2025 Summer School of
Greek Language, History and Culture
Ionian University, Corfu, Greece
June 29 (arrive on Corfu) - July 13 (depart from Corfu)
This Summer School emphasizes modern Greek language, Greek history and culture. It is aimed at adults 18+ from the Greek Diaspora, as well as archaeology students participating in fieldwork projects in Greece, and scholars who wish to learn or brush up on their modern Greek.
Language classes are grouped by ability and are held at the Ionian University in Corfu in the mornings, Monday to Friday, from c.9.00 am to c.13.00 pm. Cultural activities and talks take place from c.17.30 pm to c.20.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Day-long excursions are held on the weekends.
The program provides 80 teaching hours in total and offers 3 ECTS/1.5 US Credits
Academic Coordinators:
Professor Athanasios Efstathiou (aefstath@ionio.gr)
Assistant Professor Polyxeni Strolonga (strolonga@ionio.gr)
Dr. Konstantinos Stefou (kostasstefou@yahoo.gr)
For additional queries, please contact:
Dr. Konstantinos Stefou (kostasstefou@yahoo.gr)
Dr. Lita Tzortzopoulou-Gregory (ΑΑΙΑ) (lita.gregory@sydney.edu.au)
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Intensive modern Greek language teaching.
- Lectures on ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary Greek history; Modern Greek literature; Ancient Greek; analysis of speech in Modern Greek; production and understanding of written and spoken language; ancient Greek, Byzantine and modern art and music.
- Visits and tours with a professional guide throughout the old town of Corfu (designated UNESCO World Heritage Site). Sites include the Archaeological Museum, the Old Fortress, the Museum of Music and the Old Philharmonic Society, amongst others.
- One all-day guided excursion to Ioannina (castle, museums, etc.) and the archaeological site of Dodoni.
- One all-day excursion to the islands of Paxi and Antipaxi or to North Corfu (Palaiokastritsa and Achilleion) (depending on availability).
- Access to the Ionian University Library, located in the same building as where the lectures are held. The library holds a rich collection of dictionaries and language study aids, as well as books on the history, language and culture of Greece.
All instruction is provided by expert Ionian University instructors and specialist lecturers.
LANGUAGE LEVELS
Participants are required to take a Language Classification Test on the morning of the first full day of the program to be grouped into one of three levels (beginners, intermediate and advanced). Each group will have a minimum of 2 and maximum of 10 participants.
At the end of the course, participants will receive an evaluation certificate of their achievement. Anyone absent for more than 1/3 of the courses will not receive a certificate.
OUTCOMES
LEVEL 1 (BEGINNERS):
Writing: The student can write an elementary short text such as an e-mail or a note.
Reading: The student can read short texts that are based on the grammar and the vocabulary of the level.
Speaking: The student can express himself/herself in a short dialogue.
Listening: The student can understand clear messages and announcements.
LEVEL 2 (INTERMEDIATE)
Writing: The student can write texts on a variety of general topics.
Reading: The student can understand a wide range of texts (not too difficult)
Speaking: The student can express his/her ideas with fluency.
Listening: The student can understand standard spoken everyday language uses.
LEVEL 3 (ADVANCED)
Writing: The student can write appropriate texts with a logical structure and with rich vocabulary.
Reading: The student can understand all sorts of demanding texts appreciating differences of style and idiomatic uses.
Speaking: The student can express himself/herself practically in any conversation, being able to use strategies in conversation and debate.
Listening: The student is able to understand any kind of spoken language in any conditions (noise, people talking fast, idiomatic speech, etc.)
SYLLABUS FOR GREEK LANGUAGE TEACHING
LEVEL 1
GRAMMAR
- Alphabet, pronunciation, stress, writing
- Nouns (gender, case, singular, plural), adjectives
- Definite and indefinite articles
- Personal, possessive, demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite pronouns.
- Verbs: present tense, past simple, future simple
- The verb ‘to be’ (είμαι) and the verb ‘to have’ (έχω)
- Prepositions and adverbs of place, time, manner and quantity.
VOCABULARY/TEXTS
- Greetings
- Introducing oneself, introducing people (being formal)
- Nationalities
- Numbers
- Colours
- Money
- The family
- House, rooms, furniture
- Expressing likes and dislikes
- Asking to get information
- Talking about the past
- Talking about the future
- Free time, hobbies
SKILLS
Writing: The student can write an elementary short text such as an e-mail or a note.
Reading: The student can read short texts that are based on the grammar and the vocabulary of the level.
Speaking: The student can express himself/herself in a short dialogue.
Listening: The student can understand clear messages and announcements.
LEVEL 2
GRAMMAR
- More nouns, more adjectives
- Introducing the genitive case
- Syntax, semantics
- Verbs: Passive Voice, Deponent verbs
- Past Continuous, Future Continuous, Subjunctive Continuous
- Subordination (relative clauses, temporal clauses, conditionals)
- Causality and finality
VOCABULARY/TEXTS
- Moving in the city
- Suggesting, proposing, recommending, advising
- Expressing feelings and emotions
- Expressing wishes for celebrations
- Offering to help
- Going to the supermarket, to the bank
- Expressing a viewpoint
- Talking about past habits and future plans
- Going to the doctor, body parts
- Going shopping (clothes, shoes, size)
- Sports, cinema
SKILLS
Writing: The student can write texts on a variety of general topics.
Reading: The student can understand a wide range of texts (not too difficult)
Speaking: The student can express his/her ideas with fluency.
Listening: The student can understand standard spoken everyday language uses.
LEVEL 3
GRAMMAR
- Declination of neutral nouns (το συμβάν, το προϊόν)
- Declination of adjectives (διεθνής/-ής/ές)
- Conjugation of verbs from Classical Greek (εξαρτώμαι, συνέβη, επενέβην)
- Prepositions from Ancient Greek
- Morphology: Prefixes, suffixes
- Expressing probability
- Concessive clauses
- Subjunctive
- Syntax: Verbs with ότι, πως, που
- Participles (active, passive voice)
- Conjunctions
- Exclamations
VOCABULARY/TEXTS
- Prohibiting and allowing
- Applying for a job (Interview, CV)
- Greece: geography, culture, history, literature
- Travelling and Tourism
- Food culture, gastronomy
- Mass Media. The world of internet
- Education (Paideia)
- Art (traditional, modern)
- Environment, pollution, climate change
- Political institutions
- Modern Greek dialects
- Proverbs
SKILLS
Writing: The student can write appropriate texts with a logical structure and with a high level vocabulary.
Reading: The student can understand all sorts of demanding texts appreciating differences of style and idiomatic uses.
Speaking: The student can express himself/herself practically in any conversation, being able to use strategies in conversation and debate.
Listening: The student is able to understand any kind of spoken language in any conditions (noise, people talking fast, idiomatic speech, etc.)
