Certificate of attainment in Greek – Ellinomatheia
Course Description
There’s no better certificate out there for those whose passion is the Greek language than the Certificate of Attainment in Greek. This is for those that wish to have Greek as their second language and potentially have the ability to speak it as well as a native Greek speaker can.
The journey to attain this is long. We recommend that those interested talk to us beforehand to explain the extensive timeframe required for it and the numerous benefits associated with obtaining this certificate.
What makes this certificate so recognisable?
The Certificate of Attainment in Greek was actually established by the Greek Ministry of Education back in 1998. The sole purpose of this certificate is that the governing body, through the examination, will provide documentation that confirms the person who passed has knowledge of the Greek language as a second language.
The current administrator of this exam is the Center for the Greek Language in Thessaloniki, Greece (CGL). They are the only authority to administer the exam and have the complete exclusivity for this certificate. That means if there’s someone else or some other governing body that is claiming to offer something similar, keep in mind that there’s a good chance that may not be correct and flag it.
What happens if I get it?
Once you pass the exam and receive a Certificate of Attainment in Greek, you will have the necessary proof that is needed for specific positions and professions in Greece. This can even lead citizens of the European Union (EU) to participate in the examination of the Supreme Council of Personnel Selection (ΑΣΕΠ) for those that are looking to get into civil service and relevant positions being offered. However, keep in mind all of this is based on what level is obtained, and some positions may require higher fluency levels than others.
What do the various levels mean?
There are six total levels of attainment. They are broken down into three subcategories A through C. A1, and A2 are the lowest levels, with A1 being equivalent to a basic understanding of the language.
This is the bare minimum, and although there’s some comprehension here, there’s a lack of confidence when it comes to the command of the language or any consistent usage. A1 is about one year of college-level instruction in a foreign language, and level A2 is about two years of teaching.
Then come to the B levels, but it isn’t until level B2 that the fluency starts to be seen. This is where the user can easily and quickly respond to any simple questions. In addition, they are able to show an understanding of the language itself and be understood by native speakers through their appropriate pronunciation, vocabulary understanding, and sentence structure.
This is also the first level of language competency that will allow foreigners to register at an institution of higher education in Greece. This element also eliminates the need to have a Greek Secondary education certification (MR 152/Β6/1504/30-5-2001 – Official Government Gazette 659 vol.Β’).
For those who want to get to that fluency proficiency and mastery of the Greek language, it’s all about obtaining that Level C2. With this certificate level achieved, citizens of the European Union member states are considered to be fluent in the Greek language and able to be employed in a higher education institute in Greece.
What do the exams cover?
All six levels of attainment cover four essential skills. These are listening and reading comprehension, writing, and speaking. A1, A2, and B1 cover only these four components. Those that go to B2 and beyond will add to the list the Use of Language, explicitly focusing on the language’s grammar. With the increased amounts of vocabulary, understanding the morphology and syntax will allow people at this level to start to communicate effectively in the Greek language.
Regardless of the levels, these examinations are held only once a year, around the middle of May. Examination fees are pretty consistent and only vary in price between the different levels. Their complete list of information related to exam dates, fees, and when one needs to register for upcoming examinations is all on the Center for the Greek Language website.
We are there to take you by the hand in your journey, however far you want to go in your certificate of attainment. If you wish to learn the basics and stick to the three lower levels, or your dream is to one day work or teach in Greece, we understand the fundamentals that are required to pass any level of the exam.
However, it’s also important to note that for those that wish to seek B2 levels and above, there will be a lot of work outside the classroom, as you’ll need to keep absorbing the language continuously to retain it and expand the vocabulary consistently.