In the Shadow of Diachrony: Ancient Greek Language in the Contemporary Greek Gymnásio* by Christodoulos Zekas
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In the Shadow of Diachrony: Ancient Greek Language in the Contemporary Greek Gymnásio* by Christodoulos Zekas Modern Greek state in 1830.1 This is Abstract especially remarkable in that, as regards Ancient Greek and the Language its position in the first three grades of Question In this article, I examine features of secondary education, the subject has the current methodology employed in the enjoyed an astonishing continuity down The precedence of classical over teaching of Ancient Greek in compulsory to the present, with a comparatively brief modern Greek culture is furthermore education in Greece. After considering interval of sixteen years (1977-92). The signified by the creation and imposition the historical dimensions of the subject reason for the endurance of the course in of an official national language that as well as its association with the modern the Greek curriculum may well be traced was based upon and resembled classical Greek language question, I highlight one principally to one element: the strong Greek. This led to the so-called important aspect of the current teaching admiration for the classical era harboured language question and the emergence of practice as revealed by the textbook of and promoted by the modern state in modern Greek diglossia. This archaistic the first grade of the junior high school the attempt of the latter to construct a ‘exemplary’ language, called katharévousa (gymnásio), namely, the diachronic strategy, common national identity for its citizens, (‘purifying’), was conceived by the which focuses on the study of the Greek both distinct from that of other nations in intellectual elite, following primarily language through time. I argue that the the Balkans and potentially respected by (though not always faithfully) the ideas of principle of diachrony is superficially 2 western European countries. The policy Adamantios Korais (1748-1833), and was intermingled with the ‘modern’ technique of the admiration of antiquity was first used as the official language of the state of the ‘genre approach’ in parallel with put into practice by the Bavarian Otto for almost a century and a half (1834- a traditional method, which I discuss (1815-67), the first king of Greece, who 1976).4 Katharévousa aimed at eradicating under the term Altertumswissenschaft. This inter alia formed an educational system ‘foreign’ elements that had managed to compound methodology results in a according to the standards of German permeate Greek during a four- to five- training philosophy that not only seems Hellenism, which idealized the classical hundred-year occupation by other peoples ineffective but also reflects the uncertainty language and culture and included a heavy (principally, the Ottomans but also the surrounding the teaching of the ancient 3 load of teaching of Ancient Greek; and Italians and the French). However, since language. second, by the Greek elite, who came this hybrid idiom was never spoken from various places within the Ottoman actually by its contemporaries, it had to Introduction empire, but mainly from the Fanari be learned at school, and the best means area in Constantinople (Istanbul), and to achieve competence in this ‘laboratory- progressively immigrated in the liberated The Ancient Greek language born’ linguistic form was an intensive part of Greece mainland after the War of training in Ancient Greek. Therefore the has played a central role in the school Independence in 1821-28. syllabus since the establishment of the subject was initially taught in place of 22 In the Shadow of Diachrony: Ancient Greek Language in the Contemporary Greek Gymnásio* the vernacular (‘demotikí’), and for many and syntax.8 All in all, the common principle as regards the texts chosen and years undermined – and possibly still does denominator in this reform and its tends towards a more moderate grammar- – school training in Standard Modern overall argumentation was the necessity translation method, which principally Greek (SMG)5 (in terms of the hours of (and hope) for the improvement of the focuses on classical Greek. teaching per week and the emphasis given linguistic education of a much larger by the curriculum). Naturally, this decision number of pupils than ever before, but Ancient Greek Language and kept up with an educational system that still falling short of eradicating ancient lacked practical orientation, did not Greek culture from the last stage of Current Methodology regularly address the needs of the people, compulsory education.9 and often served the dominant ideology The tendency to employ the of the elite.6 Re-introducing Ancient Greek into diachrony principle was further explored The next significant stage in the in the next series, commissioned by the history of the subject would go once the Gymnásio Greek Ministry of Education in 2006. again hand in hand with the evolution On the one hand, the principal feature of the language question. With the In the 1980s, however, concerns were of these textbooks is that they make educational reform of 1976 / 77 the raised about the removal of the ancient extensive use of the diachronic strategy first democratically elected Hellenic language from the junior high school - that is, the study of Greek language government after a seven-year military curriculum, because it was thought that through time - but with a particular dictatorship (1967-74) abolished the the new generation of young Greeks were emphasis on etymology and the formation training in the ancient language from the becoming linguistically impoverished. of ancient words. On the other hand, the junior high school (gymnásio), thus marking These concerns, which took the form of teaching of grammar and syntax, which the end to the uninterrupted presence of a campaign led by Georgios Babiniotis, I do not examine in this article, ought to the course in the first grades of secondary professor of linguistics at Athens be conducted – despite the statements of education for one hundred and forty University, resulted in a revision of the the official guidelines – according to the years (1836-1976). This act was not seen original planning,10 and, in the school year traditional classical or grammar-translation as any kind of regression at the time; in 1993-94, the subject was re-introduced. method. These principles are superficially fact, it came as a result of the since long The teaching philosophy now took a intermingled with the genre approach in expressed and much debated proposition different direction in that the newly order to present a methodology, which of progressive parts of the intellectuals to written school-books (entitled The Greek seemingly conforms to current norms replace katharévousa with demotic as the Language through Ancient, Byzantine, and of (language) instruction, but essentially official language of the state.7 According Learned Texts) focused on a linguistic results in a mixture of practices which, as to the new reform ancient Greek literature training in all periods of Greek. It may I maintain below, seems awkward as well was now studied solely in translation in be argued that the combination of as unsuccessful. the gymnásio, and since katharévousa was texts from very different eras of Greek It becomes obvious that one major abolished, there was no longer any need literature was innovative at the time, but problem in dealing with this issue is to learn the ancient language at this stage the perception of the proposal could that there is no reliable data available (which was actually the concluding one be regarded as unfortunate, chiefly to underpin any robust argumentation. of compulsory education). Thus, the because the comprehension of so great Thus, the views expressed here rely on teaching of the Attic dialect would be a linguistic and textual variety required personal experience from everyday school confined to the first and second grades a basic knowledge of the Attic dialect, practice and theoretical research. The of the senior high school (lýkeio) with an which ought to have been acquired at lack of official evidence is admittedly additional year of instruction for pupils an earlier stage in education. Therefore, no coincidence, and seems to reflect the studying humanities. The arguments it is not surprising that the application uneasiness of the education bureaucrats brought forward in support of this major of the diachronic method was heavily to touch on this delicate issue. It is change focused on the following factors: criticized by teachers and pedagogues striking that the Pedagogical Institute first, the cognitive development of the alike for its superficial engagement with (now Institute of Educational Policy), average pupil in the gymnásio was thought language and the confusion it caused to which is the government organisation as inadequate for the proper learning learners.11 As an outcome of the 1997 responsible for curricula and subjects, of classical Greek. Second, the teaching / 98 educational reform, which aimed has been refusing any survey that could hours saved from this reorganisation of to modernize and Europeanize the reveal the place of Ancient Greek in the curriculum could instead be devoted curriculum,12 the ‘diachronic’ textbooks schools, the evaluation of the textbooks to further training in SMG. Third, the were replaced in 2000-01 with a more and the teaching practices they sustain.14 practice of approaching literature in ancient-Greek-centred series bearing the Other than the study of the views translation was deemed to be of higher title “Ancient