SDLP 110: Learning Journal 8

[Constantinos Beauclair-Kolomtsas]

I based this week's learning goals on the suggestion on the calendar to work on a learning activity to teach someone an aspect of your language. The goal was to use teaching to work and showcase my presentational and comprehension skills. I decided to teach my language partner what I have been learning in my new book on Emperor Constantine Palaiologos. I provided historical context and used vocabulary that I found challenging in order to possibly catch my language partner off guard. The only word he didn't know was Πορφυρογέννητος which means the 'purple-born' in a literal sense but actually indicates birth in a noble bloodline. I concluded my lesson by discussing with my language partner in Greek his perspective on Byzantine history and the relationship between the Byzantine and modern Greek state. Other activities with my partner included simple conversation on our other meeting of the week and discussion of current events developing in Greece.