Traditionally, students of ancient languages have been taught to translate rather than read. The four most popular current approaches to language instruction--the grammar-translation method, the direct-reading or inductive approach, the audiolingual method, and the structural approach--all have inherent deficiencies that are magnified when applied to an ancient language. An innovative program produced by the Joint Association of Classical Teachers, entitled "Reading Greek," seems to combine the best features of these methods. Teachers should be aware that adults face these problems in learning an ancient language: (1) the need to have everything--especially non-Roman alphabets--carefully explained; (2) scarcity of time available for study; (3) absence of a living source informant; and (4) the question of relevance. The designer of a program should provide for extensive work on the alphabet, choice of a general vocabulary, structural analysis, work on memorizing techniques, structured drills, and a selection of readings that reflects the goals of each lesson. (JB)