USING ELECTRONIC TEXT CORPORA IN TEACHING ANCIENT GREEK: A VOCABULARY TEACHING INTERVENTION IMPLEMENTED IN THE ANCIENT GREEK COURSE IN THE 3RD GRADE OF LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL

The present didactic intervention aims to highlight the effective use of Electronic Text Corpora in the teaching approach of the Ancient Greek course. In particular, the teaching of a unit found in the school textbook of the 3 grade of lower secondary school is examined at its vocabulary and semantic level, using the Digital Resources (http://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/) for the Greek language and the Portal for the Greek language (http://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/index.html). Using Electronic Text Corpora, students take part in the learning process through a critical way by building an interactive and communicative learning environment. The dynamic use of ETC in the teaching process can constitute the bridge between traditional and new literacy in the Information Society and Communication.


Introduction
Undeniably, the prevailing social-economic-political-cultural context favours the integration of digital technologies in the educational context. Rapid developments in the fields of information and communication redefine the education policy and the structures of educational reality (Crystal, 2004;2008a;2008b;2011). The modern educational direction favours the holistic approach of knowledge, the cross-curricular and interdisciplinary connection of subjects (Bratitsis et al., 2003). In practice, this means that education must ensure the all-round development of students aiming at creative thinking future citizens, with group skills and metacognistic skills (Rosenberg, 2001 ;Hoppe et al., 2002 ;Yildirim, 2007).
In this context, teachers are invited to respond to the technological challenges and educational requirements of the 21st century in the course of Ancient Greek, a mainly i Correspondence: email loumosi@yahoo.gr traditional subject, with, admittedly, difficulties in applying innovative teaching approaches (Glabas and Karageorgiou, 2007). Philologists occasionally seem to be sceptical about the integration of new technologies into the teaching and learning process (Jimoyiannisς and Κomis, 2004). It is also a fact that many of the philologists use computational technology as a means of supporting traditional teacher-centred teaching (Κοutsoyiannis, 2007). However, the possibilities of the new digital educational tools are enormous and can be used effectively for the course of the Ancient Greek language oras it was known until recently-the Ancient Greek from the original (Giannou and Τselikas, 2011). At the same time, ETC constitute a database of linguistic data, presented through examples in their natural environment, favouring more direct linguistic access to a text (Sinclair, 1997 ;Μikros and Foyntopoyloy, 2002). They form part of exploratory learning, oriented towards horizontal and vertical interconnection with the other subjects of the Analytical Programme. Additionally, ETC constitute a tool for learning the technology of the multimedia that is used in the classroom setting (Μakrakis, 2000); in this way, the traditional teaching triangle teacher-student-subject is transformed into a teaching square.  The interface with the texts of Ancient Greek language cannot be captured by any "conventional" school textbook. In general, students approach grammatical, syntactic, etymological and vocabulary phenomena through exemplary references to ancient texts and examples in Modern Greek language. For this reason, it is important that examples come from natural sources of linguistic material, which can promote their crosscurricular and interdisciplinary use. Furthermore, if we consider the intercultural image of the modern school (Parthenis, 2013), we can easily perceive the value and contribution of ETC to the cultivation of multicultural consciousness.
The choice of ETC use is based on two axes: on the one hand, the electronic text corpora are suitable for deepening into the semantic and vocabulary part of the Ancient Greek language and, on the other hand, they meet the necessary conditions for activeexploratory-autonomous learning (Βraun, 2005). The use of ETC is considered simple regarding their functional structure and no special knowledge is required from teachers. This was also another reason that led to the choice of ETC as the main tool of the teaching intervention.
During the traditional teaching of the vocabulary of Ancient Greek, the teacher possesses an active role while students receive the new knowledge passively. More specifically, students copy from the board or read the meanings of different words from photocopies. However, the words are not considered in the context of their actual use, for instance in the form of authentic texts that are either written by the students themselves or produced by others. As the English linguist Firth (1957) claims, "you shall know a word by the company it keeps", so words acquire entity and meaning through their contexts.
Taking into account all the above, a teaching proposal for the application of ETC to the teaching of the Ancient Greek language in the 3 rd grade of lower secondary school is designed and implemented, aspiring to highlight a new kind of teaching methodological approach. This proposal attempts to involve students actively in the processing of the vocabulary of a teaching unit found in the school textbook of the 3 rd grade of lower secondary school.

Clarification of terms and concepts 2.1.1. Conceptual framework
The complexity of the dynamics of ETC is enormous and, of course, cannot be completed in the present teaching proposal. What will be attempted is the illustration of the basic outline of the functional structure of ETC, in the context of their teaching use for the course of Ancient Greek language in the3 rd grade of lower secondary school.
As Sinclair (1996) stated at the European EAGLES programme, "ETC are the collection of language sections selected and arranged according to specific linguistic criteria, so that they can be used as a representative sample of a particular language", they are "a collection of pieces of language text in electronic form, selected according to external criteria to represent, as far as possible, a language or language variety as a source of data for linguistic research". In particular according to Atkins, Clear & Oster (1992), there are four types of text collection: a) Archive: A repository of readable electronic texts not linked in any coordinated way. b) Electronic text library: a collection of electronic texts in standardized format with certain conventions relating to content but without rigorous selectional constraints. c) Corpus: a subset of an electronic text library, built according to explicit design criteria for a specific purpose. d) Subcorpus: a subset of a corpus.
Regarding the present didactic intervention, the third category of the text collection is going to be used. To be more specific, this category is selected as it is appropriate for the design and the objectives of vocabulary teaching concerning the course of the Ancient Greek language. Apart from this, corpora meet the level of teachers and students' training.

Advantages of ETC -Teaching Exploitation
ETC refer to a body of texts available for use via the internet. There are specific websites that students can visit in order to determine the semantic and vocabulary content of a word (Goutsos, 2003). The teaching use of ETC requires the presence of the teacher in the role of the coordinator during students' activities and the transition from a teachercentred instruction to a student-centred search for new knowledge (Leech, 1997).
The main advantage of ETC is that they provide teachers and students with internet exploitation without presupposing any specialized training. The use of ETC is mainly based on the use of Digital Technologies by providing the student with the opportunity of direct access to the language, and independence in the learning process, with the discreet guidance of the teacher. At the same time, the use of digital technology is imperative, because the analysis of millions of words by hand is practically impossible. In other words, through the ETC, language elements are automatically detected and analyzed saving valuable teaching time. However, the teacher intervenes in cases of ambiguity, special coding of detection and analysis or inability to understand a linguistic phenomenon.
In addition, ETC provide students with a "real learning environment" (Sinclair, 1997). Remarkable research from the 1980s onwards has shown that the use of examples through genuine and realistic communication circumstances significantly outweighs "constructed examples" (Hutchinson and Torres, 1994;Hales, 1997). This opportunity is reinforced by the fact that students are aware of the use of language through its communication dimension. This is also supported by Sampson's (2001) definition: "ETC are defined as an extensive sample of authentic use of the language under investigation which is also used as a source of data for the production or examination of assumptions about the nature of the language".
Another opportunity of teaching methodology offered by ETC is the individualization of teaching. In particular, the teacher can adjust his/her teaching according to the level of the class, meeting both short and long-term teaching objectives. The huge data source is also an incentive for "good" students who are encouraged to go beyond the boundaries of the teaching unit.
Proceeding to the course of Ancient Greek, ETC revise the traditional ideas on how the vocabulary of the Ancient Greek language should be taught. Especially, in contrast to the traditional linear teaching with clear and strict regulatory frameworks, the student possesses an active participation and shapes his/her own personal consciousness (Κοmis, 2004) regarding the connection of the Ancient with the Modern Greek language. Through ETC, students can discover the origin of words through research in natural contexts on their own or in groups -group collaborative teaching. In this way, they build new knowledge in an environment that interacts with the social and cultural context.
Another important element of the educational use of ETC is the opportunity offered to the teacher to clarify contextual relationships of the language, which are difficult to approach with traditional teaching. The physical presence of words in corpora can reflect the subtle differences of the complexity and variety of the language (Roemer, 2004) and, in this case, the Greek language. Also, the teacher has the opportunity to direct learning activities according to the interests of the students by promoting experiential learning which brings students close to real life.
Furthermore, the use of ETC can encourage the need for replacement of the one and only school textbook with a multiple one. Of course, the creative critical approach to language data cannot be based on the uniqueness of the school textbook, which often entraps the teacher and limits the possibilities of pupils. Electronic text corpora represent the multiplicity and variety of stimuli of modern society, presenting them as authentic learning environments, promoting the cross-curricular and interdisciplinary approach.
In conclusion, the educational use of ETC: 1) highlights the active role of students, 2) updates the role of the teacher in the new learning environment, 3) exploits the dynamics of digital technologies in the teaching and learning process.

Brief description
The present teaching proposal refers to the second unit found in the school textbook of the Ancient Greek language course that is used for the 3rd grade of lower secondary school, and can be implemented in two continuous teaching hours. The students will be divided into groups, will collaborate in the context of the educational activities, present the results of their research in front of the class, and finally, in the context of dissemination and sharing of knowledge, each group will post its worksheets on the classroom blog. The students will become teachers themselves for their classmates. This section offers many vocabulary examples of the connection between the Ancient and Modern Greek language, which can be easily perceived by students. In particular, the use of the collaborative method of teaching attempts to familiarize the students with the Ancient Greek speech, at the level of vocabulary and text comprehension. Apart from this, the students will be encouraged to distinguish and point out the similarities and differences between the Ancient and Modern Greek language. Moreover, the aforementioned method aims to familiarize the students with original Ancient Greek texts, exploring and discovering the linguistic keys that interconnect the building blocks of the ancient and Modern Greek language. Finally, the ability of high school students to present the results of their activities in the context of knowledge sharing is also investigated.

Teaching intervention
The teaching intervention consists of three phases, the starting point (pre -tasks stage), the processing and evaluation of the learning process. This teaching intervention is carried out in the school's computer lab. Before the implementation of the intervention, some part of the teaching time is allocated for the familiarization of the students with the context of the teaching intervention. In particular, all the teaching steps are being analyzed and presented in the classroom, and the division of the groups is taking place based on the students' desire as well. It is not a pedagogical objective to "surprise" the students, but to create a positive pedagogical atmosphere.
The class is divided into eight groups of three students each and each group has its own identity. The best ratio of students and computers is, based on international research, three students per computer. The two students have been observed to compete with each other, while the four even for practical reasons (long distance from the computer) cannot bring any result (Αnthoulias, 1989). Each team member has a different role. The first member is the team representative, the second works on the computer and the third completes the worksheet. These roles are not fixed, they can be alternated and arise through the agreement of the team members. Finally, the teacher briefly explains how the groups work and gives students a few minutes to decide their role in them.
The implementation of the teaching activities is completed in one and a half teaching hours and then the presentation, the reflection and the evaluation of the whole process take place.

Starting point (Pre-tasks stage)
The teacher, with a short introduction, familiarizes the students with the teaching objectives, informing them of the general context in which they are going to work. Simultaneously, the teacher does not reveal all the teaching objectives, because the students must reach them themselves. The activities of each group are equally distributed in terms of the degree of difficulty. Each group after collecting its own data is invited to present it to the other groups. Thus, the collaborative and communicative dimension of computer technology is highlighted in practice.

Processing
As the students are divided into groups, each group is provided with a photocopy which includes the language comments of the second unit of the textbook. On the one hand, this works encouragingly for the students, because they understand the didactic direction of the unit and on the other hand saves teaching time. Then, a worksheet is distributed to the groups, in which the teaching activities of each group are precisely described and their time limit is determined. The worksheets also include instruction regarding the use of the suggested ETC, in order to minimize teacher intervention and groups to operate independently. The class will be divided, as mentioned above, into eight groups of three students, who have to deal with a total of five teaching tasks. The four tasks are same for all the groups while the remaining task is different.
The worksheets that will be given to the groups with the suggested activities are presented below while the teacher possesses the role of the coordinator and facilitator.
Fill in the worksheet with the meaning that your unknown words have in the text of the unit.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "προσήκει" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word προσήκει (προσήκ*) Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example 4) Search the text of the unit (Λυσίας, Επιτάφιος τοῖς Κορινθίων βοηθοῖς 79-81) in the "Ανθολόγιο αττικής πεζογραφίας της Πύλης για την ελληνική γλώσσα", copy it and paste it into a Word sheet and at the same time open the two suggested translations, which you must transfer into your Word sheet.
Then compare the ancient Greek text with the two translations and write down the words or phrases that survive today in the Modern Greek language.

Group 2
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "αὐτόματον" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word

Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example
The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Group 3
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A.
3) Fill in the following table for the word ἀναμείναντες, following the steps below:  Table 1 Word ἀναμείναντες (αναμέν*) Part of speech All meanings Meaning within the text Then proceed to Σώματα κειμένων, Μνημοσύνη Ψηφιακή Βιβλιοθήκη της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Γραμματείας, Συμφραστικός πίνακας λέξεων και and find the appropriate example for the word ἀναμείναντες from the corpora Table 2 Word ἀναμείναντες (αναμέν*) Similar example from corpora Translation Finally, type "Portal to the Greek language", Νέα ελληνική, Εργαλεία, Σώματα κειμένων.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "αὐτόματον" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word

Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example
The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Group 4
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "ἐκλεξάμενοι" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word

ἐκλεξάμενοι (ἐκλέξ*) Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example
The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Group 5
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A. 3) Fill in the following table for the word μακαρίζω, following the steps below: Type «Ψηφίδες για την ελληνική γλώσσα», Αρχαία ελληνική γλώσσα και γραμματεία, tools LIDDELL & SCOTT dictionary Table 1 Word μακαρίζω (μακαρίζ*) Part of speech All meanings Meaning within the text Then proceed to Σώματα κειμένων, Μνημοσύνη Ψηφιακή Βιβλιοθήκη της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Γραμματείας, Συμφραστικός πίνακας λέξεων και and find the appropriate example for the word "μακαρίζω" from the corpora. Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "μακαρίζω" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word μακαρίζω (μακαρίζ*)

Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example
The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Group 6
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "κάλλιστον" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word

Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example
The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Group 7
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "ῥώμη" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Group 8
The first and second activities are the same as those of Group A.
Then choose pedagogical institute textbooks and complete the table with the word "κατέλιπον" and its meaning in the Modern Greek language by choosing an example. Table 3 Word κατέλιπον (καταλείπ*)

Meaning in the Modern Greek Language Example
The fourth and fifth activities are the same as those of Group A.

Critical evaluation and Conclusions
The proposed didactic intervention for the course of the Ancient Greek language in the 3 rd grade of lower secondary school constitutes an example of the utilization and useful integration of ETC in the educational process. The structure and implementation of this intervention is simple, offering an interactive learning environment to the learners.
Based on the results of the intervention, it is concluded that ETC favor the culture of pedagogical composition which refers to the traditional and modern perception of the educational reality. The indisputable pedagogical value of cooperation and understanding -principles necessary in a constantly changing digital context -are added to the gradual linguistic familiarity of students with the Ancient Greek text both at the lexical and semantic level and at the level of linguistic access and text comprehension.
However, the structure of the present intervention is extremely teacher-centred and directed, with specific and restrictive instructions, and "closed" teaching activities. Also, the interaction of microsystem (school classroom) and macrosystem (school Ilias Loumos  USING ELECTRONIC TEXT CORPORA IN TEACHING ANCIENT GREEK:  A VOCABULARY TEACHING INTERVENTION IMPLEMENTED IN THE ANCIENT  GREEK COURSE IN THE 3RD GRADE OF LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL  environment) was not examined, as the adequacy and technological infrastructure of the school was considered a given. Moreover, the limited scale of the intervention did not allow us to investigate more variables of the teaching and learning process.
To sum up, this intervention tried to demonstrate the structural use of ETC in the didactic approach of a "difficult" subject, highlighting the contemporary perception of the teaching of the ancient Greek language, as a component of Modern Greek, based on the active participation of students. Nevertheless, students' involvement in more demanding and complex teaching activities, through the use of ETC, needs to be investigated by future teaching proposals.