The city of Shanghai has awarded the Silver Magnolia Award to Rania Katavouta from Greece, for her work teaching Greek to Chinese students.
Katavouta, a doctoral candidate of modern Greek literature at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, went to Shanghai in September 2014 to teach Greek language and literature at the Department of Greek Studies of the University of International Studies in Shanghai.
"Teaching Greek to Chinese students, who are interested in Greek culture and know alot about ancient history and mythology, was an interesting challenge," Katavouta said in an interview with the Athens News Agency.
"Even though Greek is not their first choice," she explained, " they show determination and they manage and overcome the linguistic differences and difficulties."
According to Katavouta the main challenges for Chinese students learning Greek is pronunciation and sounds in the Greek language that don't exist in Chinese.
Katavouta was nominated as a candidate for the award by the Shanghai University of International Studies. "The criterion for my candidacy," she noted, "was my teaching as well as the organisation and participation in a series of events related to Greek and Chinese culture."
She will receive her award on September 6, during a ceremony to be held in Shanghai.