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Advice for teachers -
Greek

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 2

Unit 2 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: Greek-speaking communities
Topic: The Greek cultural heritage
Sub topic: The Arts

Outcome 1

Respond in writing in Greek to spoken, written or visual texts presented in Greek.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read a novel/short story or view a film. Individually, focus on its key aspects and make notes. Present to the class a general overview of the written or visual text noting significant features.
  • Write a summary of one of the texts.
  • Write personal journal entries to highlight main points and reactions to the selected texts.
  • Watch a video about the author of one of the texts. Take notes about any relationship between the author’s life and the text as well as any other significant and relevant connections or comparisons.
  • Listen to a radio interview/podcast about one of the texts, or any aspect of it.
  • Read critical writing about the selected texts and note the points made, highlighting any similarities and differences between the critics.
  • Choose a favourite character and create a poster of the character’s life, personality and relationships.
  • Interview a native Greek-speaking person about their memories and perceptions of one of the texts.
  • Prepare a section to read or present to the class. Explain the choice of section.
  • Write an evaluative review of one of the texts.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Read a written text or view a visual text. Synthesise information, ideas and opinions into a persuasive speech.
detailed example icon

Detailed example

A persuasive speech synthesising information, ideas and opinions based on a written text or a visual text

  1. Listen to or view a section of a written/visual text. Identify the major events taking place, which characters are involved and how it fits into the plot.
  2. Read reviews of the texts. Discuss positive and negative views in small groups.
  3. Write a 100-word response to each of the reviews.
  4. Select a section of the texts. In pairs, write questions about this section.
  5. Swap questions with the other groups and proceed to answer them.
  6. Complete comprehension exercises based on the texts and discuss responses with the class.
  7. Read a text written in a persuasive style. Identify its main features.
  8. Write a plan for the speech to be undertaken.

Unit 2 – Area of Study 2: Interpretative communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Global and contemporary society
Sub topic: International migration

Outcome 2

Analyse and use information from written, spoken or visual texts to produce an extended written response in Greek.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research statistics about migration to/from Greece/Cyprus and other countries where there are Greek-speaking communities. Compare it to Victorian and/or Australian statistics. Consider the questions: How do they arrive? Why do they come? List reasons for migrating and arguments for staying or returning to their country of origin.
  • View a video about migrants to/from Greece/Cyprus. Take notes and identify issues for further investigation.
  • Listen to migrants talking about their lives before migration and their experience of living in Greece/Cyprus.
  • Participate in a class discussion about general features of the migrant experience.
  • Visit the Immigration Museum in Melbourne to view and research relevant materials.
  • Prepare a PowerPoint presentation reflecting aspects of the migrant experience, as researched.
  • View a film about migration. Identify similarities and differences between your research and what is portrayed in the film. Discuss those aspects with a partner and create a poster for the class to view.
  • Interview a person who has migrated to Australia.
  • Write a 200-word blog post about one person’s experience of migration.
  • Complete a table of Greek-speaking migrants’ contributions to Victoria/Australia.
  • Write a biographical extract for a migrant to Greece/Cyprus.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Develop a role-play with another student, or in a small group, to explore reasons for migrating.
  • View a series of historical photos that depict significant moments in the lives of migrants. Discuss and analyse them.
  • Read a newspaper, magazine or online article that expresses the views of migrants to/from Greece/Cyprus.
  • Research topic: Where are the Greek-speaking migrants of post-World War ll today?
  • Research topic: Who were the Greek-speaking migrants prior to World War ll?
  • Conduct research to find out whether there are certain towns or areas in Australia that take more migrants than others. Find and discuss reasons why that might be so.
  • Write a 200-word evaluative piece that compares experiences of migration in Australia and Greece/Cyprus.
  • Complete questions after a Listening task and a Reading task and write up answers in another text type.
  • Write an imaginative journal account to describe your first month in Australia or Greece/Cyprus as a newly arrived migrant.
  • Participate in a group conversation, sharing information about migrants from different places in the world and their journeys to/from Greece/Cyprus. Discuss the positives and negatives of the migrant experience.
  • Listen to a podcast from a migrant to/from Greece/Cyprus. Note any expressions used to describe their experience.
detailed example icon

Detailed example

Role-play to explore reasons for migrating

  1. List and quantify vocabulary related to this topic from all material studied so far.
  2. Practise useful expressions and grammar in Greek.
  3. Become familiar with features of informal Greek conversations designed to elicit information.
  4. Discuss the expression of emotions by listening to extracts of conversations.
  5. Write the script of an interview with a migrant to/from Greece/Cyprus regarding his/her experience. Share this with a classmate. Based on the two scripts, prepare and participate in a role-play to highlight the migrant experience in Greece/Cyprus or Australia.
  6. Refine relevant material as well as grammar and expressions.
  7. Practise aloud to establish the rhythm of interchange in questioning and answering between the interviewer and the migrant. Consider Greek cultural elements specific to the conversational form.
  8. Perform the role-play.
  9. Give oral and written feedback reflecting on the experience of researching and participating in the role play to all the groups and to the teacher.

Unit 2 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The Greek-speaking communities
Topic: The Greek cultural heritage
Sub topic: Contribution to western civilisation

Outcome 3

Explain information, ideas and concepts orally in Greek to a specific audience about an aspect of culture within communities where Greek is spoken.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research the influence of Greek architecture in Melbourne or other Australian cities, e.g. The Shrine of Remembrance, Parliament House, Melbourne University.
  • Note the major architectural style of the chosen landmark. Read extracts about the architectural style and the history of the building and summarise the key elements to present in an informative piece of writing.
  • Watch a video about the chosen Australian city and note the characteristics of classical Greek architecture as depicted in the video.
  • Work in small groups to identify the reasons for this style of construction and its key elements. Prepare a poster of one of the exemplar buildings of this style. Note on it the major elements.
  • Interview another student about their choice of building and how it is unique and/or representative of this style.
  • Research one or more of the architects associated with these buildings. Outline, in a short biography, their influences on the development of the buildings.
  • Take a virtual tour of an architecturally significant building /tourist destination in Greece/Cyprus or Australia. Write a journal entry from the perspective of a tourist who has just visited the site. Identify any similar architectural elements in buildings in Melbourne or another city/town in Australia.
  • Listen to radio broadcasts/podcasts about modern architecture in Greece/Cyprus. Take notes about how the locals perceive these new buildings. Read online blogs by architectural commentators about this modern development comparing it to the characteristics of classical architecture.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Prepare a series of images and an accompanying 200-word informative text to explain the architectural influence of classical Greece in a city/town in Australia.
detailed example icon

Detailed example

A 200-word informative text explaining the architectural influence of classical Greece in a city/town in Australia
together with a series of images

  1. Watch a documentary about classical Greek architecture in Australia.
  2. Read an article about one of the buildings in the city/town chosen for this unit.
  3. Create a glossary of appropriate architectural terms to support this topic.
  4. Identify cultural features/meaning in the buildings constructed in this style.
  5. Research a range of the buildings influenced by classical Greek architecture in this city/town. Tabulate similarities and differences between the buildings.
  6. Discover if these are private or public buildings and consider why this might be significant.
  7. Create a montage of images to illustrate this architectural trend.
  8. Interview local people talking about these buildings. Note their reactions and grade them as positive, negative or neutral. Note also examples of language used to describe the buildings.
  9. Draft a text explaining each image chosen and some of their history. Combine content, language and cultural information to make connections and comparisons.
  10. Research the elements required for the text type and choose grammar elements to best support the writing.