How to Learn Greek

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How to Learn Greek - in Greece, on Crete and other Greek islands, and in the capital, Athens.

We really do suggest you learn some Greek language, even if you are spending only a short time in Crete or in Greece. It will make such a difference to the quality of your experience, and you never know what new friends you might make! Ela! Milate Ellinika!

Katia has been learning Greek for many years, and she even has a Cretan accent! Her Greek is pretty good, but she gets confused sometimes, and might say stafilia grapes instead of filakia kisses. Now we often say goodbye with fruit, and we have progressed through achladia pears, mandarinakia mandarins, and mourakia berries through to karpousia watermelons. That's a whole lot of kisses right there!

One of her favourite Cretan words seems to be tsikoudia, whether this is because it has a rocket launch sound to it, or because she likes drinking it with us and friends, we don't know. Anyway, she has a few ideas to suggest if you want to learn Greek.

Hmmm, thanks for that introduction, Taso, below follows my two cents worth on how to learn Greek.

The joys of communicating in Greek are endless. Did you notice every Greek is a philosopher? The kafenion really is the 'university of life' and you will learn more there in an evening than you expected, once you can understand Greek.

There are plenty of places to learn Greek in Crete, apart from the local kafenion, the hardware store and over coffee with your friends in the village.

The first idea is to find someone in your village who speaks English and Greek and is willing to swap lessons. This is always my favourite way to learn a language and provides endless fun and friendship.

If you cannot find anyone to swap with, just put the word out through your neighbours and at the kafenion and be patient, someone might show up when you least expect it.

In the meantime, there are formal Greek classes to be found in Crete as outlined below.

Greek Language - In Crete

The Greek Centre for Adult Education
(KEE - Kentro Ekpaidefsis Elinikon) has free Greek lessons for EU members and legal immigrants. There are classes offered in Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos in Crete.

The Lexis Greek Language and Culture Centre in Chania, Crete, has a variety of Greek lessons with accommodation based in the beautiful historic centre of Chania. Contact Maria Foundoulaki at the centre.

My Greek Seminars in Heraklion or via Skype with experienced English-speaking teacher Rita Koukoulaki, of Heraklion. Choose your level and your mode of study, meet in Rita's home or yours, or via the internet.

Kleis Workshop for Greek Language and Culture in Chania offer private or group courses for in Greek for those to whom Greek is a new language or for persons of Greek descent for whom Greek is a second lanuage. Situated in a beautiful nineteenth century villa in Amberia in Chania town.

Filomathia Language School - the name means 'love of learning' runs classes in Chania, Crete. Eva Dimitsanti says "It all begins from experienced and qualified teachers, native speakers with great passion for their work, who stand by students as friends and guides sharing knowledge and encouraging self-confidence."

How to Learn Greek - In Athens

Consider spending a week or two in the northern leafy suburb of Kifissia in Athens and attending the excellent Greek school of Omilo which is located in Maroussi.

Dimitris, Maya and the team are wonderful teachers, very professional yet down-to-earth in their approach, and they organise intensive classes all over Greece.

Learn Greek in Nafplion

Omilo have a two week intensive class over Easter in Nafplion.

More about the beautiful town of Nafplion here.

How to Learn Greek
In the Greek Islands

Ermoupolis Harbour on Syros, you can learn Greek here with Omilo

There is nothing like two weeks on a Greek island with intensive language classes to get your Greek flowing.

I can highly recommend the Omilo team, and their island classes in Syros. Syros is a beautiful island in the Cyclades, close to Mykonos, Tinos, Paros and Naxos and holding a beauty of its own. Learn Greek next to the beach at Azolimnos and relax in the beautiful town of Ermoupolis (pictured above) at lunch and in the evenings.

Syros Language Classes

Below are some photos of our fun parea at the island Greek classes in Syros.

How to learn Greek - together!

Just a few steps from our 'classroom'

We stayed in a lovely little seaside town called Azolimnos, and enjoyed many taverna dinners, historic walks in Ermoupolis the capital, and other Greek cultural activities.

Ermoupolis, capital of Syros

Boat trip on a day without classes - Syros

A day off from classes and a day excursion out on the boat to see the beautiful beaches of Syros

A stop for a drink in a remote bay - Syros

Its hard to learn Greek but someone has to do it!

We enjoyed the many beaches of Syros and the crystal clear waters. In September we virtually had the beaches to ourselves. We left from Galissas for a boat trip to the wild inaccessible western beaches.

Meeting up with a crazy bunch of foreigners from all over the world was so much fun; our taverna dinners were punctuated with accents and exclamations from many diverse languages, as well as full of delicious local food.

Yes! We did learn some Greek too!
Here we are during the graduation ceremony!

Graduating from Greek classes in Syros

See more of our photos of Azolimnos, Syros and the Greek language classes:

See comments from students of Omilo from all around the world:

How to Learn Greek
At Home

Do you want to learn Greek before you depart on your holiday or business trip? See our page about learning Greek from home with plenty of suggestions for interactive software language learning packages, and online learning.

How to Learn Greek
Getting Here

Most visitors to Greece will fly via the capital Athens although there are many flights from UK and Europe daily to Heraklion Airport HER and Chania Airport CHQ in Crete.

Connecting flights from Athens to Crete depart regularly and flight time is 1 hour.

Connecting flights to Syros JSY depart regularly and flight time is 35 minutes.

Take a local coach or drive to Nafplion from Athens, this journey to the Peloponnese via the Corinth Canal takes approx. 2.5 hours.