5 good reasons to learn Greek

So  you are looking for a new language to learn. Have you ever considered Modern Greek?

I truly believe Greek is worth it, and not just because it's my language. Okay, maybe precisely because it's my language, I may be a little prejudiced in favour of it. But why not trust my inside knowledge on this? Let's find out the 5 reasons why Greek should be your next language.

#1 NO HARDCORE GRAMMAR

Consider that Modern Greek is not that hard as Ancient Greek. Still, there are four cases to master (including the most interesting and rare vocative case), but all in all, grammar rules are pretty straightforward. As with most Indo-European languages, Greek has become more analytic, making things easier for the language learner.

#2 AWESOME SCRIPT

You will use a beautiful new script that is used in mathematics, science, and engineering. Greek letters are also used in the International Phonetic Alphabet and in the names of stars and constellations. In case you want to appear sophisticated, you could also learn how to write in the quaint polytonic system. So cool!

#3 GREAT POETRY

Some languages are great for prose and some other languages for poetry. Modern Greek is absolutely a language for poetry. We are a small country but already with two Nobel laureates, both in poetry. If you love poems, that's the language to learn!

#4 YOU ALREADY KNOW A LOT

Believe it or not, you already know a lot of Greek. I know, because I have the (bad) habit of saying Greek stuff to friends from other countries and I have seen they understand me. How they do it: using the Ancient Greek they had been taught at school as well as the various Greek elements that appear in certain English words. So with Greek, you are not starting from scratch. Αnd now a quiz for you: can you guess the meaning of the following Greek words? paidiatros (παιδίατρος), pateras (πατέρας) katharizo (καθαρίζω), theatro (θέατρο), panepistimio (πανεπιστήμιο) gymnastirio (γυμναστήριο). You can find the answers at the end of the post.  

#5 A LANGUAGE STILL ON THE MAKING

According to some linguists, Modern Greek is still evolving, trying to sober up after years of struggle between the two varieties known as Demotic and Katharevousa. The two varieties differ in the matter of register, with Katharevousa being more formal due to its connection with Ancient Greek. As a result, there are many sets of words that express the same idea or concept, something that is explored by writers in various ways. Learning Greek will enable you to witness this most interesting phenomenon.

As you see, Greek is a messy language, with tons of exceptions and irregularities. But this is due to its numerous adventures over the centuries. Studying this kind of language can make you grow as a language learner, and this is what matters most.

Still all Greek to you? Read more:

Modern Greek

Varieties of Modern Greek

Modern Greek Phonology

10 Greek Words You Need to Know in Cyprus

It’s All Greek To Me! Food Idioms From the Land of the Gods

Enjoy!

Quiz answers:

paidiatros: paediatrician, pateras: father, katharizo: to clean (related to catharsis!), theatro: theatre, panepistimio: university (related to epistemology!) gymnastirio: gym (from gymnasium). 

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New words are our new friends

When I’m learning a new language, I’m always on the lookout for effective ways to deal with grammar and vocabulary.

Grammar rules tend to stick to my mind rather easily, even though they tend to… disappear right when I need them! But vocabulary is a different story. Learning vocabulary in a new language takes both time and patience. What’s more, if we don’t see new words often, they constantly slip our minds. 

Maybe this happens because new words are like new friends. We have to meet them often in order to be their friends.

I find it impossible to take a list of new words and learn them by heart. Even if some of them stick, I am going to forget them later on.

Just like people I met once. They are not my friends.

But if I meet them one day at the grocery store, the next day at the supermarket, or at a friend’s house… First they are acquaintances. Yet slowly, these people become my friends.

That’s exactly what we need to do with vocabulary.

Not only should we meet new words again and again but also we should meet them in various environments or contexts.

This way they will stick to our minds much easier.

 And how are we going to do that?

By increasing the possibility of meeting new words again and again. That’s what I have done when I learned English:

I listened to songs and looked up the lyrics.

I saw movies without subs.

I read a great amount of novels and non-fiction.

I noticed everything written in English.

I looked up stuff that interested me such as recipes, gardening tips etc.

I looked up every single word in the dictionary.

All the above involve spending amounts of time just hanging out with the new language. And without stressing, just hanging out, it was much easier to learn.

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