CULP: Greek Basic 1

BeginnersNew£

Greek is an Indo-European language and the only member of the Hellenic branch; it has been spoken in the South-East Europe since early in the second millennium BC and has the longest recorded history of any Indo-European language. Ancient Greek, spanning from c. 1500 BC to 1600 AD, and Modern Greek (c.1700 to the present) are two major developmental stages in the long history of the language.

Modern Greek is spoken by some 14 million people mainly in the Republic of Greece, where it is the official language, and the Republic of Cyprus as one of the two official languages. It is also spoken by sizeable immigrant communities in the USA, Australia, Western Europe and elsewhere. Since 1981 is has been one of the official languages of the European Union as well.

More detailed information is available from the Language Centre.

• University staff and students
• Further details regarding Language Centre eligibility criteria are available

For absolute beginners or for those with very little knowledge of the language.

The course is aimed at a wide range of students with a general interest in Greek. No prior knowledge of Greek is required as the course is for complete beginners.

Number of sessions: 15

The course introduces students to the following functions and notions:

• Greetings
• Family and friends
• Telling the time and date
• Daily routine
• Home
• At the restaurant and the cafe
• Hobbies and past times
• Likes and dislikes
• Past events
• Directions and locations
• Weather and seasons
• Shopping (groceries and clothes)

The student will acquire the necessary skills to

• be able to read, using accurate pronunciation and intonation
• gain knowledge of basic and high frequency vocabulary
• gain knowledge of the basics of grammar
• understand and use familiar language
• gain sufficient intercultural awareness to interpret references to everyday life and aspects of the Greek society and culture

In particular:

• Listening/Speaking

Understand some basic instructions or take part in a brief informal conversation on a familiar topic.

• Reading

Understand texts and dialogues on simple and familiar topics as well as notices and basic instructions.

• Writing

Write a brief informal letter, e-mail or note on a familiar topic.

At the Basic 1 level the main aims are:

• to develop a basic understanding and an appreciation of the salient linguistic features;
• to develop the necessary skills for communication in predictable everyday situations;
• to develop an insight into Greek-speaking life, culture and society.

One two-hour classes per week in Lent and Easter terms. The course is divided into 15 sessions with each one introducing new topics and structures.

• Raven access is required
• Further information regarding Raven is available

• Students Fees: £250 to be paid online.
• Staff Fees: £280 to be paid online.
• Please select ‘All charged’, not ‘Concessionary’ under the course fee when you make your booking (the ‘Concessionary ’option is not applicable to CULP courses).
• Links to the online store will be provided with your confirmation email.
• Payment is required within 24 hours of your booking to secure your place.
• Refunds available after the first lesson only.
• Payment for the courses is made on the Online Store (http://onlinesales.admin.cam.ac.uk/) (CULP General Purpose courses), (Raven log in).
• Course materials can be found on Moodle (http://www.student-systems.admin.cam.ac.uk/moodle) (Raven log in), once the course has started.

• Full details of all Language Centre programmes can be found on the Language Centre website and Language Centre Online website

Fifteen taught sessions of two hours plus online learning

Three times per year (subject to demand)

• CULP: Greek Basic 2