Starting Out In Greek

Why Bother?

Why should anyone bother spending time learning Greek? It's not one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, it looks far more difficult than French, Spanish or German, and all the Greeks speak English anyway.

These are just some of the many reasons people give for not learning Greek (or, indeed, many other languages too). Some have a grain of truth in them (it isn't that widely spoken - there are only around 17m native speakers in the world in the early 21st century), some are only half right (Greek is no more difficult for an English speaker to learn than a lot of other languages - and that includes the alphabet - if you're willing to put the effort in!), and some are just plain wrong (according to the 2006 Eurobarometer survey, only 4.2m people in Greece claim to speak English - that's only just over a third of the population!).

In actual fact, it can be very rewarding to learn even a small amount of pidgin Greek before travelling there on business or on holiday. As with any country, the locals will be more than pleased that you have made the effort to learn their language (be honest, how do you feel about visitors to your country who haven't bothered with your language?). This in itself can help bring down cultural barriers. You will also be more aware of things going on around you (road signs, shop signs, food labels, festivals etc.). And perhaps surprisingly, if you're an English speaker, learning some Greek can actually help you understand some of your own language (many thousands of English words have their roots in Greek).

Oh, and recent study has shown that learning another language can play a part in warding off mental decline in old age. Surely that is as good a reason as any!

A Little About Greek

What we now call Greek is simply the current state of affairs in a language which has stretched back over 3000 years, from the language of Homer's Iliad, through the classic era of Sparta and Athens (Ancient Greek), the time of the New Testament and Roman Empire (Koine Greek), the middle ages (Medieval Greek), and right up to the language spoken in Greece today (Modern Greek). Throughout this long journey, Greek has both influenced, and been influenced by, other languages, such that there are now a sizable number of words in Greek which originated in Turkish, English or French; likewise, there are many words in those languages which owe their origins to Greek at some stage or another.

Aside from being the official language of Greece, it is also one of the official languages of Cyprus (along with Turkish and English) and the European Union (along with the languages of the other member states). There is also a huge Greek-speaking diaspora spread around much of the globe (especially in the US, UK and Australia), so do not be surprised if you hear a conversation in Greek on the streets of Melbourne, New York or London!

How Should I Start?

How does anyone start to learn any language? Every person is different, depending on their circumstances, how well they can pick up foreign languages, why they're learning, even where they live. Some people pick up holiday phrase books, some use web pages, some use the "language" sections at the back of their guide books. Others still will choose a night-school course in Introductory Greek. The dedicated few may go straight for a private tutor. It depends what suits you best.

There is plenty of material on this site to help you out, but if that's not your style (or if you're hungry for more), there are plenty of links to other sites with a wealth of information on the Greek language.