Greek is the official language of Greece and it has been spoken for over a thousand years. All school children in the country are taught in the language and most media are almost entirely spoken in Greek. If you are keen to improve your language skills popular places to study include Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, Piraeus and the spectacular islands. Plan a trip to study Greek in Greece today!
Courses
Adult Courses
Adult courses are offered throughout Greece. All courses can be taken as standard or intensive classes and are available to all levels. They can be combined with specific activities or taken on their own. Some activities are provided for all courses and are optional. Extra excursions and activities can be arranged for an additional cost.
Junior Courses
Junior and teen courses run from age 14 up to the age of 18, depending on the location. Accommodation is either with a host family or on campus. Younger teenagers are supervised at all times while older students are given a curfew by their parents which is enforced by host families and schools. In general, classes for Juniors are held in the morning with activities and excursions in the afternoon. Activities provided vary from school to school. Some are included in the price and some are optional particularly for older students who will be given a certain amount of free time. All of the courses for Juniors are designed so that the students gain knowledge of the language primarily, but also to be immersed in the culture of the country they are studying in, and having fun at the same time.
Top Reasons to Study Greek in Greece
The quality of your holidays or living and working in Greece will improve considerably once you start learning Greek. Mastery of the language will enable you to better understand Greek history and culture and to help you form acquaintances with the people you meet in Greece. Language schools can help you learn and improve your knowledge of Modern Greek while experiencing daily life, the past and contemporary culture. Local schools offer a formula of learning and holidays combined, with optional cultural activities, allows you to enjoy yourself while you acquire an in-depth knowledge of the country.
Best Language Schools in Greece
Most schools have developed a unique approach to teaching Modern Greek, backed by a select team of Greek teachers. The informal and relaxed atmosphere of the classes makes learning Greek an enjoyable and successful experience for all. Although the priority is providing top-quality training, schools also aim to bring its students in direct contact with local customs, history and culture through various excursions and activities.
Study Greek in Athens
A lot of schools are located in the heart of the city of Athens, only five minutes away from Omonia Square, in a well-lit space of 105 square metres. They have libraries (books and videos) as well as a variety of Greek music CDs, Greek movies and documentary films. Books on the instruction of Greek as a foreign/second language, on Adult Education and on Intercultural Education as well as on Greek history, arts and culture are all at the disposal of the students.
Students can use the WIFI in order to practise listening comprehension outside the classroom. The historical centre of the city is very close to language schools, which is a meeting point for students from all over the world. There are museums, theatres, bookshops and shops, as well as the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Athens, Stoa tou Bibliou (The Bookshop Arcade) and various Universities.
Study in the Greek Islands
The Greek islands are one of the best places in the Europe to study a language, and once you visit, you will want to return time and time again. These are some of the most popular places to book classes:
Nafplio (or Nafplion) was the first capital of Greece after independence. Today Nafplion is a lovely seaside town about a 2.5 hour drive southwest of Athens on the Peloponnese Peninsula. Nafplionis a good base for visiting the many ancient archeological sites nearby. Nafplion has cobbled, meanderingstreets that criss-cross this quaint townand leadsits visitorsto small cafes, inns and taverns offering mouthwatering local cuisines.With a picturesque harbor, Nafplionis dominated by three citadels – the vast Palamidi Fortress, the Akronafplia Fortress, and the Bourtzi Fortress.
The island of Syros is full of beauties and charms created by its unspoiled landscape, its authenticity and its traditional villages. The wonderful capital of Syros, Ermoupolis, is the capital of all the Cyclades. Ermoupolis is a walkers paradise and there are plenty of small streets, little shops and cafes. The waterfront is lively with people, cars and activities. There are plenty of good restaurants and ouzeries. Because Syros was a commercial center (Ermoupolis was named for Hermes: God of commerce) and not reliant on tourism they restored slowly and built intelligently. The city is a living museum.
Courses
• Beginners Courses
• Intensives Courses
• Private Instruction
Courses can be booked any time of the year in Athens, except July and August, Christmas and Easter Holidays. Tuition generally includes : instruction, text book and meal on arrival day. Also included optional afternoon activities (like Greek dance lessons, museum or monastery visit, guided walks, possibilities to attend concerts and/or theatre (tickets not included), depending upon the location and the period the course is organized.
Teaching Materials and Methodology
The Center’s faculty has produced original teaching materials for all language programs. These consist of texts, a collection of original visual materials and a collection of language games.
Teaching materials are based on ideas formulated on teaching in the classroom and are being constantly improved according to their systematic application by teachers. These materials are also used with large groups in consistence with the principles of individualized teaching. They include alternative texts and exercises for use in mixed-abilities classes and in multilingual-multinational classes.
The aim of courses is to practice all language skills (oral and written speech production and comprehension). Schools stress the use of language games and of communicative exercises through which grammar and structure can be effectively learned.
Activities
A program of educational-cultural activities functions alongside the language courses. It is adjusted to all levels of language ability. The aim of this program is two-fold: on the one hand it is to practice and reinforce students΄confidence in using Greek, and on the other to bring them into contact with the reality of contemporary Greece. The program includes:
• Conversation classes where students present their language learning projects and interviews with Greeks
• Lectures by experts and other professionals on themes such as the arts, politics, history, society and modern life in Greece
• Visits to working places and other sites of cultural and social interest
• Language workshops where students practise the language through language games and communicative activities
• Discussions on a contemporary Greek movie
• Tandem classes, i.e. conversations on specific subjects with a Greek native speaker who learns the student’s language.
• “Visit my country”, where students present their countries in various ways (photos, objects, tastes, etc)
On a regular base schools organize:
• Greek song learning
• Greek dance courses
• Traditional Greek cooking
• Trekking and other nature activities
Accommodation
Most participants prefer to stay in the same hotel, in order to have more contact with each other. Therefore schools can suggest some conveniently located hotels in the center of Athens. In case you prefer to book a hotel other than what is recommended, of course do not hesitate to do so. There are plenty of options in Athens, in different locations, neighborhoods and price-categories.
Course Fees and Dates
Intensive beginners course generally cost for one week – 360 euros.
The fees include:
• All the necessary books and other educational materials
• Proposals/ Schedule for everyday cultural and educational activities (theater, public lectures, concerts, etc)
• Certificate of attendance