staellinika.com, an online
educational platform for teaching and learning the Greek language to young Diaspora
Greeks and foreign language users is now available in French and German. Thus,
the platform supports a total of five languages: English, French, German,
Spanish, and Portuguese.
The digital
learning platform staellinika.com is a result of the collaboration between the General Secretariat for Greeks
Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Stavros
Niarchos Foundation (which initially funded it) and the Stavros Niarchos
Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver,
Canada. The French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese editions were funded by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is the fruit of a collaboration of an
interdisciplinary team of experts – educators, linguists, computer scientists,
teachers, and artists. The program, which has been supported by Prime Minister
Kyriakos Mitsotakis since its inception, allows young Diaspora Greeks, in
addition to learning the Greek language, to come into contact with Greek
culture.
All the
platform’s applications are available for free and are aimed at both individual
users and schools, with unique teacher-support functions. The platform is a
modern, interactive tool that is constantly updated with a series of online
applications and is developed in new languages, addressing an ever-growing
audience of users around the world. Since its inception, the portal staellinika.com, has been perceived
as an innovative action to support Greek schools abroad, as well as the general
dissemination of the Greek language and culture around the world.
Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Kotsiras, stated: "The Greek language and
culture are a tremendous asset for Hellenism all over the world, an integral
part of our identity. Therefore, promoting the learning of the Greek language
is a constant goal for us. In this regard, we utilize modern technology,
particularly the Internet, to provide young Diaspora Greeks and
foreign-language users the opportunity to come into direct contact with the
Greek language and our cultural heritage. By adding French and German to the
online educational platform staellinika.com,
we can reach an even larger audience through this innovative digital language
learning tool. The enhancement of the online educational platform staellinika.com is part of the
Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad (2024-2027), which is being developed by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The Secretary General
for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ioannis Chrysoulakis, urged young Diaspora Greeks in French-speaking and
German-speaking areas to take use of the new language learning tool’s
capabilities. As he emphasized, "the digital platform staellinika.com is one of our most
important initiatives for the learning and dissemination of the Greek language.
It is an issue that has been high on our priorities since the beginning, as it
is of crucial importance for the preservation of the living Greek identity and
consciousness of the Greek Diaspora. We work consistently and effectively to
further develop the platform, which is designed to support the learning of the Greek
language as a structural element of our compatriots' unbreakable relationship
with the motherland. This effort is in line with other initiatives, actions,
and collaborations undertaken by the General Secretariat."
January 16, 2024