Gamarjoba everyone,
I just heard about this interesting opportunity. I don't know the instructor or the institution personally, and I'm not sure whether you have to be enrolled in a university somewhere to take advantage of it, but it sounds like it's worth looking into if you want a start with Georgian.
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I'm passing along an appeal from Manana Kock-Kobaidze <manana.kock.kobaidze AT mah.se>, who teaches Georgian langugage distance learning courses at Malmo University in Sweden. Georgian I, which is usually taught every semester, is threatened with closure in fall 2009: the University has raised the minimum enrollment from 25 to 35. If Georgian I is cancelled this fall, there is a risk that it will be cancelled for further semesters too.
The course is suitable for anyone ooking for a solid and manageable introduction to Georgian, and to those who are working through more comprehensive textbooks (e.g., Aronson's or Hewitt's) that are challenging to self-study. The course is well thought out in its material (logically ordered themes, limited grammar information) and the means of teaching it (a combination of on-line self-check and teacher-corrected exercises). It is taught entirely on-line, and Dr. Kock-Kobaidze is very accessible and responsive, through e-mail and optional Skype sessions. The course is also *FREE* (once enrolled, one must wife-transfer a small fee, SEK200 or about US$26, to join the Malmo student Union), and a nice way to meet other learners from around the world.
The deadline for so-called late application is 28 August.
Information about the course and a link to the application are also found here:
http://webzone.imer.mah.se/projects/geo ... rgian.html
http://webzone.imer.mah.se/projects/geo ... apply.html
Please email Dr. Kock-Kobaidze with any questions: <manana.kock.kobaidze AT mah.se> Please pass this information on to any interested colleagues or students. Thanks for your consideration!