People using the Greek language in Victoria are asked to take part in a survey launched on Sunday by the Language Diversity Department of Language and Linguistics of La Trobe University.

The survey is part of research on the Greek language and culture conducted by Professor James Walker and Dr Stephie Nikoloudis will go ahead even as the university is preparing to decide the fate of Greek Studies at La Trobe University.

“We launched the survey on Sunday but it has been in preparation for a couple of months – we had to get ethical approval from the university and we trialled a pilot version with some colleagues first,” Prof Walker told Neos Kosmos. The survey will be run until the end of December.

“We plan on presenting our results publicly at the Greek Community of Melbourne early in 2021 as well as preliminary results at a (virtual) conference on Greek-speaking communities around the world being held in London in January 2021,” said Prof Walker.

He added that Dr Nikoloudis and he, in collaboration the Greek Community of Melbourne had applied to the Australian Research Council for a Linkage Project grant that would digitally capture audio recordings that were part of the Dardarlis Archives that were house at La Trobe University.

READ MORE: La Trobe University’s Greek Studies program discussions continue

The grant would also allow for the recording of new interviews of members of the Greek community.

“The survey is a way of starting to get an understanding of language use and attitudes toward Greek identity and language in Melbourne as well as to recruit participants in the future study,” he said.

“Dr Nikoloudis and I conceived of the study before the university proposed to discontinue Modern Greek but we have used this research activity as evidence in our submission to the university that Modern Greek has value above and beyond enrolments in the language subjects and it has links to the larger research environment at the university,” said Prof Walker.

He said that he hoped for at least 200 responses for the survey that is in English and Greek, and which has been advertised through student and community organisations, on social media and through personal contacts.

♦ To take part in the survey, go to the Study’s Facebook link.