Greek

A Short History of the Program

The program was established in the Fall of 1990 with the generous financial support of the Hellenic Professional Society of Texas.  Instrumental in establishing the course were Dr. Brady, working as a liaison between the University and the Society, and the Society’s president at the time, Dr. Kostas Lambrakos.  Dr. Lida Triantafyllidou, a teaching assistant at the time, organized and developed the program, and was responsible for the actual teaching of the courses.

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Brady, Dr. Triantafyllidou and the Honorable Consul Of Greece at the time, Mr. Nikolaos Kanellos, the Government of Greece started providing financial support for the program through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Fall of 1996.

Goals of the Modern Greek Program

The purpose of the program is to disseminate the Greek language and culture to the University community. The courses established offer an introduction to the Greek society's language and customs. We are hoping in the future to be able to expand our spectrum by offering courses in Greek literature and civilization. Furthermore we would like to develop an outreach program of conferences, workshops and lectures for the community at large.

Advantages of Learning Modern Greek

The unique geographical position of Greece, situated between the East and the West, makes for a unique society which stands in the geopolitical crossroads of Southern and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean. The study, therefore, of the language and the customs of the modern Greeks will promote a better understanding of the major historical, social, cultural and political developments of the modern era. Furthermore, Greek is the language of a favorite tourist destination. Greece is famous not only for its islands and gorgeous landscapes, but also for its monuments and antiquities, attracting numerous visitors every year. There are also professional opportunities to be considered in business, commerce, finance, technology, travel, journalism, banking, media etc. And we should not forget that many college subjects use Greek terms and ideas. Medicine, biology, architecture, philosophy, physics, geometry, mathematics are some that come to mind. As the father in the popular movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding said: Every word comes from Greek !!