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Certification
STATE CERTIFICATE OF ATTAINMENT (SCA) IN MODERN GREEK
The State Certificate of Attainment in Modern Greek was established by the Ministry of Education in 1998, in response to persistent requests from learners of Greek for formal certification at various levels. The European Council has acknowledged the SCA as the only universally recognised title for Modern Greek awarded by the Greek State, as providing successful candidates with an authoritative assessment of their knowledge. It is particularly effective for adult learning because it gives focus and stimulation.
There are four levels of proficiency and for each level a separate certificate is issued. Level A is the first and lowest level, while Level D is the final and highest level. The skills examined in each level consist of listening, reading, writing and speaking tests.
The SCA has a practical value for all those who want to live and work in Greece or Cyprus and it is a requirement for the practice of various professions. Furthermore. Level C allows foreign nationals to register at a Greek University, while Level D allows European citizens to be employed in a Greek civil service position.
Examinations for all levels are held annually at dates and times that are common to all examination centres worldwide. The next examination diet has been set for Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 May 2007 (see table below for details)
USABILITY AND APPLICATIONS
The teaching of Greek as a foreign language started in the sixties. First, the School of Modern Greek Language of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), later the Institute of Balkan Studies and still later the corresponding Department of the School of Philosophy, University of Athens began their teaching and certification efforts.
The concern on the issue of certification is reflected in Law 2413/1996 which concerns the Greek education abroad, intercultural education and other provisions. Article 10 of the said law provides the Centre for the Greek Language (CGL) with the possibility of issuing a Certificate of Attainment in Greek. The Centre was then entrusted with the overall and exclusive responsibility for setting the framework of standards, for defining the levels of attainment and proficiency in the Greek language, for conducting the examinations worldwide and for issuing the resulting certificates. In 1998 the Certificate of Attainment in Greek was established by Presidential Decree 363/1998, which also set the type, the prerequisites, the procedure, the content, the levels and all other details relating to the examinations.
However, the field with the greatest practical value for the holder of the Certificate of Attainment remains its usability and application. To the present day, the SCA:
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allows its holders to prove their level of proficiency in Greek in the job market |
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is a necessary prerequisite for the practice of certain professions in Greece |
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allows the holders (if foreign-born or alien) to enrol in Greek universities (Presidential Decree 138/1999) |
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allows an EU citizen to apply for a position in the Greek public sector. |
In recent years, in an effort to clarify the conditions of use of the Certificate, the CGL submitted to the Ministry of Education a substantiated proposal for the institutionalisation by law. It was proposed that a complementary 4th relevant paragraph to Article 10 of Law 2413/96 be added, which would specify in detail the levels of the Certificate provided by the CGL and its usefulness and application in the following situations:
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the appointment or employment in public or private schools or privately owned institutes in Greece or in the public sector in general, |
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employment in the private sector in Greece, |
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teaching Greek or other subjects in Greek public or private schools abroad, |
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enrolment in or transfer to university or college departments in Greece, |
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enrolment in university schools of modern Greek studies abroad, |
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enrolment in or transfer to public or private schools in Greece or Greek-speaking schools abroad. |
It is estimated that the above mentioned regulation will further clarify all issues related to the practical use of the Certificates issued by CGL. It will also define the rights granted to the holders of the Certificate in the working field as well as in sectors not covered by the law yet or, in the worst of cases, where there is an overlap of pre-existing regulations.
Level A
Candidates should be in a position to understand broadly a conversation between two native speakers about common everyday matters and to understand simple public announcements, simple advertisements, notes, programmes, simple instructions. They should be able to write simple texts relating to everyday situations and provide basic information.
They should be in a position to perform simple everyday linguistic functions, such as greeting, introducing oneself, wishing, apologising, speaking on the telephone, writing simple letters, exchanging information on simple topics, understanding and producing simple announcements, expressing positive or negative feelings, expressing desire or obligation to do something, offering something, inviting and making suggestions. They should in a position to communicate with civil services, travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, shops.
To perform the functions described in the above circumstances, candidates should know and be in a position to use the appropriate morphological, syntactic, lexical and other linguistic elements as indicated in the detailed examination guide.
Level B
Candidates should be in a position to understand - and express themselves in - simple oral and written language, in a variety of general linguistic situations/conditions which involve the exchange of information and personal views. They should also be able to comprehend essential details of a conversation between two native speakers in a variety of topics, messages, news reports and commentaries. In writing, candidates should be in a position to compose short simple texts, to convey information and personal views on various topics.
Candidates should be in a position to use - spoken and written - Greek to a degree which allows them to participate and respond efficiently in communicative situations using more complex linguistic functions than those specified for level A. They should be in a position to communicate, further to the situations mentioned in level A, in situations that involve visits to museums, the theatre etc, health services etc.
To perform the functions described in the above circumstances, candidates should know and be in a position to use the appropriate morphological, syntactic, lexical and other linguistic elements as indicated in the detailed examination guide.
Level C
Candidates should be in a position to understand - and express themselves in - oral and written language with accuracy and to use the language in a wide variety of communicative situations which involve highly complex expressions. Candidates should also be in a position to draw specific information and views presented in the context of a conversation between at least three native speakers on a wide variety of topics, to express personal views and participate efficiently in a long conversation. They should also understand specific information as well as recognise the tone and purpose of passages taken from newspapers, magazines, regulations and official letters and reports.
In writing, candidates should be able to handle descriptive and narrative topics which refer to personal and everyday experience with clarity and accuracy.
Candidates should also be in a position to perform linguistic functions which reflect the degree of their linguistic competence. They should further be acquainted with basic characteristics of the Modern Greek culture which concern interpersonal relations and social life.
To satisfy the requirements of these advanced linguistic functions and communicative situations at level C, candidates should know and be in a position to use the appropriate morphological, syntactic, lexical and other linguistic elements as indicated in the detailed examination guide.
Level D
Candidates should be in a position to understand - and express themselves in - oral and written language with a high degree of accuracy, to use complex expressions and perform linguistic functions within their personal and professional experiences and to respond to situations which are unfamiliar to them. They should be able to extract information and to understand implied statements in conversations, which may involve some unknown topics and a number of speakers talking at normal rate. In speaking, candidates should be in a position to express views efficiently, within their personal and professional experiences, with a high degree of fluency and accuracy and to participate in conversation which involve situations unknown to them.
In writing, candidates should be in a position to perform in a wide variety of topics related to everyday needs and aspects of personal and professional activities.
At this level, candidates should not have any serious difficulties in speaking or writing in any style or kind of Greek. They should be in a position to develop arguments and answer to any arguments fluently, using the appropriate grammatical structures and expressions, depending on the appropriate socio-cultural conventions.
STRUCTURE OF TEST ITEMS AND DATES
Four skills are examined at each level, viz listening, reading, writing and speaking. The examination is structured as follows:
Listening Examination (25%)
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Level
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Parts
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Duration
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Means
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A
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2
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25 min
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Cassette
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B
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2
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25 min
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Cassette
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C
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2
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30 min
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Cassette
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D
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3
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40 min
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Cassette
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Reading Examination (25%)
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Level
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Parts
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Duration
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A
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2
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30 min
|
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B
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2
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30 min
|
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C
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2
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40 min
|
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D
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3
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45 min
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Writing Examination (25%)
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Level
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Parts
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Duration
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A
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2
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40 min
|
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B
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2
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50 min
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C
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2
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85 min
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D
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3
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110 min
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Speaking Examination (25%)
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Level
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Duration
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Candidates
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Examiners
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A
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10 min
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2
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2
|
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B
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10 min
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2
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2
|
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C
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12-15 min
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2
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2
|
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D
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15-20 min
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2
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2
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Application and examination fees
An application form is available from the School Director, either by writing to Mr Nondas Pitticas, University of Paisley, Business School, Paisley, Renfrewshire PA1 2BE, or by e-mail to nondas.pitticas@paisley.ac.uk or by phoning during normal business hours to 0141-848 3471. All applications must be submitted before the deadline of 23rd March 2007 and must be accompanied by the examination fee, as stated below (cheques should be made payable to The Greek School of Glasgow). We regret that no application can be processed if not accompanied by the examination fee, which is shown below for every level:
Level A, £52.00 Level B, £52.00 Level C, £60.00 Level D, £60.00
Upon receipt of application and fee, candidates will be sent a CD that contains the examination regulations and examples from previous examinations for the candidate's practice. All sound files are distributed in .mov (QuickTime) and .mp3 file formats. All materials are for the Level applied for; additional CDs are costed at £7.50 each (payable in advance).
GCSE Modern Greek (1776)
Examination arrangements
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Paper 2 (speaking tests) will take place between 21st March and 13th May 2005 |
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Paper 1 (50 minutes), on Thursday morning of 26 May 2005 |
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Paper 3 (55 minutes), on Thursday morning of 26 May 2005 |
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Paper 4 (75 minutes), on Tuesday morning of 7 June 2005 |
All examinations take place at Shawlands Academy, 31 Moss-side Road, Glasgow, G41 3TR
No dictionaries are allowed
Paper 2 - Speaking tests
Conversation 1
Candidates will have a free choice of first conversation topic. This is agreed with the Examiner in advance of the speaking test and must relate to one of the five main topic areas prescribed in the specification.
Conversations 2 and 3
The second and third conversation topics must each relate to a different one of the five main topic areas prescribed in the specification. The Examiner will choose the second and third conversation topics from three alternatives prescribed by Edexcel and printed in a sequence sheet in the Examiner's Handbook. These alternatives are for the eyes of the Examiner conducting the test only and are confidential. They must not be communicated to the candidate prior to the completion of Conversation 1.
A DIFFERENT COMBINATION OF TOPICS IS AVAILABLE TO EACH CANDIDATE IN THE SEQUENCE. THE EXAMINER MUST FOLLOW THE SEQUENCE PRESCRIBED IN THE EXAMINER'S HANDBOOK.
If the candidate has already used one of the alternatives for Conversation 1, it is not permissible for the Examiner to choose the same main topic area and to focus on a different aspect of that topic. The remaining two alternatives are the only valid choices for Conversations 2 and 3.
For example:
The candidate has spoken about "Information about Self, Family and Friends" for Conversation 1, this falls under the main topic area heading "House, Home and Daily Routine".
The three alternatives prescribed for Conversations 2 and 3 for this candidate's position on the sequence
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"House, Home and Daily Routine" |
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"Media, Entertainment and Youth Culture" |
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"Social Activities, Fitness and Health" |
The Examiner must in this case select "Social Activities, Fitness and Health" and "Media, Entertainment and Youth Culture" for Conversations 2 and 3.
It is not permissible to select "House, Home and Daily Routine" and to focus on a different sub-topic, such as "Food and Drink".
TheExaminer announces the chosen topic for Conversation 1, Conversation 2 and Conversation 3 at the beginning of each conversation. The candidate will not know the topics for Conversations 2 and 3 until this announcement.