Factors affecting Greek vocabulary instruction

1. Factors affecting Greek vocabulary instruction Dr. Georgia Andreou & Ioannis Galantomos andreou@uth.gr & iogalantom@uth.gr

2. CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Factors affecting Greek vocabulary instruction 2.1. Metaphoric language 2.2. Idiomaticity 2.3. Variety due to Diglossia 3. Teaching suggestions in the literature 4. Objections to the teaching suggestions 5. Teaching tips References

3. 1. Introduction • Modern Greek is one of the less widely languages spoken in Europe (Αντωνοπούλου et al., 2005) • Nevertheless during the last years the number of its speakers has risen considerably(Αντωνοπούλου et al., 2005) • This reality has called on the adoption of flexible and innovative methods of language learning

4. 1. Introduction • One of the aspects of second language acquisition that was for many years a neglected component is vocabulary (Meara, 1980) • The ’80s and ’90s have experienced a growing interest in vocabulary learning and teaching (Henriksen, 1999) • Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed (Wilkins, 1972)

5. 1. Introduction • Factors affecting Greek vocabulary instruction: • Metaphoric language • Idiomaticity • Variety in language levels as an outcome of the interaction of the spoken version (demotic Greek) and the written one (puristic Greek/katharevousa)

6. 2. Factors affecting Greek vocabulary instruction 2.1.Metaphoric Language • Traditional beliefs hold that: • metaphor is a property of language • metaphor is used for artistic and rhetorical purposes • metaphor use requires special talents

7. 2.1. Metaphoric Language • Cognitive linguistic approach holds: • metaphor is a property of concepts • people use metaphor to make sense of other concepts and not for artistic purposes • metaphor is not always based on similarity • metaphor is used by ordinary people • metaphor shapes the way people understand and realize surrounding reality (Kövecses, 2002)

8. 2.1. Metaphoric Language • The ability to understand and produce metaphors is labeled as metaphoric competence (Littlemore & Low, 2006) • The true sign of proficiency is the ability to metaphorize (Danesi, 1992)

9. 2.2. Idiomaticity • Idioms are not well-defined • Traditional definition: an expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from the meanings of its constituent words (Trask, 1999) (applicable to cases such as μου τη δίνει, but what about τον έφαγε το χώμα;) • Terminology: idioms, fixed expressions, formulaic language, phraseological unit, phraseme etc. • Moon (1998) recognizes five (5) description models: • semantic approaches • lexicalist approaches • syntactic approaches • functional approaches • lexicographical approaches

10. 2.2. Idiomaticity • Idiom typologies in Greek: • Συμεωνίδης (2000) Phraseology in a narrower sense Phraseology in a broader sense • Μήτσης (2004) Usual collocations Stable collocations Figurative collocations Idioms • Αναστασιάδη-Συμεωνίδη & Ευθυμίου (2006) Among single words, multicompounds and free combinations there is large group of word sequences with a gradable degree of interdependence

11. 2.2. Idiomaticity • Types of idioms in Greek: • figurative idioms (e.g. πετάω στα σύννεφα) • idioms based on cultural/historical knowledge (e.g. γίνομαι Τούρκος) • pure idioms (e.g. την έπαθα, την κάνω, κόφ’το) • Knowledge and use of idioms are taken to be indicators of second language proficiency (Yorio, 1989)

12. 2.3. Variety due to Diglossia • From its diglossic past, Modern Greek language inherited a variety of alternative forms and structures (e.g. γράφουν-γράφουνε) the appropriate use of which is influenced by contextual and communicative restrictions • Ignorance of this dimension would create serious gaps and problems in the acquisition of Greek (Babiniotis, 1992)

13. 3. Teaching suggestions in the literature • In literature the below teaching suggestions are mentioned: • Metaphor instruction: • Exploitation of literature (Blachowisz & Fisher, 2002) • Idiom instruction • Teaching as if they were single words (Stahl, 1999) • Thematic lists (Μήτσης, 2004) • Language variety instruction • Noticing through the textual use and marking the suitable register (Μήτσης, 2004)

14. 4. Objections to the teaching suggestions • Metaphor instruction hides the fact that everyday communication abounds in metaphors • Idiom instruction does not make clear that a certain number of idiomatic expressions is not arbitrary but rather motivated (in the cognitive linguistic sense) and hence interrelated • Language variety instruction reflects better the attitude towards register variation

15. 5. Teaching tips • A language instructor in order to enhance metaphor and idiom instruction should: • Raise his/her students’ awareness of the fact that metaphors and idioms do not lie outside everyday language use • Teach metaphors and idioms in context • Exploit various textual sources • Encourage his/her students to draw the meanings of metaphors and idioms especially those that come with rich imagery (e.g. πετάω στα σύννεφα, κοκκίνισε από το θυμό του)

16. 6. Teaching tips • Be careful with any constructed text designed for practice because it might seem artificial and sound unnatural • Combine various techniques (e.g. thematic lists, cognitive linguistic approach) • Teach according to the proficiency level of his/her class. Some teaching methods are not suitable for every level (e.g. the cognitive linguistic methodology seems applicable only to intermediate students)

17. REFERENCES Αναστασιάδη-Συμεωνίδη, Α., & Ευθυμίου, Α. (2006). Οι Στερεότυπες Εκφράσεις και ηΔιδακτική της Νέας Ελληνικής ως Δεύτερης Γλώσσας. Αθήνα: Πατάκης. Αντωνοπούλου, Ν., Τσαγγαλίδης, Α., & Μουμτζή, Μ.(2005). Οδηγός για τιςεξετάσεις πιστοποίησης επάρκειας της ελληνομάθειας. Θεσσαλονίκη: ΥΠΕΠΘ & ΚΕΓ. Babiniotis, G. (1992). The Teaching of Modern Greek as a First and a Foreign Second Language. La Linguistique, 28, 115-130. Blachowicz, C., & Fisher, P.J. (2002). Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall. Danesi, M. (1992). Metaphor and Classroom Second Language Learning. Romance Languages Annual, 3, 189-194. Henriksen, B. (1999). Three Dimensions of Vocabulary Development. SSLA, 21, 303-317.

18. REFERENCES Kövecses, Z. (2002). Metaphor. A Practical Introduction. Oxford: OUP. Littlemore, J., & Low, G. (2006). Figurative Thinking and ForeignLanguage Teaching. Hampshire & New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Meara, P. (1980). Vocabulary Acquisition: A Neglected Aspect of Language Learning. LanguageTeaching and Linguistics: Abstracts, 13, 221-246. Μήτσης, Ν. (2004). Η Διδασκαλία της Γλώσσας υπό το Πρίσμα της Επικοινωνιακής Προσέγγισης. Εισαγωγή στη Θεωρία και τις Τεχνικέςτου Επικοινωνιακού Μοντέλου. Αθήνα: Gutenberg. Moon, R. (1998). Fixed Expressions and Idioms in English. Oxford: OUP.

19. REFERENCES Stahl, S.A. (1999). Vocabulary Development. Brookline, MA: Brookline Books. Συμεωνίδης, Χ. (2000). Εισαγωγή στην Ελληνική Φρασεολογία. Θεσσαλονίκη: Κώδικας. Trask, R.L. (1999). Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics. London & New York: Routledge. Wilkins, D.A. (1972). Linguistics in language teaching. London: Edward Arnold. Yorio, C.A. (1989). Idiomaticity as an indicator of second language proficiency. In Hyltenstam, K., & Obler, L.K. (Eds.), Bilingualism Across the Lifespan (pp. 55-72). Cambridge: CUP.

20. Thank you for your attention Georgia Andreou, Assistant Professor of Linguistics, University of Thessaly Ioannis Galantomos, Ph.D. candidate of Linguistics, University of Thessaly