The Beginner's Guide to Greek
You’ve decided to start learning Greek.
You did a bit of Googling and looked at the course books on Amazon.
So many options that you might be wondering: “Which one to choose?”
Maybe start learning the alphabet first? You head to YouTube… Which video to watch first?
Getting started learning Greek can feel like a daunting task, especially if you decide to learn it on your own.
Course books, apps, audiobooks, videos – they’re all here to help you but you need to know how and which ones to choose.
Hopefully this post might help.
Let’s go!
The alphabet
Here’s something you need to know: The actual problem with the Greek alphabet is the way it’s usually taught - too much focus on the letters’ names - rather than the sounds.
This makes learners end up writing in Latin letters often, which doesn’t help with learning how to write Greek.
The best reading activity I’ve seen so far in various resources is in the first few pages of the (outdated, but still good) course book Greek Now 1+1.
The activity uses syllables – rather than separate letters – to start forming 1 – 3 syllable words right away such as: μα-με-μι-μο-μου (mah-meh, mee, moh, mou)
In case you don’t have this particular course book, a great alternative with a similar technique is on the YouTube channel Learn Greek with Lina .
In this link you’ll find 4 basic plus 6 videos which will give you a pretty good understanding of Greek reading and pronunciation.
A tip: the Greek language “loves” the consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel or vowel-consonant- etc pattern (a bit like Spanish).
You got reading down? Continue on to learning Greek writing
Start handwriting:
Your name (that’s always fun to do!)
The city/town/village/area you live
The country or
Your favourite Greek food
Mastering the alphabet helps you in a number of ways:
You learn your first words.
You can now look up any word in the dictionary and be able to pronounce it.
You start making connections from yοur past experiences with the language, even if they were unintentional e.g π = pi, Δ= delta etc.
These are all helpful first steps.
Type in Greek
Typing is of course necessary.
It helps you access a variety of online resources as you progress in your Greek and you’ll use it to communicate, message, email, and comment.
I find that the most straightforward way to type in any computer is to add the Greek keyboard.
Here’s a video for Mac users, which by the way, shows you how to add the Koine (Polytonic) keyboard but it also shows you the option to Modern Greek.
Tip: In case you find that you’re going to use the keyboard quite a lot, then purchasing a keyboard that includes the Greek letters on its keys, might make things more simple for you.
Alright! Now that you have a good start with reading, writing and typing let’s see how to use some Greek.
“It’s all Greek to me”
It’s a cliché phrase, but it’s true: Language learning is often overwhelming.
For the beginning, investing in a good course book, such as Ellinika A is probably all you need.
If you’re looking for a more detailed list to find which course book is suitable for you, then I suggest you check my blog post The Best Way To Learn Greek.
Introductions, small talk, asking for something or ordering food, talking about yourself and your preferences are some of the first things you ‘ll learn when you start building sentences.
Tip: A simple rule of thumb is that Greek has a subject-verb-object structure.
Practical ways to practice speaking
1. Recordings
Use your phone’s voice recorder or an app to speak and practice pronunciation and speaking.
You can record yourself speaking either by repeating the sentences you learned or by making short sentences of your own with the vocabulary you learn.
2. Speaking challenges
The 30-Day Speaking Challenge , is great if you need some accountability or even an award!
The sense of community is definitely encouraging as well and I know that some Greek learners had memorable moments from taking part to challenges.
3. Practice with songs on YouTube
Here’s a playlist with Greek music I prefer.
If you fall in love with Greek songs, the expressions and vocabulary you’ll pick up from the songs will amaze you.
4. A language exchange with a Greek who’s learning your language
If you’re an English speaker, you’ll have success finding someone who wants to practice your language.
Language centres or university language departments are great places to look for language exchanges, but you can also find online exchanges, too.
5. When in Greece, practice Greek in non-tourist areas
Don’t expect people who work in tourist areas to practice Greek with you, especially in high tourist season.
Look for that special, friendly place where only locals go and start chatting!
Grammar learning
Traditionally, Greek is taught with lots of grammar included. This is true for native speakers as well. We learn grammar starting from the elementary school.
These resources might be helpful:
The book I love using and it’s perfect for English speakers is this one: Greek, An Essential Grammar.
A journey…
Last but not least. Look at your learning as a journey and why not savour each moment of it.
Warm wishes for a happy Greek learning!
