How do I learn Modern Greek by myself?

November 27, 2005 9:42 PM

I'm in need of some help trying to teach myself Modern Greek

I’m trying to learn Modern Greek by myself. It’s quite hard to do so by merely reading grammar and remembering words. I need something to get my brain going. I’ve tried a few radio stations, but they are too advanced and I can only manage to pick up a few words every now and then. Most websites are too hard and the same goes for books. What I’m looking for is websites, online radiostations or books for beginners in Greek. Know of any?

Any other tips when it comes to learning Modern Greek are more than welcome.

posted by klue to writing & language (7 comments total)

Rosettastone?
posted by RavinDave at 9:50 PM on November 27, 2005

Pimsleur? Although Pimsleur courses are pricey (even when at a discounted price) I've heard nothing but positive things about them.
posted by missed at 10:11 PM on November 27, 2005

My first answer was a bit glib, so I'll go more in depth:

The problem with a question like this is that my advice to someone who already speaks a foreign language would differ from advice to someone who is brand new to it. And knowing a few phrases in French or Swahili doesn't qualify). Do you know what a gerund is? Do you know the difference between an inflected/non-inflected language? Have you ever dealt with case, gender, etc.? If not, anything short of a tutor is going to be torture and you'll very likely feel overwhelmed at some point. And (ironically) in the very beginning phases it is probably better (for most people) to have a native English speaker help you, since they will have a better sense of what you'll need to understand.

I'll assume you have a general knowledge of basic language structure.

Learning a language in the Internet age affords so many opportunities, you should count yourself lucky. When I was studying Russian, there was ONE significant textbook in English and a verb book that was only available in German.

But I digress. Let's say I want to learn Hebrew -- and I was serious about it. I would immediately try to find a basic text to work from along with a basic dictionary. I'd probably enlist a tutor, but first I'd want to familiarize myself with the subject matter as much as possible in advance -- so as to make the best of my time with the tutor. I'd find one by posting a notice at a local synagogue (for modern Greek, try a Greek Orthodox Church or a Mediterranean market). I would almost certainly get some sort of audio practice via something like Rosetta or Pimsleur -- but, frankly, I wouldn't rely on either for much past the basics ... but don't underestimate the importance of the basics. Throughout all of this, I'd be using the heck out of Internet ... reading Hebrew newspapers online (you can almost always guess what the headline stories are about), looking for Hebrew discussion groups (Is there one on UseNet? If so, it's a great way to learn slang), and whatever general websites I find (maybe a streaming radio station?). I'm also a big fan of flashcards for rote memorization of common words and phrases. Just don't get carried away with static and isolated words. The idea is to get a general grasp on common structures and words -- you're not going to "memorize" a language and you'll make yourself crazy trying. No one -- NO ONE -- ever learned a language from a Berlitz phrase book. At some point, I'd also check the local satellite TV companies to see if I could find a "Hebrew" channel. I'd also keep a legal pad with me for doodling -- particularly good if you're studying a language with a different alphabet.

By the way -- university libraries often have wonderful textbooks for offbeat languages, generally old copies from the military language school at Monterey. If you have trouble finding a text you might be able to photocopy one of those.
posted by RavinDave at 11:04 PM on November 27, 2005 [1 favorite]

I don't know what books you already have, so I'll start from scratch. For a textbook, check out the Amazon listing for Demotic Greek I (use the "look inside" feature to see if it appeals to you), but you probably already have a textbook. If you don't already have the Oxford Greek English Learner's Dictionary, get it (and if you have that awful Divry dictionary, chuck it). If you want a more in-depth look at grammar, I recommend The Modern Greek Language: A Descriptive Analysis of Standard Modern Greek, by Peter MacKridge (though it appears to be out of print and available only at inflated prices, so you may want to check your library). And if you want to get into the history of the language, Geoffrey Horrocks' Greek: A History of the Language and Its Speakers is superb.

For practice, you might see if you can find Greek childrens' books; they're usually an excellent way to get practice with sentence patterns and build up vocabulary without getting discouraged. And if you like poetry, try Cavafy—his poems are short and usually not too difficult, and translations are easy to come by.
posted by languagehat at 6:39 AM on November 28, 2005

Thanks for the answers so far. I´ve got the text book Ellinika Tora and a norwegian-greek dictionary. I´ve also got a few poems by Cavafy and other greek poets and some song lyrics. Maybe I didn´t make the point I tried to; I know the basic, but it´s hard for me to get an active vocabulary buy just studying the grammar and the greek words.

I´ll be sure to look up more of Cavafys poetry, thanks languagehat
posted by klue at 7:41 AM on November 28, 2005

Oops, sorry, didn't realize you were Norwegian!
posted by languagehat at 8:40 AM on November 28, 2005

Before you reject all internet radio-news sites: National Greek Radio/TV Station. Upper right handside: english translation (hmm, close but not exact). Match the titles from the greek to the english site (they do not correspond). From the Radio drop down menu you can hear live stream (several stations nationwide), possibly difficult for you now, but progressively better (plus you can listen to music, which can't be all that bad).

Καλή διασκέδαση, φίλε μου.
posted by carmina at 7:48 PM on November 28, 2005