Euroclassica Newsletter number 10, February 2002 Contents

Liesbeth Berkvens

Methods and tools for learning Greek

As part of the European Year of Languages 2001, an international congress took place on: “The contribution of the Greek Language to the evolution of European and World culture. Methods and tools for learning Greek” . The congress was held from the 15^th to the 20^th of October 2001 in Heraklion Crete, in Greece.

It was jointly organized by:

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  The Directorate of Secondary Education of the Prefecture of Heraklion Crete,
  
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  The Director of the Press and Information Office of the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Luxembourg, Mr Heraklis Galanakis,
  
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  The advisors on educational matters (section of philology) of the Prefecture of Heraklion Crete,
  
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  The Union of Teachers in Secondary Education of the Prefecture of Heraklion Crete and
  
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  The Union of Philologists of the Prefecture of Heraklion Crete.
  

The congress was organised with the aid of:

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  EUROCLASSICA and
  
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  The EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF MODERN GREEK STUDIES.
  

The congress was under the auspices of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Development. There was also the written support of Members of the Parliament, the Prefecture of Heraklion and of Municipalities of the Prefecture.

Twenty one Professors, four literatures - representatives of Secondary Education and three translators-authors-lecturers, from nineteen countries throughout the world, teaching Ancient and Modern Greek, had been invited to participate.

The countries in alphabetical order are: Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Deutschland, Egypt, France, Georgia, Hellas, Hungary, Luxembourg, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

There were lectures on the following topics:

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  The continuity of the Greek Language
  
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  Greek in National Education
  
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  The contribution of Greek Language, Literature and Thought to the evolution of the European and Universal Culture
  
• 
  Methods and Tools for learning Greek.
  

All the lectures were very important. They contributed not only to Greek language’s and the Greek civilization’s scientific documentation but also to the promotion of many human principles and values. They contributed to bringing together the people of various nationalities irrespective of their geographical, their national, their social, their religious and their racial origin.

We would like to express our warmest thanks to all the contributors who travelled by aeroplane at a period not conducive to travelling, and honoured us with their participation in the congress. We thank them for giving us the pleasure to welcome them, to know them, to converse with them, and to express our gratitude.

We express our particular thanks to the President of “Euroclassica” Pr. Hans-Joachim Glücklich, the former president Pr. Edouard Wolter and the president of “European Association of Modern Greek Studies” Pr.A. Argyriou, for their very important aid in the preparation and the realization of the international congress.

For the Organizing Committee

Pantelis Bikakis, Director of Secondary Education of the Prefecture of Heraklion