Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Inuktitut… Wait, I passed by G: where is Greek? Skimming again through the list of more than 40 different languages offered by U of T’s St. George campus I find an Ancient Greek language course. But what about Modern Greek? I was shocked to discover that there is no Modern Greek language course currently being offered. Many other languages on the list such as French, German, Hebrew, Irish, and Welsh are offered in both modern and older styles.
Greek is the official language in Greece and Cyprus, and is one of the 23 official languages used in the European Union. Unsurprisingly, according to the 2006 Canadian Census, Greek was among the top 20 languages spoken in Canadian households. I don’t understand why such a popular language, used world-wide and in Canada, is not offered by U of T, a school known for its wide selection of courses and more than 800 undergraduate programs. Many other universities such as McGill, Guelph, Waterloo and York offer both Ancient and Modern Greek courses.
Although the process of adding a course is a challenge, the Greek Student Association (GSA) is willing to take it on. Recently, the GSA has taken the first step by starting a petition for adding a Modern Greek language course, which I hope they accomplish in the next four years so I will be given the opportunity to take it, and if not, at least get the process started for future students.
If you would like to support the addition of a Modern Greek language course go online to www.utgsa.com where the link for the petition can be found.
