Search

Greece and the Greek diaspora represent very dynamic contexts for language diversity in society and education. In a relatively short period of time, Greek society has been transformed by ongoing emigration and immigration waves to and from Greece. Currently, various culturally and linguistically diverse groups, such as immigrants, repatriates, Muslims, Roma and refugees constitute dynamic research fields and at the same time significant educational challenges. In the last decades, there has been an accumulated expertise in regard to these groups (mainly in reference to the Greek language) which remains to be discovered by an international audience.

Modern Greek is taught in Canada primarily as a heritage language (HL) through a semi-official education system that involves both public school boards and immigrant communities. The institutions responsible for administering HL programs, as well as the participating teachers and students, are faced with several organizational and educational challenges. This study follows a community-based research (CBR) approach to investigate aspects of Greek heritage language education (HLE) in Ontario. Centered on the findings of a series of research projects that took place between 2014 and 2017 with the collaboration of researchers, educators and community stakeholders, the article examines various aspects of teaching and learning the Greek language at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels and suggests new directions for HLE in Canada and the Hellenic diaspora at large.

One of the direct consequences of the current economic crisis in Greece is the emergence of a new emigration wave, especially among young, educated people who are looking abroad for better conditions and opportunities for temporary or permanent relocation. In Canada, one of the traditional centres of the Greek diaspora, new immigration from Greece became particularly visible after 2012 in major urban centres such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. This article presents the findings of a research study that explores the profiles, attitudes, aspirations and experiences of new Greek immigrants in Canada. Through focus groups, interviews and an online survey, completed electronically by approximately 100 newcomers across Canada during the winter of 2017, various aspects of the contemporary Greek immigration experience have emerged, which are quite interesting when compared to the previous Greek Canadian migration between the 1950s and 1970s. Of particular interest are the findings that highlight the variety of reasons behind the newcomers’ decision to move to Canada, their overall high educational background, their differing degrees of adaptation to the host country conditions and their contradictory advice to compatriots who are planning to study or settle in Canada.