Learning another language can be fun, stimulating and interesting. There are many ways to go about learning a new language. You could listen to CDs, attend classes with other students to practice with and take online courses. If you have the means, traveling to the country where the language is spoken and doing the immersion process along with the cultural exposure would be wonderful. In order to learn greek, you must have discipline and put the effort forth to master it.
One of the most ancient of languages, Greek is a branch of the Indo-European languages and is native to the southern Balkans. There are over 34 centuries of written records in Greek. The Greek alphabet originated from the Phoenicians and is the root language of Cyrillic, Coptic and Latin writing systems. Classic epic poems were written in Greek like the Odyssey and Iliad as well as works by Aristotle and The New Testament.
Since the 3rd millennium B.C., Greek has been spoken in the Balkan Peninsula. One of the oldest written languages in the world, Greek writings were found on the island of Crete in 1400 B.C. The Phoenician alphabet, with little change, is still used in Greece today. The language has been assimilated into languages of many other cultures and many English words are derived from Greek as well as used in medical terminology.
Greek is spoken by about 13 million people mainly in Cyprus and Greece. There are Greek-speaking areas in Lebanon, Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Albania, southern Italy, Egypt and Israel. It is the official language of Greece where it is spoken by nearly everyone with the exception of Cyprus where Turkish is the official language.
One method of learning Greek aside from using language training is to watch Greek movies with subtitles. Over time, the language will begin to seep into your subconscious. Using audio tapes will ensure that you hear how the language is spoken. Learning a new language requires memory techniques. You can use mnemonics to link words to everyday objects.
Image coding is another language learning method where you associate a word with the image of that word. For example, you would associate bread for a bakery or green for park. There is a theory that there are 100 words that make up about half of a language and if you learn these words you are halfway to learning the language.
If you choose to work on your own, a foreign language software program can emulate being in Greece and conversing with natives. You can interact, do activities and learn visualization and listening techniques. Another method to try is labeling common objects around the house. In no time at all you will be using the Greek word for table instead of your native language. Reading books in Greek will help you with syntax. Start with children’s books and work you way up to epic novels.
If you can’t afford to go to Greece to learn greek, you can similarly immerse yourself by utilizing a foreign language software program. In order to learn Greek, you must make the time and put in the effort to study daily and use whatever tools are at your disposal. Learning another language will add another dimension to your life experience.
