Ways To Learn Greek

[Rameses the Great]

I want the best way to learn Greek. Recently I have bought a cd that encompassed Greek, but I don't know where to start or how to start. After I learned the slang term of Arabic, I thought that I would learn a language that always fascinated me. Actually I took a family geneology test that said my family immigrated from Greece to Egypt. I actually took two, one from Amazon and one from an ancestral genealogy site.

 

Anyways much help would be appreciated. I would just like to know where to start and how to start. Since many people here seem to be so fluent and knowledgable in langauge.

 

Efharisto!

[Ginevra]

Do you mean Ancient Greek or...simply Greek?

[Rameses the Great]

Do you mean Ancient Greek or...simply Greek?

 

Simply Greek.

[Q Valerius Scerio]

This should be moved to Hora Postilla Thermae.

 

And good lord - I can't stand Modern Greek. Efharisto? Eeewww. I'll take my eucharisto any day.

[Rameses the Great]

eucharisto any day.

 

Q Valerius how do you pronunce the eucharisto? Is it a gh sound?

[Viggen]

From own experience i can tell you the best way to learn a language is to get a boy/girlfriend from the country you want to speak the language

 

Next best thing is an extensive language course in the country itself interacting with native speakers...

 

After that there are a variety of courses and books that might help you, audio tapes/Cds are nice because you will hear the spoken word, which is of course a great help...

 

Teach Yourself Greek Complete Course is a very good way to start!

 

Of course if you want to learn the language to read and write (and not just have conversation, you might want to consider a proper course on a college...

 

cheers

viggen

[tflex]

From own experience i can tell you the best way to learn a language is to get a boy/girlfriend from the country you want to speak the language

 

Man, I like that strategy, Greek girls are hot too. Viggen, you always come up with the best ideas; I guess thats why you're the undisputed Emperor. Now, I 'm really motivated to learn greek, I'll just go find a nice Greek girl, but I'm not so sure if I will be learning greek with her, maybe a few other lessons...

 

I also wanna learn Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese and much much more... I already learnt English, Italian and Vietnamese It's all good.

Edited June 9, 2006 by tflex

[Q Valerius Scerio]

Q Valerius how do you pronunce the eucharisto? Is it a gh sound?

Kh rather than Gh. Like in the German Bach.

 

From own experience i can tell you the best way to learn a language is to get a boy/girlfriend from the country you want to speak the language

Doesn't work. She was born in Korea and can speak it fluently, but I still only know just a few phrases - and we've been together for three years!

[Rameses the Great]

Thanks Viggen I really appreciate it. I found a cd that had all the description you told me of. I learn the words from someone and I repeat it judging my accent. However it does not tell you how to start I will try to buy it. Oh, I'm only 15 looking for a girlfriend so I'll try to go Greek. Opa!

 

Thank you so much, you are the man with the plan!

Edited June 9, 2006 by Rameses the Great

[Pantagathus]

Doesn't work. She was born in Korea and can speak it fluently, but I still only know just a few phrases - and we've been together for three years!

 

Well, I agree with Viggen with the caveat that you stay within the same language family!

[Germanicus]

I find it best if you speak none of her language and she speaks no english, you're both forced to learn.

[Andrew Dalby]

Doesn't work. She was born in Korea and can speak it fluently, but I still only know just a few phrases - and we've been together for three years!

 

If you've been with her three years and only know a few phrases of her language, you're a male chauvinist ...

[Silentium]

Before you start you should think of the reason why you want to learn Greek. The more you are motivated to learn a language, the quicker you'll learn and retain grammatical structures and vocabulary. You should ask yourself questions such as "Why do I want to learn the language?" , "Do I want to acquire a decent level of fluency or just a basic grasp of the language?" and so on. Once you know the answer to these questions it will be easier for you to plan a learning strategy. If you start learning a language just for the sake of it -or worse because you're forced to- it will take much more time and efforts, conversely if you have a strong motivation to learn the language you'll be able to achieve good results in a relatively short time.

 

I would just like to know where to start and how to start.

In my opinion it would be better to start with basic grammar (and just a bit of phonology) and later focus on vocabulary and more complex syntax. Once you're done with that -and if you want to take your language skills one step further- you can start learning idioms and pronunciation nuances.

Bah, I'm a useless pedagogue anyway :bag:

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Talk about Greek, I've just started learn the Ancient Greek. And right now its a complete mess(not really), but just so many damn new terms and charts to learn. And going from Latin to the Greek alphabet is such a huge confusion. Hardest Greek alphabets in my opinion to memorize and pronounce(in words) is xi and eta.

[Rameses the Great]

Talk about Greek, I've just started learn the Ancient Greek. And right now its a complete mess(not really), but just so many damn new terms and charts to learn. And going from Latin to the Greek alphabet is such a huge confusion. Hardest Greek alphabets in my opinion to memorize and pronounce(in words) is xi and eta.

 

Oh yeah no doubt about it, it is the first language to experiment with vowels. Beta is actually pronounced veeta and so on. Greek is much more difficult than Latin. Since Latin is much closer to English than Greek, I kind of picked it up easier. I don't know Latin but the vowels and pronunciations are much easier. Although all of Latin is from Greek. Whenever I saw someone spell a word in the SCRIPPS national spelling bee the etymology would go Greek to Latin.

 

Before you start you should think of the reason why you want to learn Greek. The more you are motivated to learn a language, the quicker you'll learn and retain grammatical structures and vocabulary. You should ask yourself questions such as "Why do I want to learn the language?" , "Do I want to acquire a decent level of fluency or just a basic grasp of the language?" and so on. Once you know the answer to these questions it will be easier for you to plan a learning strategy. If you start learning a language just for the sake of it -or worse because you're forced to- it will take much more time and efforts, conversely if you have a strong motivation to learn the language you'll be able to achieve good results in a relatively short time.

 

I have a never ending desire to learn Greek. Ever since a foreign language teacher retired you couldn't learn it anymore. All we have is French, Spanish, and German. I choose French and kept getting B's and C's because I had no desire to learn it. So I know what you mean I practice everyday and I can say the words easily. (A lot of my second cousins are Greek.)