NEW YORK – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has established a summer program in elementary Modern Greek tailored for Greek-Americans that will begin on June 15.
Applications must be submitted by March 1 but those interested are urged to apply this fall.
Students will take two three-week sessions of four hours daily, comprising 60 academic hours per session, worth 3 academic credits, resulting in 120 academic hours for the six weeks, for 6 college credits.
Over a two-year period, the program will satisfy the foreign language requirement for college graduation in the United States.
Dr. Dean C. Lomis, who was the director of the University of Delaware International Center and professor of “Modern Greek” in the Department of Foreign Languages from 1969 until his retirement in 1996, came up with the idea in early May, demonstrating that an individual or group of people with an idea can make good things happen in Greece and for the community.
All he knew about the Aristotle University was that it ran the finest Greek language program in the world, so he contacted an exchange professor at the University of Delaware whom he had recently met. He was put in touch with the proper people at the University, Elena Koutousi, the Administrative Head, and Dr. Anastasios Tsangalidis, Supervisory Chair.
They communicated back and forth and put the program together.
The School of Modem Greek Language was founded in 1970. It offers courses in Greek language and culture to foreign students and also to students of Greek origin.
The University will issue transcripts indicating that the student passed the courses, generating three credits. Only the credits will be transferred; no grades will be issued. Students are to be evaluated on a pass/fail basis.
Lomis pointed out that students who are not linguists will learn Greek without hurting their GPA.
The cost is a very economical 600 euro ($750) per 6 week period, and the program three excursions for linguistic and cultural enrichment.
Lomis believes it is a far superior alternative to being forced to study a language one is not interested in at schools that do not offer Modern Greek, and he said students will add a valuable “study abroad” component to their resumes.
He likes the fact that there are no intermediaries – students apply to the program directly to the University. They can obtain applications at: www.smg.auth.gr and the course is titled “Modern Greek Language, level A!