Modern Greek in the 21st Century
STANDARDS FOR LEARNING MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE in the United States
Task Force on Standards for the Learning of Modern Greek
Vasiliki Tsigas-Fotinis, (Coordinator) Caldwell College and Kean University, Hellenic Link, Inc., Caldwell & Union, NJ
Eva Prionas, (Co-Chair) Stanford University, Modern Greek Language Teachers Association – President, Stanford, CA
Vassiliki Rapti (Co-Chair), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Elpida Bairaktaris, Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, DE
Peter Bien, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Nancy Biska, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Gregory Fulkerson, Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington, DE
Maria Hnaraki, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Louiza Kondilis, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Ioanna Lekkakou, Yuba Environmental Science Charter School, Dobbins, CA
Aristotle Michopoulos, Greek Studies Department at Hellenic College/Holy Cross, Brookline, MA
Maribeth Przywara, Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, DE
The Task Force is also extremely grateful to the Theodore and Erika Spyropoulos Foundation for its generous financial assistance for Task Force meetings and its sustained support through the development of the Standards for Learning Modern Greek K-16.
Advisory Board
James Alatis, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Dimitri Dandolos, Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, DE
Dimitri Gondicas, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Gus Hatzidimitriou, New York City Department of Education Support, NY
Richard Martin, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
June K. Phillips, ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning Project Director, Pittsburgh, PA
John Rassias, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Panagiotis Roilos, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Gonda Van Steen, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Judson R. Shaver, Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY
Gregory Nagy, Harvard University, Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington, DC
Carol Thomas, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Athan Anagnostopoulos, The Greek Institute, Cambridge, MA
Reviewers
Advisory Council on Greek Education of the Hellenic Link, Inc., Jamaica, NY
Elsa Amanatidou, Brown University, Providence, RI
Amalia Arvaniti, University of California, San Diego, CA
Chrysanthi Yiannakou-Bien, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Effie Christie, Kean University, Union, NJ
Brian Joseph, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Athena Kromidas, William Spyropoulos Greek-American School of St. Nicholas, Flushing, NY
George Melikokis, Jamaica Day School of St. Demetrios, Jamaica, NY
Stavroula Sellountos, Hellenic American Academy, Chicago, IL
Georgia Thanasoulis, Bronx High School of Science, New York, NY
Lida Triantafillidou, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
Mary E. Voyatzis, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Stella Kokolis, Federation of Hellenic Educators and Cultural Associations, New York, NY
Heracles Panagiotides, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Contributors to the Learning Scenarios
In addition to the Task Force members, the following people contributed to the writing of the learning scenarios:
From Odyssey Charter School: [Elpida, please furnish first names & check the list]
Elpida Bairaktari (Project coordinator)
C. Anastasiadis
F. Belafemine
H. Davis
G. Dounavis
M. Galantomou
V. Guidoglou
G. Kokkinomalis
E. Latifi
K. Parascharaki
G. Sporidis
A. Stoupaki
T. Tsourka
S. Vazou
Vasiliki Zouka, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Table of Contents
STANDARDS FOR MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE LEARNING 003
INTRODUCTIO N 003
Statement of Philosophy 004
Characteristics of the Greek Language 004
A Short History of Standard Modern Greek 004
Importance of Modern Greek in the World 005
MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES 005
COMMUNICATION GOAL 1 007
Interpersonal Communication
Interpretive Communication
Presentational Communication
CULTURES GOAL 2 010
Practices of Culture
Products of Culture
CONNECTIONS GOAL 3 013
Making Connections
Acquiring Information
COMPARISONS GOAL 4 016
Language Comparisons
Cultural Comparisons
COMMUNITIES GOAL 5 018
School and Community
Lifelong Learning
SAMPLE MODERN GREEK LEARNING SCENARIOS 000
Theme: Healthy Living
Mediterranean Food And Living 5-8
Theme: Community and People
A Trip to Greece 5-8
Cities & Neighborhoods 5-8
Planning to attend a Greek Summer Camp in Greece 5-8
Trojan Horse
Plato Cave
A Royal Coin
The City of Athens through different lenses 16
The Bridge of Arta
The Five Senses
Metamorphoses Final Project
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES 020
STANDARDS FOR MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE LEARNING
COMMUNICATION Goal One
Communicate in the Modern Greek Language
Interpersonal Communication: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in the Modern Greek language.
Interpretive Communication: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics
Presentational Communication: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
CULTURES Goal Two
Gain Knowledge and Understanding of the Modern Greek Language and Its Cultural Contexts
Practices of Culture: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the Greek culture past and present.
Products of Culture: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the Greek culture.
CONNECTIONS Goal Three
Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information, and Expand Knowledge
Making Connections: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines and their historical development through the Modern Greek language and cultural contexts and perspectives.
Acquiring information: Students acquire information, expand their knowledge, and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the Greek language and its culture through the ages.
COMPARISONS Goal Four
Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture
Language Comparisons: Students demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of Modern Greek with their own language.
Cultural Comparisons: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the Greek culture with their own.
COMMUNITIES Goal Five
Participate in Diverse Communities of Language and Culture
School and Community: Students use their knowledge of Modern Greek in a multilingual world.
Lifelong learning: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the Modern Greek language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
INTRODUCTION
The Standards for Modern Greek Language Learning is part of a series of language specific documents that complement the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (2012). Within the content of the latter generic standards, these Modern Greek specific standards are intended to provide an attainable vision for the future of Modern Greek language education in the United States.
These Modern Greek Standards were developed by a Task Force committee, a team of Reviewers, and an Advisory Board representing all levels of education, in both private and public sectors, from a variety of geographic settings. Together they shared their respective insights and expertise to serve the needs of the diverse teaching and learning of the Modern Greek language and culture. Their ultimate goal is to enhance the curriculum and professional development of the field that fosters lifelong personal and community growth. It is anticipated that these standards will create a concise connection among learners, school, and society; will enhance student critical thinking and creative skills; will provide opportunities for learners of Modern Greek to maintain and deepen their proficiency; and will develop a strong foundation for lifelong learning. These standards will also improve the continuity and cumulative effect of Modern Greek language learning and will provide bridges to connect Modern Greek programs from kindergarten to the senior year of college.
Statement of Philosophy
Αιέν ἀριστεύειν! “Ever to Excel” is a Greek adage—from Homer’s Iliad (6.208)—that aptly applies in setting goals or standards for what students should know and be able to do as they engage in the journey of Modern Greek language learning. Aligning with The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2011) of communication, innovative, critical and creative thinking and praxis, this quest reflects the simultaneous breadth and depth of what can be learned. Set in the context of the global community, the Modern Greek standards empower a cross-cultural learning experience and envision a society of sensitive leadership.
Characteristics of the Greek Language
The Modern Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters. As a phonetic language, there is a one-to-one correspondence between letters and sounds with the exception of the (ι, η, υ) letters that correspond to the /i/ sound (e.g., η φίλη /i fili/, το παιδί /to pedi/, τo κυνήγι) and (ο, ω) letters that correspond to the /o/ sound (e.g., το μωρό). Also, Greek vowels and consonants always have the same length, which contributes toward easier literacy skills. The Greek and English language can adhere to the Subject-Verb-Object syntactic order (e.g., George reads the book/Ο Γιώργος διαβάζει το βιβλίο). However, the Greek language can also present syntactic variations in the word order structure (e.g., Το βιβλίο διαβάζει ο Γιώργος/ *The book reads George), which is ungrammatical in English. The Greek language nouns and adjectives have three grammatical genders and they must show agreement with one another (e.g., Ο μεγάλος ωκεανός (masculine), η μεγάλη λίμνη (feminine) και το μεγάλο δέντρο (neuter)/(The big ocean, the big lake, the big tree).
In Modern Greek the nouns are marked for case. So subject nouns have different forms from object nouns
(Είδα τον έξοχο δάσκαλο. Ο έξοχος δάσκαλος διάβασε το βιβλίο. Accents (always the “acute”) go over the stressed syllable, but most single-syllable words have no accent at all. What to Western alphabets is a semicolon ( ; ) in Greek denotes the question mark. Yes, there is enough to learn concerning the Greek alphabet, but once it is mastered it becomes relatively easy to read and pronounce.
A Short History of Standard Modern Greek
Standard Modern Greek has the longest documented history of all European languages. Modern Greek is in fact a direct offspring of Ancient Greek, a language spoken before the time of Homer, as early as the 15th century BC, until the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. The very long history of the language continues with Hellenistic Koine (Common) Greek for six hundred years—the language of the New Testament, some of which is already quite close to Modern Greek. The transfer of the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium (Constantinople) in AD 330 provides a convenient starting point for Byzantine Greek, which became the linguistic medium of a vast body of literature for over more than 1000 years, until Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453. Since that time people have been speaking Demotic (the language of the people), although much of the literature of the time, influenced as it was by the Greek Orthodox Church and by continued adulation of the ancients, typically used a form of Attic Greek. A further challenge to the Demotic came from an artificial compromise between Ancient and Modern Greek called Katharevousa (Puristic Greek) that the Greek State adopted 400 years later as its official language after winning its independence from the Ottoman Empire. In 1976, however, Demotic was declared an official language and in 1982 the system of largely non-functional stresses and breath marks that it had inherited from the past was greatly simplified. This form of monotonic (single-stressed) Demotic is now termed Standard Modern Greek.
Importance of Modern Greek in the World
The Greek language is not only spoken in Greece, Cyprus, and the Greek diaspora; it has also been widely revived through its alphabet, vocabulary, and structure in many other languages. Many concepts, such as democracy, dialogue, philosophy, as well as humanistic principles that define our western thought, were conceived and found their expression in the Greek language. Greek linguistic elements—e.g., λόγος, νόμος, δια-, επι-, αντι- μεγα- μικρο- νεο- μετα- περι-—are integral components of an impressively large number of English words such as methodology, archeology, morphology), astronomy, autonomy, economy, dialogue, epilogue, anti-establishment, mega-church, microfilm, metamorphosis, perimeter. Having the longest uninterrupted use of any European language, it encompasses a culture which constitutes one of the foundations of Western civilization. For instance, some of the most precious texts of Western civilization—from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Plato’s and Aristotle’s philosophy, classical poetry and tragedy, to the New Testament—were written in Greek. Likewise, Modern Greek poetry has a special place in the global scene, boasting two Nobel laureates, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis, while C.P. Cavafy’s poetry has profoundly affected modern poetry worldwide. Moreover, the Greek language is not only the prime material of a unique poetry and literature; it is also at the heart of the work of world-class directors like Theo Angelopoulos, whose poetic movies have reoriented the Seventh Art toward new directions.
Learning Greek avails itself to educational, business, and cultural opportunities. Located at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin, between east and west, north and south, Greece has remained the preeminent leader in the shipping world and thus has been an important factor in cultural commerce and linguistic interchange, facilitating the exchange of cultural products around the globe. World markets feature an array of Greek products, from traditional food delicacies to emerging alternative energies.
MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES
Greek has a long history in the USA. Many of the founding fathers of the United States of America spoke, wrote, read, and understood Ancient Greek—Thomas Jefferson for example. The first Modern Greek school, opened by John Giannopoulos in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1777, is still extant; it is known as America’s “Oldest Wooden School House.” Giannopoulos moved to St. Augustine with many other Greeks from the failed New Smyrna colony in Florida, which lasted from1768 until 1777.
In 1907, more than a hundred years later, the Cadmos school opened in Boston, but it closed later on. About the same time, two new Church schools opened in Chicago: “Socrates” in 1908 and “Koraes” in 1910. Also in 1908, a school opened in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1911 the first Modern Greek day school, the Greek American Institute, which is still in operation, was established in The Bronx, NY. At the college level, Alexander Negris became the first Instructor of Modern Greek in 1828, succeeded by Evangelinos Apostolides Sophocles (c. 1807-1883), both at Harvard University.
After the influx of over 350,000 Greek immigrants during the 1901–1920 period, various Greek communities under the auspices of their churches opened many afternoon and Saturday schools. By 1932 there were 284 afternoon schools with 12,712 students and 330 teachers; in 1942 there were 500 schools with 21,834 students and 553 teachers. By the 1970s the Archdiocesan day school system had increased to eighteen schools, mostly in New York City, with approximately 5,000 students attending from kindergarten through the eighth grade. One of these schools, Saint Demetrios in Astoria, Queens, offered kindergarten through twelfth grade and served around 900 students. In 1978 there were about 400 afternoon schools under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, with an enrollment of over 30,000 students. In the 2001–2002 school year the number of day schools was still only eighteen with 4,104 students, whereas afternoon schools numbered approximately 300 with 25,000–30,000 students. Finally, in the 2010–2011 school year the Archdiocese had thirty day schools with 4,492 students. The corresponding number for the afternoon schools was more than 340 with approximately 22,650 students. In addition to these Church schools there were also a number of private schools/academies, public schools, some Language Institutes and several charter schools teaching Modern Greek in the USA, quite aside from Modern Greek instruction in numerous universities. A comprehensive list of academic programs in North America and Canada, as well as a portal of resources for the instruction of Modern Greek language and culture are offered in the official site of the Modern Greek Studies Association, founded in 1968: http://mgsa.org/index.html.
In 1945 the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese founded St. Basil’s Academy in Garrison, New York, in order to prepare teachers to serve within the Archdiocesan school system. After the Academy was moved to the campus of Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1978, students followed a more rigorous, accredited program leading to a B.A. degree in education. In addition to teachers trained in America in this way, a number of teachers from Greece and Cyprus have also served the Archdiocesan school system over the years.
Modern Greek language community-based parochial schools have provided one of the oldest models of heritage education in the US and other countries. Besides promoting Modern Greek language and culture, they offer a connection to university education in the classics. Course offerings address multiple levels of proficiency in Modern Greek. Their goal is to advance linguistic and cultural competencies. Since the year 2000, a number of Charter schools specializing in Modern Greek have developed.
COMMUNICATION GOAL 1
RATIONALE
The communication goal focuses on the essential relationship between generating and receiving language. This dual relationship is expressed in three communicative modes: Interpersonal (two-way communication via conversation or written exchanges), interpretive (Identifying what one hears or reads), and presentational (expressing one’s ideas in speech acts or writing). Conversations—both virtual and face-to-face, with people, text, and media, about a variety of topics and events—are central to this goal.
COMMUNICATION
Communicate in the Modern Greek Language
Interpersonal Communication: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions and negotiate meaning in the Modern Greek language.
DISCUSSION
The first of the three modes, the interpersonal, is a two-way communication mode that requires the student to negotiate meaning with another individual. Accuracy in exchanging information will develop over time. Students need opportunities to develop interpersonal skills through interaction with native speakers or through social media.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students greet classmates and teachers using appropriate expressions and gestures.
Examples: Γεια σας (formal). Γεια σου (informal).
· Students identify and name certain objects and places.
· Students follow and issue commands and instructions used in everyday classroom activities (e.g., “Open your book”, “Practice your dialogue with your partner”, “Only Greek please”, “Take out your iPads”).
· Students role-play in Modern Greek everyday situations such as ordering/buying fast food/snacks/beverages in a coffee shop, καντίνα or καφετερία.
· Students talk about/describe aspects of daily Greek life such as food, clothing, types of dwelling-places, modes of transportation, buildings and monuments.
· Students share their likes and dislikes (e.g., about foods, personalities, issues, greetings) with each other or with students in other schools via e-mails and/or other technologies.
· Students ask and answer questions in Modern Greek about topics such as family, friends, school, pets, and traveling. (The exchanges may be done in person or using technology.)
· Students ask and answer questions about family events, school events, holidays, and celebrations (e.g., Pascha (Ανάσταση), summertime activities, Name Day celebration).
· Students acquire goods, services, or information orally and/or in writing (e.g., in a deli, bakery or restaurant, library, museum).
· Students share ideas about potential careers or jobs.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students give and follow multiple instructions in sequence in Modern Greek related to daily school/classroom activities.
· Students engage in role-play situations in Modern Greek where they request and receive information, goods and services, such as going to a store/restaurant and buying goods and ordering food.
· Students share opinions, preferences, and feelings in Modern Greek with their classmates.
· Students follow and give directions to places in a neighborhood or city using Google Maps.
· Students describe orally or in writing topics such as family vacations, memorable experiences, school activities or events (e.g., Greek Independence Day), hobbies, and other interests.
· Students compose letters or e-mails in Modern Greek to inquire about rates and services in hotels, to obtain travel brochures and other travel-related information.
· Students work with peers on topics meaningful to them to develop and propose solutions to issues related to school or community (e.g., ecology, violence, bullying, friendship).
· Students use Modern Greek to discuss reading selections, films, videos, or a work of art.
· Students respond appropriately to simple commands, questions, or statements.
· Students narrate a past experience or a future plan.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students use Modern Greek to initiate, sustain, and close a conversation on a variety of real life situations and everyday topics, such as family, friends, hobbies.
· Students discuss orally and in writing current or past events of significant importance to the Greek- speaking community.
· Students exchange commentary on issues and problems that are of concern to the Greek-speaking community.
· Students share their opinions orally and/or in writing on topics of interest, based on information gathered from a variety of sources (Internet, video, written documents).
· Students engage in role-playing familiar and unfamiliar situations in Modern Greek and exchange information, request clarification, compare and contrast people and things.
· Students formulate, persuade, and debate opinions on a variety of issues.
Interpretive Communication: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
DISCUSSION
The Interpretive mode of communication involves the student as a listener- viewer or reader-writer of authentic material. Students can read, view, and interpret a wide array of Greek materials. Beginners read brochures; more advanced learners listen to broadcasts and take virtual tours using Google earth maps or other on-line resources. For instance, they can virtually travel in space and time to the Greek islands or to other locales or even to the Acropolis Museum. All these e-tools enhance their linguistic and cultural competence.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students listen to and/or read in Modern Greek a weather report and list what they would wear that day.
· Students dramatize and illustrate in Modern Greek familiar Greek songs, stories, and fairy tales (e.g., Aesop’s Fables, Greek myths).
· Students identify items in the contents of simple Modern Greek-language realia, such as signs, menus, posters, or advertisements.
· Students identify the meaning of gestures, intonation, and other visual and auditory cues.
· Students summarize the contents of short personal written messages and short personal notes or e-mails from other students on familiar topics, such as family, school events and celebrations.
· Students comprehend the main themes and ideas and identify the principal characters of short stories, novels, or biographies.
· Students identify the main ideas from various media, such as illustrated texts, posters, advertisements, brochures.
· Students divide into appropriate categories the various parts of a culinary recipe in Modern Greek.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students list key information from announcements and messages connected to daily life and travel (e.g., weather, programs from Greek radio or TV, maps of main Greek cities).
· Students compare and contrast several television schedules, restaurant menus, building floor-plans.
· Students create a timeline for the lives of Greek and American historical personages using short biographical sketches.
· Students list the main themes and significant details on a variety of topics as presented on TV, radio, Internet, live presentations, youth magazines.
· Students identify the main ideas and principal characters in brief reading or video selections.
· Students interpret and create a dish from a recipe in a Modern Greek cookbook.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students answer questions about a passage or dialogue in Modern Greek.
· Students read and understand literary works written in Modern Greek.
· Students deliver an opinion on literary works written in Modern Greek.
· Students express the main theme of a Modern Greek poem, short story, or the lyrics of a song.
· Students keep a journal to identify cultural products, practices, and perspectives in literary and non-literary documents in Modern Greek.
· Students compare and contrast news articles on the same event from different Greek newspapers.
Presentational Communication: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
DISCUSSION
The presentational mode involves preparing speech or writing for an audience. It gives an opportunity to get feedback, to reflect on what has been composed and presented by a learner who demonstrates linguistic andcultural skills and who shares with the audience.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students prepare and present in Modern Greek short illustrated personal descriptions of topics like their home, their family, and weekend activities.
· Students write a short autobiographical profile for a Facebook page.
· Students create a video as they act as storytellers in oral or written Modern Greek.
· Students create cards or invitations for a Name Day, birthday, or party.
· Students design posters to promote healthy living or environmental awareness.
· Students dramatize Modern Greek songs and poems, such as “Πλάθω κουλουράκια” (I am making Greek cookies).
· Students compose shopping lists and simple messages.
· Students play a game of charades using the vocabulary words of the current unit.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students prepare and present in Modern Greek short announcements such as weather reports, emergency alerts, and commercials.
· Students prepare short messages and notes or brief reports in Modern Greek about personal experiences, school, and current events.
· Students present short plays and skits, recite poems, and perform songs in Modern Greek for a school-related event (e.g., holiday concert, end-of-the-year assembly).
· Students design posters in Modern Greek illustrating issues such as environmental awareness or civic responsibilities, and post them in their schools or on their websites.
· Students post book reviews, film and art criticism based on a Greek cultural source.
· Students mime a story as it is being read by others in class.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students prepare reports in Modern Greek on a topic of individual interest based upon research on the Internet or other sources.
· Students present their research reports concerning an electronic forum or Hellenic Club.
· Students write an op-ed piece to explain and explore an aspect of Ancient Greek or Modern Greek culture.
· Students create a rubric to evaluate, analyze, and interpret authentic materials intended for native Modern Greek speakers.
· Students develop a theme and present it in various genres (e.g., essay, personal letter, poem).
· Students write and perform their own short play.
CULTURES GOAL 2
RATIONALE
Developing cultural affinity with rich Modern Greek perspectives, practices, and products is important for this goal. Specific foods, games, and rituals are at the center of the distinct manifestations and celebrations that fuel Modern Greek life. Cultural perspectives are creatively broadened by means of emerging technologies and are reflected in practices or patterns of social interaction. In understanding the perspectives of Greek people, and the way they live their daily life, students come to know Greek cultural values. In addition, world markets feature a significant array of Greek cultural products, spanning from the traditional food industry and tourism to emerging alternative energies, as well as to fine and performing arts, all of which have an effect on our cognitive, affective, sensorimotor, and social experiences and perspectives.
CULTURES
Gain Knowledge and Understanding of the Modern Greek Language and Its Cultural Contexts
Practices of Culture: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of Greek culture, past and present.
DISCUSSION
Practices of culture represent the knowledge of the patterns of behavior that determine what people do, when and where. Such doings reflect contemporary and past ideals, attitudes, and values of Greek culture that have been accepted by Greek society. For example, when one meets someone you greet that person, female or male, with a kiss on two cheeks, or if you meet a priest you kiss his hand.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students observe and identify patterns of interactions in family, church, and community settings.
· Students use appropriate gestures and oral expressions for greetings, leave-takings, and common interactions (e.g., handshaking).
· Students participate in age-appropriate cultural activities such as games, songs, celebrations, dramatizations, storytelling, or computer games.
· Students identify social customs that interest them; topics may be aspects of family and social life, and typical Greek holidays.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students examine the traditions and modes of celebration of Greek holidays, special events, folkloric festivals (e.g., OXI Day, Αποκριές και Kαθαρή Δευτέρα, Πρωτομαγιά, Ανάσταση, Greek Letters Day).
· Students identify and talk about various forms of entertainment (e.g., coffee shop lifestyle, going for walks, Greek dancing, backgammon (τάβλι), outings with one’s παρέα).
· Students learn about and participate in activities enjoyed by young Greeks, such as games, sports, music, dance, after-school activities, and hobbies.
· Students enjoy and evaluate their experience with outdoor cinema, theatrical productions.
· Students crystallize their understanding of Greek Folk Dance by performing for others in the community, e.g., senior citizens.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students discuss the daily life of Greece, gained from the texts they read in Modern Greek, and the images they see.
· Students interact in a culturally appropriate manner with Greek-speaking individuals across all age levels in a variety of contexts using appropriate verbal and nonverbal cues.
· Students identify, analyze, and discuss contemporary issues in Greece related to the economy, immigration, employment, politics, violence, environment, and religion.
· Students identify, analyze and discuss the changing cultural practices of families and society in 20th century and 21st century Greece.
· Students construct new ways—for example, by creating a skit— to express Greek concepts like φιλοξενία (hospitality) in their class, at home, and in the community.
Products of Culture: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of Greek culture.
DISCUSSION
This standard focuses on how the products of culture reflect the perspectives of that culture. Modern Greek products of culture may be tangible (bouzouki, Greek yogurt & wine, komboloi) or intangible (e.g., Aesop’s fables, a Zembekiko dance, blessing of the home). Whatever the form of the cultural product, its presence within the culture is required or justified by the underlying beliefs and values of that culture. For example, in Greece the bouzouki is central to particular dance expressions such as the χασάπικο (butchers’ dance). The Mediterranean diet (olive oil, fish, etc.) is indicative of the value of healthy eating.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students identify and observe the types of food they eat at various times of day (e.g., σπανακόπιτα, τσουρέκι [Paschal bread], κουλουράκια, γιαούρτι).
· Students listen to and sing traditional and popular Greek songs.
· Students read chorally to deepen their experience of Greek theater.
· Students identify, discuss, and produce artwork and crafts enjoyed or made by Greeks in their peer group (e.g., shadow puppets, Greek flags, pottery, weaving, embroidery, worry beads).
· Students identify Greek products and tell why they are so popular worldwide (e.g., olive oil, olives, Greek yogurt, feta, χαλούμι cheese).
· Students recognize and distinguish the types of clothing worn from ancient times until today in Greece.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students identify, and use where possible, Greek products absent from their own culture (e.g., μπρίκι, μπουζούκι).
· Students read, listen to, and perform Greek stories, music, and traditional dances.
· Students identify and discuss major scientific, academic, and historical contributions by Greeks (e.g., Archimedes’s screw and buoyancy, Erotosthenes and the great library in Alexandria Egypt, Pythagoras of Samos’s theorem)
· Students learn about and report on artistic contributions of Greek culture in areas such as art, architecture, theater, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy from ancient times until today.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students recognize basic patterns in various Greek art forms.
· Students identify perspectives of Greek culture in selected texts.
· Students participate in discussions with Greek speakers about social, political and religious institutions as they appear in literature and film.
· Students analyze and discuss cultural perspectives as featured in newscasts (available online).
· Students appraise the authors’ perspectives from current news reports and articles found on Greek websites or interviews on YouTube.
· Students examine cultural and historical perspectives through stamps and currencies.
· Students recognize and distinguish the types of traditional clothing worn in various regions of Greece.
· Students organize and participate in Socratic Circles discussing philosophical issues of daily life.
CONNECTIONS GOAL 3
RATIONALE
The Greek language, as one of the foundational language of the arts and sciences, ideally connects the dots and deepens the connections among disciplines. Ample opportunities exist for cooperative interdisciplinary work. Learners activate their previously acquired knowledge in a variety of disciplines, connecting, growing, and deepening their understanding. Connections flow from other content areas to the language classroom and also originate in the classroom, adding enriched experiences to the rest of the curriculum.
CONNECTIONS
Connect with other disciplines, acquire Information, and expand knowledge
Making Connections: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines and their historical development through the Greek language and cultural contexts and perspectives.
DISCUSSION
True learning never happens in isolation. It is naturally connected to pre-existing knowledge, to associations with familiar concepts, and to the common linguist patterns of other disciplines. Students discover how to learn by exploring how shared interdisciplinary themes enhance fluency. One example of an interpretive task may show how graphs in mathematics might help to create language-based graphs. In another example, students who are interested in endangered species could explore websites and enhance their Modern Greek vocabulary of endangered species, geography, and various related disciplines. Some good interdisciplinary areas enabling the student of Modern Greek to enlarge his or her focus from language acquisition to a broader learning experience include mathematics, logic, philosophy, theater, biology, geography, and of course Greek mythology.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students name basic items that they learn in other classes such as weather, calendar, seasons, climate, planets, math facts, simple measurements (e.g., pounds vs. kilograms), and plant and animal life.
· Students expand their knowledge, through Modern Greek, of other subject areas such as geography by learning the names and locations of major countries in Europe and around the world.
· Students identify significant contributions of Greeks and the Greek language in the arts and sciences as well in the culture of their own country (e.g., Euclid for geometry, Hippocrates for medicine, contemporary Greek scientists and Nobel Prize winning poets).
· Students read an English passage in which many of the words stem from the Greek language, and they identify these words.
· Students compare and contrast the architecture of buildings in Ancient Greece and their influence on notable building in America.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students talk in Modern Greek about topics from other school subjects, such as geographical and weather information, mathematical and scientific facts, measurements (conversion to and from the metric system, Fahrenheit vs. Celsius), as well as historical facts and highlights.
· Students use mathematical and scientific terminology derived from Greek roots (e.g., hexagon, dodecahedron, chemistry, physics, etc.).
· Students make connections with Greek influence and terminology in the social sciences, history, and arts (Athens, philosophy, myths, music, metropolis, Philadelphia, etc.).
· Students initiate and sustain simple conversations in Modern Greek about ecology, climate change, and their community.
· Students compare and contrast, physically and aesthetically, the theatrical venues in Ancient Greece and in America.
· Students trace geometric and other patterns in forms of art through the ages.
· Students compare and contrast the dietary practices of Greece with those of America.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students make connections with Greek concepts from the social sciences, philosophy, and history.
· Students discuss in Modern Greek a variety of topics that are being studied in other courses.
· Students use background knowledge from other disciplines to discuss current events in Greece in areas such as politics, economy, and ecology.
· Students use a variety of Modern Greek sources to research topics in their field of study and personal interests.
· Students dramatize connections with Greek art and theater.
· Students theatrically reconstruct life in a Greek village.
· Students compare and contrast farming practices in Greece with those in America.
Acquiring information: Students acquire information, expand their knowledge, and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are available only through the Greek language and its culture through the ages.
DISCUSSION
Modern Greek language could be a key to opening the door to new knowledge. By being exposed to authentic materials, the learners could do two things: (a) use their previous knowledge of other disciplines to approach Greek language texts on a variety of subjects, (b) acquire new knowledge bridging disciplines together through their exposure to the Modern Greek language. Language learning experience is empowered by being integrated in interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students listen to and learn short dialogues, passages, poems, and songs in Modern Greek (e.g., from counting and abc rhymes, folk songs, picture books).
· Students gather information about Greece and Greek culture by listening to and reading short presentations in Modern Greek (e.g., travel videos, brochures, magazines).
· Students use their knowledge of Modern Greek to understand a specialized vocabulary in science and technology.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students use sources intended for same-age speakers of Greek to prepare presentations on topics of personal interest (e.g., favorite sports, hobbies, environmental issues, health).
· Students identify Greek contributions to world culture, science, art, and society in general.
· Students take a virtual tour of the National Gallery of Art in Athens and the New Acropolis Museum and share their reactions with classmates.
· Students explore and distinguish the four different terms for love in the Greek language (έρως, φιλία, στοργή, αγάπη).
· Students interpret the meanings of the two Greek words for time (καιρός, χρόνος).
· Students discuss the Aristotelian concept of friendship, and how it may differ from their own.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students acquire information about mythology from web-based Modern Greek sources.
· Students collaboratively create a project showing the ecological attributes of specific Mediterranean locations.
· Students acquire information on the development of Greek democracy in ancient Athens and relate it to current models of this concept in various democratic countries around the world.
· Students evaluate information gathered from various Modern Greek materials and compare it to information obtained on the same topics written in English. Examples include the role of women in ancient and modern societies.
· Students acquire information about the ancient Greek astronomers Aristarchus and Ptolemy, about the planets and the cosmos in general, and how astronomers and other disciplines use this information today on a larger scale worldwide.
COMPARISONS GOAL 4
RATIONALE
All cultures have distinctive features. Likewise, the languages that grow out of these cultures have distinctive characteristics. To compare different cultures and languages raises students’ linguistic awareness and cultural understanding. More specifically, to compare the linguistic elements of Modern Greek with those of another language enhances students’ ability not only to examine the thought patterns of their own language but also to understand more about languages in general. Even at the novice level of their Modern Greek language learning experience, students can compare and contrast Modern Greek with other languages they know, as different elements are presented. Activities that will assist students in understanding how languages work can be systematically integrated into instruction.
COMPARISONS
Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture
Language Comparisons: Students demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparison of Modern Greek with their own language.
DISCUSSION
Learning the linguistic elements of Modern Greek enhances the students’ ability to examine their own language, its uses and patterns of thought. From the very early learning experiences, students can explore informal and formal forms of address in Modern Greek, apply learned cognate patterns to new words they encounter, and compare and contrast ways in which the syntax and grammar of Greek and English express meaning. Overall students learn to understand how languages work.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students cite English words that have Greek origins (e.g., marathon, telephone, method, elephant).
· Students contrast idiomatic expressions in Modern Greek with their English counterparts (e.g., Μου αρέσει vs. I like it).
· Students use appropriate informal and formal forms of address in greetings, leave-takings, and other expressions (e.g., Τι κάνεις; vs. Τι κάνετε;).
· Students make visual comparisons of meanings generated by Modern Greek and English equivalents (architectural buildings in the US and Greece, i.e., statue of President Abraham Lincoln is modeled from the Greek statue of Zeus).
· Students compare and contrast the size, structure, and pronunciation of the Greek alphabet with these characteristics of the English alphabet and other alphabets.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students apply learned cognate patterns to new words they encounter (e.g., hyperactive, hypodermic, hypothermia, bronchitis, biology, technology, pathology).
· Students compare and contrast how the syntax and grammar of Greek and English express meaning (e.g., how word order in both English and Modern Greek changes emphasis).
· Students use appropriately formal and informal forms in Modern Greek when addressing people of different status and age, a practice not used in English.
· Students use grammatical and/or syntactical patterns in Modern Greek that differ from the patterns in English (e.g., the Greek verb “είμαι” [to be] has a continuous present and continuous past tense but does not have a simple present or simple past tense; Greek adverbs are typically not placed where the equivalent adverb would be placed in English; Greek, but not English, can mean “The dog bites the man” when it writes “The man [accusative case] bites the dog [nominative case]”).
· Students distinguish how emotional functions are carried out in Modern Greek and English (e.g., greeting, honoring, apologizing, arguing, complaining, scolding, forgiving).
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students compare and contrast the structure and grammar of Modern Greek with the structure and grammar of English (or other languages, ancient or modern).
· Students trace the historical development of the Greek language.
· Students use Greek idioms and proverbs in formal and informal settings.
Cultural Comparisons: Students demonstrate an understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the Greek culture with their own culture.
DISCUSSION
As students break cultural barriers through their language learning they discover cultural products, practices and perspectives similar to and different from those in their own culture. They have the opportunity to reflect and compare cultural systems in general. From the very beginning of learning they can understand the effects of cultural products and behavior patterns in Modern Greek culture and compare and contrast perspectives with their own culture.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students compare simple patterns of behavior in various cultural settings (e.g., family gatherings, familiar vs. formal relationships).
· Students explore the effects of tangible products in Modern Greek culture and compare those effects with those in their own culture (e.g., automobiles, mobile telephones, φραπέ).
· Students compare and contrast songs and tales of Modern Greek culture with songs and tales of their own culture.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students compare aspects of Greek and American daily life, such as school schedules, meals, weekend activities, and vacations.
· Students hypothesize about the relationship between cultural perspectives and practices in Greek culture, comparing these with their own culture (e.g., Greek vs. American holidays, March 25th vs. July 4th, the importance of name days vs. birthdays).
· Students speculate on why certain products are important in Greek culture and they make comparisons with their own culture (e.g., cement, fertilizer).
· Students learn about Greek and American cultural practices in areas such as popular sports (e.g., Greek football [soccer] vs. American football).
· Students watch videos of young Greeks and compare and contrast their verbal and non-verbal behavior patterns with the way that American young people would act and react in similar situations.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students compare and contrast the life of a university student in America with that of a university student in Greece.
· Students identify elements in their own art and literature that have their basis in the Greek world.
· Students compare ecological, political, and social issues as reflected in news broadcasts in Greek and English.
· Students compare and contrast the current Greek political system with the American political system.
· Students identify and analyze cultural perspectives as reflected in a variety of literary and cinematographic genres.
· Students compare cultural institutions as presented in authentic Greek and English materials.
COMMUNITIES GOAL 5
RATIONALE
The goal of community combines and contextualizes elements from each of the other goal areas. It is the primary 21st century skill that energizes the creation of new technologies. As students use Modern Greek to communicate in authentic real-life contexts, they come to understand and value the community context of Greek beyond the classroom setting. By so doing, they will inevitably access resources from Modern Greek community organizations, businesses, or governmental agencies utilizing electronic resources, broadcasts, and print media. Modern Greek language learners will become more proficient in Modern Greek through appropriate exposure to programs, activities, and people in their schools and community. As students have opportunities to use Modern Greek in response to real-world needs, they will seek out situations beyond the school in which they can apply their competencies. Thus they will create and participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world.
COMMUNITIES
Participate in Diverse Communities of Language and Culture
School and Community: Students use their knowledge of Modern Greek in a multilingual world.
DISCUSSION
In preparing students for a competitive global market, and a world of fast, real or virtual global communications, knowledge of another language and culture has been emphasized in public and private schools and in academic institutions. The most important learning goal for students is to connect with Modern Greek communities and see immediate uses of what they have learned. Communities with a strong presence of Greek speakers offer a wealth of resources and expertise. In areas where there is no strong presence of Modern Greek speakers the Internet can link language classes with communities of Greek speakers around the globe. Through building communities, students can pursue personal and professional interests, and at the same time, they can realize the interdependence of people and cultures in the world we live in. Students of Greek heritage background can have a keener awareness of community resources that give them new insights to the Greek and the Greek American culture.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students perform, sing, or recite songs, poems, stories, skits, or plays in Modern Greek for a classroom, school, or community event.
· Students retell familiar stories or create and illustrate stories in Modern Greek in order to present them to others.
· Students communicate in Modern Greek—through letters, e-mail, and audio and video recordings—with elementary school students in other Modern Greek classes or in schools in Greece.
· Students dance a traditional καλαματιανός or another Greek folk dance for a public festival or institution.
· Students participate in an International Olympics, highlighting one or more of the following areas: athletics, arts, multicultural expressions of the five senses, sciences or academics.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students perform an original play or recite their own poetry in Modern Greek for a school or community cultural event.
· Students participate in Greek Club activities that benefit the school or the community.
· Students interact with Greek-speaking members of their local community in order to improve their ability to use the language in different settings (e.g., ordering food at the annual festival of the local Greek church or in a Greek restaurant).
· Students interact with community members who are involved in a variety of careers (e.g., medicine, teaching, law) in order to understand how these individuals have used the Modern Greek language in their work.
· Students communicate in Modern Greek through letters, e-mails, video recordings, Skype, or teleconferences with Greek-speaking students around the world.
· Students participate in an extended Modern Greek immersion experience such as a Modern Greek language camp.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students present and exchange information about their language experience to others in school and community.
· Students share their knowledge of Modern Greek with others in school and community, using an art form.
· Students present information about the Modern Greek language and culture to their communities.
· Students use Modern Greek language resources to research topics of personal interest.
· Students provide Modern Greek language services in the community, like oral and written translation services.
· Students participate in study abroad programs in Greece.
· Students communicate orally and in writing with Greek-speaking peers on a variety of topics both professional and personal.
· Students formulate explanations of why many traditional Greek folk dances are circular..
· Students organize and effectuate with other schools in the area an International Olympics highlighting one or more areas such as the following: athletics, art, science, politics..
Lifelong learning: Students show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the Modern Greek language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
DISCUSSION
As students of Modern Greek become autonomous learners and have opportunities to use Modern Greek beyond the classroom and in real life settings, they interact with Greek communities at home and around the world. Gains in linguistic and cultural competencies provide the requisite tools for exploring leisure activities, understanding and discussing a range of topics in Modern Greek, understanding Greek literary and art works, political and social issues. Language becomes a powerful tool of communication allowing for participation in the Modern Greek life and culture in depth, throughout one’s life. With direct access to the world virtually, one can form lifelong empowering learning experiences through partnerships and communities.
NOVICE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students play sports or games such as soccer or hopscotch, or engage in other social activities typical of Greek culture.
· Students listen to Greek music, sing songs in Modern Greek, or become aware of musical instruments used in various parts of Greece.
· Students watch Modern Greek videos for enjoyment.
· Students help prepare and sample typical Greek hors d’oeuvres (μεζέδες) and desserts such as σπανακοπιτάκια and κουλουράκια.
· Students celebrate Greek holidays such as Independence Day (March 25th).
· Students recognize and demonstrate φιλοξενία (hospitality; literally, being the friend of a stranger) within their class, school, or community setting.
INTERMEDIATE
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students listen to music, sing songs, and become familiar with musical instruments that are representative of Greek culture.
· Students experience a cultural event, for example by attending a performance by Greek children at a Greek Orthodox church or another Greek institution.
· Students perform an Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, or even a Medieval Greek play for the PTA, social club, senior group or other social organization.
· Students plan, and then carry out, activities for a cultural event (e.g., carnival, or organizing a bal masqué).
· Students plan a real or imaginary trip to Greece using the Internet (e.g., researching files for weather, accommodations, transportation).
· Students explore Greek books, magazines, and websites for personal entertainment and enjoyment.
· Students play Greek music, sing songs in Modern Greek, or become aware of the range of sounds that Greek musical instruments can produce.
ADVANCED
Sample Progress Indicators
· Students interact with community members of Greek origin.
· Students transfer elements from Modern Greek culture to their own thoughts and actions.
· Students subscribe to Greek websites (e.g., to a Greek online newspaper or blog).
· Students read, write, and create Modern Greek literary and non-literary texts for enjoyment.
· Students communicate in Modern Greek with native Greek speakers via the Internet (chat rooms, social media, distance learning portals).
· Students use various sources and media to obtain information from Greece on topics of personal and communal interest.
· Students participate in lectures, conferences, and cultural activities in Modern Greek.
· Students research topics of professional interest using Modern Greek language resources.
· Students construct re-enactments of their favorite Greek tragedies and comedies and/or works of art.
· Students enrich their local public library with Modern Greek language and culture print and electronic media.
MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE SCENARIOS
TARGETED STANDARDS
1.1 Interpersonal Communication
1.2 Interpretive Communication
1.3 Presentational Communication
2.1 Practices of Culture
2.2 Products of Culture
3.1 Making Connections
3.2 Acquiring Information
4.1 Language Comparisons
4.2 Cultural Comparisons
5.1 School and Community
5.2 Lifelong Learning
GENERAL LEARNING SCENARIOS that could be applied to all levels
[SEE FILES OF SCENARIOS]
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
Donald M. Ayers, English Words from Latin and Greek Elements. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1986.
Professor G. Xanthakis-Karamanos, “The Reception of Greek in Contemporary English,” lecture delivered at the symposium on “Reviving the Delphic Idea.” Delphi, Greece, August 17, 2006.
John A. Rassias et al., The Future of the Greek Language and Culture in the US: Survival in the Diaspora. New York: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, 1999.
Helena Anderson Curtain, Languages and Children, Making the Match: Foreign Language Instruction for an Early Start, Grades K-8. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1994.
Virginia M. Scott, Principles and Practices of the Standards in College Foreign Language Education. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press, 2009.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Yearbooks, 1997-2011. New York.
Μπάμπης Μαλαφούρης, Έλληνες της Αμερικής, 1528–1948. New York: Goldman, Isaac, 1948.
Charles Moskos, Greek Americans: Struggle and Success. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1980.
George Papaioannou, The Odyssey of Hellenism in America. Thessaloniki: Patriarchal Institute for Patristic Studies, 1985.
“Aligning Greek Language Teaching with US National Standards. ” Paper, presentation, and workshop given at “Hellenic Values and Global Civilization: Engaging Universities and Citizens,” a conference held at the University of Southern Florida on February 18-20, 2010, sponsored by the American Foundation for Greek Language and Culture (AFGLC) of Tampa, Florida, in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Centers for Hellenic Studies (ICHS) of the University of South Florida and the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. http://www.afglc.org/pages/foru/AFGLC_Forum_2010/Trigas_Fotinis_Aligning_Greek_Language_Teaching_with_US_National_Standards_Paper_AFGLC_Forum_2010.pdf
“Requirements of Certification for Teachers of Greek Language and Culture in New Jersey,” a presentation at a colloquium focused on improvements of Hellenic Education, sponsored by Hellenic Link, Inc., Advisory Council on Hellenic Education at Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church Community Center, Toms River, NJ, May 31, 2008.
Kathryn Lasky, Kevin Hawkes, illu., The Librarian Who Measured the Earth. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1994.
Anna Prokos, Christina Tsevis illus., The Lucky Cake. A-to-Z Publishing, 2011.
http://www.mgsa.org/Resources/mgtexts.html
THE DRAFTING TASK FORCE
Vasiliki Tsigas-Fotinis, Coordinator, Caldwell College & Kean University, Caldwell & Union, NJ; Member, Advisory Council on Hellenic Education, Hellenic Link, Inc., NYC, NY
Eva Prionas, Co-Chair; Stanford University, Modern Greek Language Teachers Association – President, Stanford, CA
Vassiliki Rapti Co-Chair; Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Elpida Bairaktaris, Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, DE
Peter Bien, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Nancy Biska, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Gregory Fulkerson, Delaware Department of Education, Wilmington, DE
Maria Hnaraki, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Louiza Kondilis, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Ioanna Lekkakou, Yuba Environmental Science Charter School, Dobbins, CA
Aristotle Michopoulos, Greek Studies Department at Hellenic College/Holy Cross, Brookline, MA
Maribeth Przywara, Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, DE