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Byzantine Greek
Summer School AT THE CENTRE FOR BYZANTINE, OTTOMAN AND MODERN GREEK STUDIES INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND
ANTIQUITY UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM |
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| Relocation |
As the heading indicates the Byzantine Greek Summer School which
operated in Queen's University Belfast from 2002 to 2011 has now
relocated to the University of Birmingham. We are very grateful to the
Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies at Birmingham for
making the continuation of the Summer School possible when Queen's
University declined to host it after 2011. |
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Level-1 Level-2 Level-3 courses |
The Level-1 course (29 July
-
12 August) is for absolute beginners in Byzantine Greek. It starts
with the Greek alphabet and takes students through the basic grammar of
Greek to the point where they can begin to translate simple Greek texts
with the aid of a dictionary. The
Level-2 course (12
-
26
August) carries straight on from the Level-1 course, completing the
coverage of basic Greek grammar and introducing students to a variety of
Greek texts. Each year a number of people take both courses. (For
further details of the courses see the separate Course Descriptions
document.) The courses are intensive, with 30 hours of language tuition
per week (9.00-12.00 and 14.00-17.00, Monday-Friday). There are short
tea/coffee breaks in the middle of each session. In addition, there will
also be occasional evening seminars and, hopefully, excursions on the
middle Saturday of each course, to places of cultural, historical or
natural interest. There will be Welcome Receptions at the beginning of
each course, and end-of-course parties on Friday August 10 Birthdays and Friday August 24 Birthdays.
Level-3
(12
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26 August, at the same time as Level-2) is an Advanced Reading
course for those who successfully completed Level-2 in a previous year
and have made further progress since, or those have acquired the
necessary familiarity with Greek by other means. If, after you have read
the course descriptions (see the separate document), you are not sure
whether Level-2 or Level-3 is appropriate for you, do not worry.
Whichever you apply for you will be able to take the diagnostic test on
the first day to determine which will be more appropriate. east europe map
If participants from the 2011 Level-2 course come to repeat Level-2 this
year, we will ensure that the texts studied are different from those
studied in 2011 (or at least different sections of the same texts).
Anyone repeating the Level-1 course, however, is likely to encounter
much of the same material as before.
If you are a near-beginner, but not a complete beginner, it is possible
to start in the second week of Level-1. Please consult Anthony Hirst
before amending your application form to reflect such a choice.
Click
here
for the
full course descriptions
in
Word (.doc)
format.
You will get a dialogue box asking whether you want to open or save
the document.
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| Teaching Staff |
Anthony Hirst
has taught at the Byzantine Greek Summer School
since 2005 and been the Director of the Summer School since 2006. He
studied New Testament Greek, Modern Greek, Classical Greek and Byzantine
Greek (in that order) over a period of over 40 years, and taught all but
New Testament Greek during his ten years as a lecturer at Queen's
University Belfast, from where he retired in 2009. He has published
translations of Modern Greek poetry and prose and is now co-ordinating a
project to translate the whole of the
Histories of John VI
Kantakouzenos into English.
Paddy Sammon graduated
in Classics from Trinity College Dublin and had a diplomatic career
which included several years at the Irish Embassy in Athens. He speaks
Modern Greek fluently. He taught at the Byzantine Greek Summer
School in Belfast in 2010 and 2011.
Philip Burton
has a Doctorate in Classics from Cambridge University, and
is now a Reader in Latin and Early Christian Studies in the University
of Birmingham. He has taught Classics and Theology in various
universities, and taught for many years at the Lampeter Summer Workshop
in Greek and Latin. He has published on various aspects of early
Christianity and on the heritage of the Graeco-Roman world.
Michael Strain
studied Classics at Liverpool, and taught Latin, Greek and Classical
Studies in secondary schools in Yorkshire. After some years lecturing
in Education in Belfast, he has enrolled for the MA in Byzantine Studies
at Birmingham and rediscovered the pleasure of reading Greek. |
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| Cost of the Summer School |
The Summer School is run on a non-profit basis and sets the fees to
cover the costs, including payments to the teaching staff. In 2012 the
basic fee for participation in the Summer School will be 442 GBP for
each two-week course; the fee for attending both Level-1 and Level-2 is
884 GBP. The fees for each course include 14 nights self-catering
accommodation in a student hall of residence. (For information about the
accommodation itself, see the "Details of accommodation" section below.)
For those living in or near Birmingham, and others who prefer to make
their own arrangements for accommodation in Birmingham, the fees without
accommodation will be 192 GBP for each two week course.
Those staying for less than 14 or 28 nights will receive a reduction of
17.85 GBP per for each night less than 14 or 28 nights.
Those staying for more than 14 or 28 nights will have to pay an
additional charge of 17.85 GBP per night for each extra night.
Fees also include all course materials, and tea, coffee and biscuits
etc. in the morning and afternoon breaks, and refreshments at receptions
and parties. The only additional charges (all optional) are for those
excursions which require the hire of transport, and for extra nights'
accommodation.
Payment is not required in advance. You will receive an invoice during
your first week at the Summer School. Payment may then be made by cheque,
in cash, online with certain credit and debit cards, or by bank
transfer. |
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| Sources of Funding |
The Byzantine Greek Summer School normally receives grants from the
Classical Association and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic
Studies to provide bursaries for a small number of participants. The
Classical Association prefers to fund students from Eastern Europe, Asia
or Africa, while the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies
prefers to fund students from UK Universities. Funds from these sources
for the 2012 Summer School are not yet confirmed.
Application for either of the above sources of funding is via the Summer
School Application Form (Questions 14-16), and the Summer School
organizers are responsible for the allocation of bursaries.
Summer School participants from Turkey or other countries bordering the
Black Sea (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia) and who have
postgraduate status can apply to the London office of the British
Institute of Archaeology at Ankara for scholarships (maximum value 500
GBP) from The Turkish and Black Sea Scholars Fund. (Go to
opap casino
and choose "Grants and Awards" from the menu on the left of the home
page, and then "BIAA Scholarships" from the pull-down menu that
appears). Those eligible should consult Anthony Hirst before applying,
and should bear in mind that they must be able to show that their stay
at the University of Birmingham will be longer than their participation
in the Summer School and that they will use the facilities of Birmingham
University to further their own research, since the BIAA will not give
scholarships solely for attendance at a language course. Four Summer
School participants have been successful in obtaining BIAA scholarships
in the past, one in each of the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
Many students at UK Universities have in the past been successful in
obtaining funding from their own universities to cover all or part of
the fees of the Summer School, and in some cases their travel expenses
too. Similar possibilities may exist in universities in the United
States, Canada and some other countries. University students must
provide evidence that they have explored sources of funding from within
their own universities before applying to the Byzantine Greek Summer
School for one of the bursaries provided by the Classical Association,
or the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. We will be happy
to write letters in support of your application for university or other
funding.
As in 2011, in allocating bursary funding priority will be given to
applicants for Level-1 and then Level-2. Please also bear in mind that
the greater the bursary sum you apply for the less your chances of
receiving it. (We regret that we have to apply this criterion, but the
financial viability of the Summer School depends on using our bursary
funds to maximize the number of participants.) The application form asks
you to state the
minimum sum that would
make it possible for you to attend the Summer School. |
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| Accomodation |
Accommodation will be in Vale Village, about 20 minutes walk from the
main campus where the teaching will take place. You will be in a flat
consisting of 4, 5 or 6 rooms. There is a wash basin in each room. Each
flat has two toilets and two shower rooms and a fully-equipped shared
kitchen. Bed linen is provided and changed weekly, but you will need to
bring your own towels. Please note that ensuite accommodation and
two-person rooms are
not available. To get an
impression of the accommodation go to:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/accommodation/halls/index.aspx
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| Application to the Summer School |
Click here for the application form in Word (.doc) format. You will get a dialogue box asking whether you want to open or save the document.
It can be returned as an email attachment or printed, filled in by hand
and posted to
Dr. Anthony Hirst at
the London address below (Do
NOT write to the University of Birmingham). Please reply as
early as possible. If you are applying for funding via the application
form (that is, funding other than from the BIAA) your application form
must be returned by Monday 16 April 2012 to guarantee consideration.
Decisions on the award of bursaries will be made by 30 April. The
deadline for all applications is Friday 18 May 2012. Late applications
may be considered, but the chances of acceptance, especially where
funding is also applied for, will be considerably reduced. Early
applications are encouraged as each course will be limited to fifteen
participants.
The deadline for applications to the BIAA (see "Sources of funding"
above) is 1 April 2012, and the BIAA does
not consider late applications. |
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Dr Anthony Hirst
London N16 8ST
UK
Tel. (from outside the UK): 0044 20 7241 2895
Tel. (from inside the UK): 020 7241 2895
email: [email protected] |
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