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Intermediate Modern Greek I (GREK017)

Instructor: Eleni Miltsakaki

Office: Logan Hall, Room 270

Phone number: TBA

Office hours: M/W 5:30-6:30 (or by appointment)

Class time: M-W 6:30-8:45

Room: Williams Hall 6

About the course

Intermediate Modern Greek I is designed for people who are learning Greek for general, practical or cultural purposes. The course is for students who have taken Elementary Modern Greek I&II but it is also suitable for learners with a basic knowledge and understanding of Modern Greek, roughly equivalent to a year's formal instruction.

The organization of the course

The course is organized around three basic thematic units. Each thematic unit exposes the learner to a variety of authentic texts related to the main theme. All the reading material selected for this course is taken from a variety of written sources such as newspapers, magazines, books, advertisements etc. Each thematic unit is further divided to 4 subunits. Each subunit contains:

a) a major reading passage with accompanying reading comprehension and vocabulary building exercises,

b) a section for oral-aural practice where learners are given the opportunity to express their own views on the issues discussed in the subunit,

c) an elaborate grammar section,

d) cartoon strips by Arkas

On completing a subunit learners are able (and also expected :-)) to provide a reasonbly sized (100-250 words) piece of writing.

The material is accompanied by audiovisual aids, namely videos, radio recordings and songs. The videos have been kindly provided by "Mega Channel," a private Greek TV station.

In this course we will also read and discuss Nikos Kazantzakis' masterpiece "Zorbas."

Textbook

All the material is written and compiled by the instructor. It will, hopefully, be availbale in bulkpack the second week of September. The bulkpack includes a) the reading passages with the accompanying exercises, b) the grammar sections, and c) the cartoon strips by Arkas. The material for the communication and aural/oral activities will be provided in the classroom. Unfortunately, "Zorbas" is not available at the bookstore. The book will be availbale in bulkback. Both bulkpacks will be available at the Copy Center on 39th and Walnut.

Testing

The material will be reviewed and tested on completing a theme. Therfore, there will be two tests during the term and a final exam at the end. The exam consists of 5 parts:

Part 1: reading comprehension

Part 2: writing

Part 3: grammar

Part 4: listening comprehension and

Part 5: oral

Syllabus: Fall '98 (M/W 6:30-8:45)

WEEK
THEME
AUDIOVISUAL
COMMUNICATION
GRAMMAR
week 1

Sept. 9

 INTRODUCTION
  • Song 1: 'Kalos Orisate!'

a welcome song written by Katsimiha bothers

 introducing yourself/meeting people
  • verbs:

    • Class A/B: present, past perfective

  • personal prounouns
week 2

Sept. 14/16

 MASS MEDIA :

a)an overview of Greek newspapers

b) article on the first Greek immigrants in the U.S.A.
  • TV News: part A
  • Song 2: TBA
 cause and effect
  • verbs:

    • Class A/B:imperative perfective/imperfective

    subjunctive perfective/imperfective

  • possessive pronouns
week 3

Sept. 21/23

 MASS MEDIA:

a) article on nuclear testing and tensions between Pakistan and India.
  • TV News: part B
 expressing views and opinions

proposing solutions
  • verbs:

    • future perfect

  • nouns:

    • class C

      masc: -os

      femin: -os class C

  • adjectives:

    • os/i/o

    os/a/o
week 4

Sept. 28/30

 MASS MEDIA: catastrophies

a) article on fatal ariplane accident in Greece.

b) article on recent earthquake in Afganistan.

c) article on public advertising and the intervention of the state.
  • TV Interview
 reporting a recent discussion

interpreting somebody else's views and opinions

reporting somebody else's views and opinions
  • verbs:

    • indirect speech

    past perfect

  • nouns:

    • masc: -as class A

      -as class B

    femin: -a. -i class A

      -a class B

    neuter: -o, -i class A

      -ma class B
week 5

Oct. 5/7

 REVIEW/TEST
  • Song 3: 'Aggelos exaggelos'

song about a bad news messanger written by Savvopoulos

 REVIEW/TEST REVIEW/TEST
week 6

Oct. 12/14

 ENVIRONMENT

a) article on ecological catastrophes.
  • TV documentary: part A
 degrees of probability

describing natural phenomena
  • verbs:

    • present modality

    Class A: passive present /past

  • adjectives:

    • os/ia/o

    us/ia/u

  • relative pronouns
week 7

Oct. 19/21

 ENVIRONMENT

a) Chernobyl update: the effects of a nightmarish nuclear accident 10 years after.
  • TV documentary: part B'
  • Song 4: 'Vrehi sti ftohogitonia' (tentative)
 describing places and changes

comparing past and present
  • verbs:

    • conditionals

    past modality

  • nouns:

    • masc: -eas, -is class A

      -es class B

    femin: -ou class B

    neuter: -os, -imo class B
week 8

Oct. 26/28

 ENVIRONMENT

a) S.O.S. for the Mediterranean Sea

b) "Adopt a coast"
  • TV documentary: part C
 describing processes

suggesting different options
  • verbs:

    • past imperfective

    Class B: passive present/past

  • deictic pronouns
week 9

Nov. 2/4

 REVIEW/TEST
  • Song 5: 'Thalassa platia'

sea song by Hatzidakis

 REVIEW/TEST REVIEW/TEST
week 10

Nov. 9/11

 GREECE TODAY

a) Strangers in the same city: an article on the differences between a "rich" and a "poor" area in Athens and the people living there.
  • Greek Serial: the story of a young group of friends.

Part A

 expressing preferences

comparing

expressing purpose
  • verbs:

    • subjunctive: present perf./imperf.

    subjunctive: past perfective

  • nouns: masc: -ous, -is class B

    • femin: -ou, -i class B

    neuter: -on, -an class B
week 11

Nov. 16

(Nov.18/no class)

 GREECE TODAY

a) The local TV channel and radio of Macedonia (north Greece) just acquired a new orchestra. The article focuses on the flexibility of the new orchestra, the innovative orhestrations of modern Greek music and the role of the orchestras vs video clips on TV.

  • Greek Serial: the story of a young group of friends (All cool looking! Have you seen Alkis Kourkoulos?! :-)).

Part B

  • Song 6: 'Logo Timis'

a 'best buddies' song by Papadimitriou

 hypothesizing

expressing emotions and feelings
  • verbs:

    • participles

  • adjectives:

    • is/ia/i

    is/es

  • reflexive pronouns
week 12

Nov. 23

(Nov.25/no class)

 GREECE TODAY

a) Funny article on the kinds of things Greeks are currently obsessed with, the "ins".
  • Greek Serial: part C
 describing: character, physical features, dress, colors and shades of color
  • verbs:

    • future perfective/imperfective

    future perfect

  • nouns:

    • neuter: -en, -as class B

  • emphatic pronouns
week 13

Nov. 30

Dec. 2

 GREECE TODAY

a) skiing in Greece: a complete guide to the ski centers in Greece.

b) The 10 things you need to know before you start skiing.

c) Two Greek skiers remember ...
  • Greek Serial: part D
  • Song 7: 'Tous filous den tous keme'

another 'best buddies' song by Alexiou

 hypothesizing

remembering the past
  • verbs:

    • passive: past perfect

    past conditional

  • adjectives:

    • is/a/iko

    as/ou/adiko

  • nouns:

    • neuter -os, os class B
week 14

Dec. 7/9

 REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW
week 15

Dec. 11

Final Exam

 FINAL EXAM
  • Song 8: 'Matia mou i Ellada'

a song about Greece by Mikroutsikos

 FINAL EXAM FINAL EXAM