Dr. Gabriel V. Diamantis
Assistant Professor in ESP/EAP
Androutsou, 150, off. 401 Tel: 210-4142735
gdiam@unipi.gr
Curriculum Vitae (pdf download)

COURSE ORIENTATION


Welcome to the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus. We hope that you use your time productively here and wish you every success with your studies. You have all studied English for a number of years. Your learning experience must have made you aware of the fact that there is no learner group which is totally homogeneous. Each individual learner has different likes and dislikes, interests, personality, learning style, attitude, purpose in learning etc. Therefore, each learner’s development will depend on individual factors such as the ones listed above and his/her willingness to participate and learn on an ongoing basis.
Your past experience in language learning was organised according to given levels of command in English, and aimed at taking you through those levels in order to help you qualify for international language examinations. Your English courses at the University will not be graded in the same manner. Language is not graded in the materials you will be using, as language is not graded in the real world and particularly in the sectors which would be of interest to you within the framework of your studies. Exposure, development of skills and strategies and building up your knowledge resources will contribute to your understanding and eventually using such materials. All in all, English modules will take you from an intermediate to an advanced level of English in an ESP (English for Specific Purposes) context.

• No exemption from the English courses/modules is granted:
Proficiency certificate holders and/or bilinguals are not exempt
from sitting the end-of-term exams in any of the compulsory English modules.

• Greek nationals and foreign students:
Students who did not enter this department through the Pan-
Hellenic University Entrance Exams are strongly advised to meet
their course tutor during office and consultation hours for course
support (see the announcement on the department web page).

ENGLISH AND TERMINOLOGY MODULES top

English and terminology modules are compulsory for semesters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. It should be pointed out that the first and second semester modules are prerequisite for the remaining modules. This means that students must succeed in the end-of-term exams of semesters 1 & 2, in order to participate in the end-of-term exams of the remaining modules. In the course of each semester students have one three-hour lecture/tutorial per week. Each module is coherently structured to provide a meaningful intellectual challenge and to develop student skills in order to respond to educational and career aspirations.

Every English module is structured to:

  • provide a meaningful intellectual challenge
  • develop skills in order to respond to educational and career aspirations
  • help you consolidate and utilise your available language resources
  • further develop your reading, writing and speaking skills
  • develop fluency in English as an international medium of communication
  • encourage you to treat language as a medium rather than an end in itself
  • build your confidence in using English and overcome error phobia
  • focus on topics/subject areas relevant to your degree studies
  • develop a range of strategies in both spoken and
  • written communication
  • provide basic training in communication skills necessary for international
    business and other areas of professional communication
  • help you develop a range of academic/study skills, e.g. note-taking,
    organising information
  • provide opportunities and support reading of magazines, journals, newspapers, etc, as well as accessing websites and downloading respective information

    • Some of the areas listed above will be re-visited throughout the six modules, in an attempt to ensure ongoing development and to prepare you for further studies and/or professional development.

    Use your knowledge resources in order to discuss subjects with which you might be familiar, including language in different contexts, in order to help you develop the skills to carry on learning in your courses and through self-study. You will not only be dealing with texts in order to, for example, learn specific lexical items, but also to learn to interact with spoken/written texts.

    Attend classes regularly so that you can develop your confidence and overall fluency and then faced with substantial amounts of unfamiliar material and areas to study. It goes without saying that active participation in sessions will inevitably affect your overall course grade but more importantly will greatly enhance your spoken and written English.

     

    CAREER ASPIRATIONS 

    Graduates will need to develop a profile of attributes that qualify them to work in competitive positions: knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal

    You may be asking yourself, “What am I going to do after university?” Preparation for employment is a major objective of this course. You will be acquiring a number of important skills which will greatly enhance your chances for success in the job market. It must be emphasised that, when recruiting graduates, employers look for a range of qualities, other than knowledge based on a subject area or a degree. These are made up of a range of personal and interactive attributes such as intellect, ability to learn, flexibility, self-motivation, self-regulation, self-assurance, team working, and communication skills. Career opportunities for successful graduates of the Department of International and European Studies will be found in:

    The Civil Service

    The European Civil Service in >Brussels

    The Diplomatic Corps

    European Central Banks

    The International Monetary Fund –IMF

    Multinational companies and subsidiaries

    Postgraduate studies in Greece or abroad

    Postgraduate studies at the National Centre of Public Administration, which will open a number of executive posts in ministries, such as the Ministry of Finance or Public Administration

    SELF-STUDY GUIDE


    Studying at university is probably quite unlike your previous experience. It is good to get into the habit of organising your time from the beginning of your studies. If you need help in this respect, please come by my office during my office hours
    Working on your own: You have left school, so nobody will be standing over to make sure you work, though you must produce satisfactory work that has been set for you. If you are not used to working on your own, it is worth making the effort now to get into the habit of doing so.
    Planning your time: You must get used to planning your time effectively.  A fulltime undergraduate normally needs around 40 hours of study per week. Some people do not need to make timetables or plans, but if you have difficulties with planning your time, it is worth making a plan, bearing in mind lecture and tutorial times.

    RESOURCES

     Regular and substantial reading is essential for a good performance in all your modules. Each module has its own reading list with core and additional reading materials. You are encouraged to develop your reading outside the set texts and required reading of the course. There is a wide range of materials available, and below is a list of recommended reading material which is easily accessible:

     Newspapers: Some material may be restricted either to subscribers or have to be purchased for a nominal charge.

    Attend conferences on international relations, public speaking, negotiating skills, or other topics which interest you.

    http://www.conferencealerts.com/greece.htm

    http://www.conferences.gr/upcoming-conferences.html?&no_cache=1

    http://www.conference-service.com/conferences/gr/index.html

    www.globalgreece.gr