GE.
Of course, if students have enquiring minds, they may want to know more about the grammar of the text they are reading. For example, the Course sets to be learnt only the nominative and accusative of nouns to start with. Genitive plurals come in Section 2, genitive singulars in Section 8 and datives in Section 9. If the students enquire about genitive and dative forms ahead of time, briefly tell them but assure them that they will cover them in full detail when the time comes. It is certainly advisable that students learn the whole paradigm of nouns and adjectives when they first meet them.
Lesson plans
A procedure for starting the Course might be as follows: Lesson 1 could cover Text 1a in class; home preparation would be to learn the learning vocabulary of 1a and prepare ahead 1 b-c; Lesson 2 could cover translation of 1 b and c, and push on into d: home preparation would consist of learning the vocabulary of 1b-d and preparing 1e-f. And so on. During translation, the grammar of 1a-g should be pointed out and reinforced, and when the text has been translated in this way and the vocabulary learnt, turn to the grammar section for 1a-g and go through it in detail with the students, ensuring that it is understood by asking questions or drilling with simple practice exercises. The grammar must then be learnt by heart.
As for drills, the teacher should assign whichever exercises in GE are judged to be necessary, supplementing these in class with brief, oral ‘transformation’, ‘substitution’ and ‘expansion’ exercises (see pp. 18-19). Finally, the teacher should set, or assign, the Test Exercise at the end of each grammar section for translation at sight (unseen).
This is a useful general pattern for daily lesson plans and can be used with most sections. For year-plans, see pp. 152-154.
Basic format of instruction
The methodology and general lesson plan suggested should not, of course, be rigidly followed, but (1) rapid reading of the Text, (2) regular vocabulary drills or quizzes, and (3) appropriate exercises in the grammar are a good format for progressing through the Course.
Year-end goals
The readings in the Text, unlike those of many other textbooks, are numerous, culturally and grammatically full, and sometimes lengthy. Accordingly, limita¬tions of instructional time may force the teacher to cut back the amount of Text which students are to cover: the teacher can either omit pararaphs entirely or translate it in class him/herself. Because presentation of new grammar effectively ends with Section 17, this section may well end the first year. But a respectable target for a class doing one year of Greek and no more would be Section 14 (Neaira).