Speaking Greek Made Easy And Fun, for beginners

speaking greek

When you listen to Greek music or you visit Greece regularly, you hear Greek all the time. However, if it sounds ‘Chinese’ to you, it is not a problem, neither life-threatening.
I also enjoyed both activities for years, without knowing a word of Greek. So, no problem at all.

But the more I got into the music, and the more I visited Greece, the more I desired to understand and speak Greek.  Of course, understanding the lyrics of a song or a normal conversation is not that easy!
They both contain difficult grammar structures, slang, a lot of vocabulary, etc..

So, if you would love to understand your favorite Greek song or communicate with Greeks, I believe there are only two options:

Option 1:
The easy solution; search for the translation of the song or ask the Greek person to speak in English!

If somebody talks to you in Greek, you simply can ask “Do you speak English? “. Unless you are staying in a small Greek village or talking to a shepherd, your chances that you can communicate in English, are high.

Or, after listening to a song, you can search for the translation afterward, so you know at least what the song is all about, and memorize few words, to get the feeling you can sing along 😊

For example, click here for an example of a Greek song, by well-known composer and singer Dionysis Savvopoulos, with the English translation ready-made for you.

Option 2 :
A great hobby for life; learn Greek!

If you love Greek music and maybe are getting addicted to it, as well as visit Greece at least once a year, then it is worth it to learn the language.

By speaking and understanding some (or a lot of) Greek, you will start enjoying and discovering the “real Greece”, which is so different from what you experience as a tourist.

How, when, or where to start learning Greek?

If you have the possibility to book lessons with a Greek teacher close to your home, then that is a good option.

If not, then a good idea would be to start with the Greek Speaking Starter Kit, now on offer.
Use it at your pace, on your time, at your place
Take a look here or read more here below.

Can you learn a language by yourself?
Yes – it’s perfectly possible, but…
unfortunately – there is a ‘but’.

Learning a language on your own, without a teacher, is fun but it can also be full of difficult moments and delaying the entire process by many years.

When I first started learning Greek, back in 1987, I made a lot of mistakes.

  • I would learn lists of words but could never remember them when I needed them in a conversation.
    I listened to hours of Greek songs, without getting any better at understanding the words.
  • I didn’t set myself goals and was just hoping some progress would come by itself….
  • I would translate every single word when reading and got frustrated since I never needed some of those words ever again.

So many things were not working! I was close to giving up…

Till I started taking lessons, concentrated on the daily language, learned to conjugate my verbs (very important in Greek!),
took every opportunity to speak, even when making many mistakes…

From that moment onward, I made tons of progress, saved a lot of time…., and learned enough to master the basic grammar.
After that, I could continue learning on my own, build my vocabulary, and practice my speaking.
Of course, I was lucky enough to live in Greece and had enough Greek friends around me to test my speaking abilities.

Although I can call myself a fluent speaker now, I remember this beginning stage as yesterday, and found it rather frustrating and tiring…

Therefore I decided a year ago, to combine my own experience of learning the basics in Greek, together with the guidance of professional Greek teachers at the Omilo School.

Simply, because I love to help out, and believe that speaking the daily language will give you all the motivation and joy, to discover the “real Greece”!

And that is exactly how the Greek Speaking starter Kit came to life.

 

Even without any professional language background, it is possible to learn the basics and start speaking Greek from week 1, by using the Greek Speaking Starter Kit.

And this is on offer now. You can find out more and sign up here. 

Since the Greek Speaking Starter Kit was available,
I’ve been getting some questions from Greek language learners,  and I thought I’d address some of them here.

Here’s one such question:

‘Is it possible to ‘know’ a language if you can’t speak it?
I know a lot of vocabulary, I can read newspapers and even novels, I can write pretty well.  So I could say I’m at an advanced level, although I can’t actually speak Greek at all. Speaking is not my priority because I don’t know anyone, I can talk Greek to and I’m not a social person. I do not speak a lot, and do not like it.

Interesting, don’t you think?

I would not suggest the Greek Speaking Starter Kit to this lady, since she probably knows all the vocabulary mentioned in the eBooks.  However, one cannot be 100 % sure about this, since being able to read newspapers and novels means you are indeed at an “Advanced Level in Greek”, but this does not mean you know the simple everyday language used in Greece.
A lot of vocabulary you use in your everyday language, while shopping, going to eat, visiting a bakery, typical expressions, or just the usual “small talk”, is not always mentioned in Greek language books or Greek courses.  For the last 30 years, I have met many people who studied Greek at universities or attended intensive courses at advanced levels,  but I was always amazed that many could read economic texts and newspaper articles from one side but did not manage to have a simple conversation in Greek at the other side. Neither they were aware of the vocabulary needed to order in a Greek tavern, simply because they had no clue how all the dishes and drinks were called in Greek, or how you use the daily language and expressions to order your food or drinks, as a local.

But anyway, to come back to the lady,  I believe her question is fascinating.
‘Is it possible to ‘know’ a language if you can’t speak it?

 I would normally say that your learning should be driven by your own goals.

  •  If your goal is to travel and have conversations with people, then absolutely learn to speak.
  • Similarly, if your goal is just to listen to music by your favorite Greek singer, or watch movies and series in Greek, then focus on listening.
  • Or is your goal is to become a professional translator in Greek, then concentrate on learning the extended grammar and difficult vocabulary about specific subjects,
    since this is what you will need to translate future texts and get paid for it.However, if you don’t apply your learning “to speak Greek”, you’re likely to slow down your overall progress.

    Why is that? Because speaking plays a huge part in helping you memorize the words and phrases.
    It helps you construct sentences and familiarize yourself with what sounds natural and what does not. So I believe it helps you learn more quickly.Actually, you don’t need to know many people to be able to speak. Speaking is so much more than having conversations with real people. Speaking is simply saying things out loud.
    Making up sentences of a few words. Pointing to objects and saying their names out loud is speaking.Of course, having conversations with real people will make the learning process even more effective.
    It’s because it allows you to step out of your comfort zone, make speaking inevitable, and practice your listening at the same time.So, you should try to find opportunities to practice, even online. Make friends, join online language groups or platforms, and try to speak, even when you feel scared.

The advantage of multi-media materials

Back in 1987, when my Greek language journey started, the internet did not even exist! (and this sounds as if I am over 100, but I am not!)

It is hard to believe, but in only three decades, technology has exploded. Now, many people cannot imagine life without it.
Technology runs our lives these days. Smartphones, computers, social media, and many other things I am not aware of anymore – we really can’t seem to function without them.

Although I still believe it is best to learn a language in the country it is spoken,
I am also aware that with technology you can create wonderful things and excellent learning experiences. And it is also much cheaper!’

In the Greek Speaking Starter Kit, you will not only find videos of Greek teachers explaining vocabulary, grammar, etc…
but also videos showing you how everything looks in Greece. You will get the feeling as if you are in Greece.

Why do we call it multi-media?
Simply, because the Starter Kit contains eBooks, photos, videos and audio files.

Are you ready?

Did you start learning Greek already back home or elsewhere?

If yes, Bravo!   I wish you good luck with your language journey.
If you need some extra materials (at different language levels) to keep you going and motivated, feel free to check the eBooks at the  eShop

If no, give it a try!  The Greek Speaking Starter Kit is a good solution to learn the Everyday Greek Language effectively and independently, even if you’re busy.
 

 

The Greek Speaking Starter Kit is your Shortcut to start speaking Greek within a week, without fear.

If you don’t want to spend all your free time learning endless vocabulary lists and complicated grammar, then you can use the videos, handouts and audio of the 7 modules, to start speaking Greek now.

It is FUN, FAST and Effective, and designed for any adult learner, without a professional language learning background. 
Use it at YOUR pace on YOUR time at YOUR place.

Follow this 5-step system to start speaking Greek:

STEP 1: Watch the introduction video lesson with images of daily life in Greece, related to every module (7 in total). Feel the Greek atmosphere and get into the mood to learn Greek.

STEP 2 : Read the Handout(eBook) and memorize the one page of vocabulary (per module), in combination with the most necessary grammar to make a sentence (learning to conjugate your verbs in the present tense is an absolute must!)

STEP 3: Watch the video lesson and repeat everything you have learned in the Handout, now with extra videos and photos to make it more fun.

STEP 4: Practice during the week, memorizing the words and sentences, and listen to the Audio of the vocabulary list, for the correct pronunciation.

STEP 5 : Enjoy speaking Greek, and impress your Greek friends or relatives with small little sentences.

When comfortable with the first unit, proceed to the next one, and apply the 5 steps again.
It is advised to learn one module per week, but if you have no time, do not worry…you can learn any time you want …take it easy and enjoy. „siga-siga“ (at your ease!)

I wish you a lot of success with your Greek Language Journey.
Maya

 

 

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