Greek Language, History and Culture through ICT

Greek language is not only one of the most ancient languages but also one of great importance due to the cultural and scientific value of ancient Greek scripts that are saved, nowadays. These scripts are the evidence, that ancient Greeks played an outstanding role on the progress of the European civilization and they were the source of timeless ideas like Democracy, Humanism, Justice and Socialization. Moreover, they greatly contributed to the formalization of the contemporary humanity and culture, as a whole. Personalities like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras and Herodotus have played a distinguished role in humanities and social sciences. Greek language was the mean for the ancient ideas to surpass the Roman ideology through the ages and become the prerequisite for the Byzantine civilization. Also, Greek is the language of the New Testament and of all the Christian hymns and Byzantine literature. But, the most important fact about Greek is its timeless and unstoppable existence through ages. Today, Greek language is the evolution of the same language that Homer and Pericles spoke hundreds of centuries before. Nevertheless, Greek is one of the official languages of Europe and one of the most interesting classes in curriculums of lower and higher educational institutions around the world.

Crete is the ideal location for anyone interesting in Greek Culture, Language and History as the island combines attractions and sightseeing of many important eras, as the Minoan ages or Venetian occupation. As the mythology goes, Zeus was born in Crete. Zeus, who was the leader of the ancient Greek gods, was also the god of philoxenia. So, in Crete, people are willing to welcome every visitor and make him feel as home.At the same time, Heraklion is the capital of the island, with many attractions and museums. Also, there are many places to visit, as the historical center and Knossos palace. Last but not least, Heraklion is ideal to spend your holidays as it combines the local traditional life with the European lifestyle. All that on a well preserved natural environment with beautiful beaches and of course under the Mediterranean climate.

The course Greek Language, History and Culture is designed in such a way, that it achieves to accomplish two important goals at the same time. Joining this course will make you embark on a trip of meeting one of the most ancient languages in the world. At the same time, you will meet Cretan culture and lifestyle. So, this course includes language learning together with cultural awareness and activities. It involves lectures about ancient, Byzantine,modern and contemporary Greek history and civilization. Other than that, you will familiarize yourself with the competence of language awareness in diferent communicative scenarios.

The basic aim of this particular course is to promote Greek language and Culture through the interplay of language education and cultural emulation. So, the objectives of such a course are to:

• Familiarize yourself of the ancient Greek literature, poetry and philosophy.
• Understand and acknowledge the historical continuity between ancient Greece and contemporary Greece through the Byzantine civilization.
• Learn how to communicate in Greek, in different communicative scenarios.
• Meet and learn more about the Cretan dialect and culture.
• Acknowledge how to design teaching materials with the use of digital tools and online programs.