Learning modern Greek is becoming increasingly popular. Whether you want to learn Greek for work, travel, academic reasons, or simply to improve your understanding of the language that is a direct descendant of Ancient Greek (looking at you, classicists), my first piece of advice is to go for it!

If you are new to the country and need to learn the basics for travel or everyday communication, we have already covered the fastest way to learn Greek. Let’s look at what’s the best way to master Greek and get to your desired level!

Set Your Goals!

Your first steps should cover the fundamentals. Determine how much you are willing to study and your preferred learning method. We’ve already established that while mastering the basics will take a few months, reaching the advanced level will take several years of intense practice. Learning Greek might take quite some time, depending on how you approach it and the level you wish to achieve.

For that reason, the best way to learn Greek is to develop a clear goal-setting strategy. Consider the following:

1. Do I aim to just learn the basics or reach an advanced level?
2. How much time am I willing to put in?
3. What is my preferred learning style?
4. Do I have enough time to practice daily?

After you’ve answered these questions, you should be able to create a clear lesson plan to see what you need to do on a daily basis. Of course, don’t forget to gather the best Greek resources to help you along the way.

Master the Basics

The first step in learning a new language is to master the basics. More accurately, you should learn the parts that will be necessary before moving on to the more difficult aspects of the language. In our case, the best way to learn Greek is to focus on a few key concepts.

Learn the Greek Alphabet

Mastering the alphabet is one of the most important aspects of learning Greek. Even if it shares some similarities with the Latin alphabet, or if you are familiar with some letters from math (proud of you), there are a few more characters that you should learn.

The Greek alphabet and its distinct symbols (graphemes) are shown below:

The Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters: 7 vowels and 17 consonants. Some of them are pronounced the same, which makes Greek orthography a bit tricky. That observation leads us to the following section:

Learn the Greek Sounds

The best way to learn Greek is to try to master the pronunciation as soon as possible. Of course, depending on your native language, you may need a few years to master the sounds. For example, if you are a native Spanish speaker, it will be much easier than if you are a native Polish speaker, based on the phonological systems of the languages.

Fear not, though! The most important aspect is to be able to distinguish between the various sounds. Even if you pronounce some words incorrectly, a native Greek speaker will most likely understand you. The key here is to learn how to pronounce each letter and then practice while listening and speaking.

You will find all of the information you need about the Greek alphabet and its pronunciation here.

Learn Common Phrases

The third and final step in this section is to learn the fundamentals that will allow you to progress with your language learning.

You should learn and master the most commonly used phrases and words, which will help you either in your everyday communication or as a foundation on which to build your knowledge. A simple way to accomplish this is to use a Greek learning app, such as Duolingo or Clozemaster. These apps can guide you in the direction you need to go.

Build a Strong Foundation

I understand how tempting it is to dive headfirst into a new skill and try to cram as much knowledge and practice as possible. Still, this over-organized plan may lead to boredom or frustration if we do not reach the level we desire right away.

You should remember that, as with any new skill, slow and steady wins the race when learning a language. There is no reason to rush or attempt to learn everything at once. On the contrary, the best way to learn Greek is to lay a solid foundation.

What exactly does that mean? It means that you must concentrate on the three pillars of a language: vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Don’t worry, you don’t have to learn every nuance of a language right away.

At this point, alternating between difficult tasks and areas where you are more comfortable is a good strategy. For example, if you find it easier to memorize vocabulary than grammatical patterns, you should challenge yourself with the more difficult material and then “reward” yourself with information that you can easily acquire or remember better.

The best path to learning Greek is paved with challenges – and a few pitfalls. Focusing on the simpler parts first and gradually progressing to the more complicated ones is a great way to ensure that you have a solid foundation on which to build.

The Best Way to Learn Greek: Practice

The only way to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of a language is to practice every day. However, because adult life can be demanding and time-consuming, this practice does not have to take the form of exercises and homework. After all, the best way to learn Greek is the one that is unique to you.

Let’s see some ways to practice so that you ensure that the knowledge you have gathered will be retained.

Reading and Writing

If you enjoy picking up a book, curling up in a reading nook, and relaxing on a cold winter night – or bringing no less than three books with you on a summer vacation – then go ahead and use that skill set! Grab a Greek book of your choice and give it a go. Well, you might need a dictionary as well, but that is no reason not to try! It will actually be more beneficial because you will be able to learn new vocabulary or put the words into context.

If you do not enjoy reading novels, you can choose any type of publication. That includes magazines, newspapers, blogs, and online publications. Of course, you could begin by reading short texts, such as subtitles while watching a movie or even social media reels and restaurant take-out menus (what are the ingredients of pastitsio?).

Writing, on the other hand, can be even better than reading! It doesn’t matter if you just like writing little notes, prefer journaling, or are obsessed with writing the best fan fiction for your favorite movie/book/series/game. What matters is that you try to write in Greek and keep an eye out for obvious errors. It would be even better if you could find a native speaker to proofread your texts!

Listening to Greek Media

Putting things into context, as previously mentioned, can also be accomplished through active listening. If you love music, then a great way to learn Greek is by listening to Greek songs. You can find songs from a genre you like, memorize the lyrics, and try to put the vocabulary you learn into context.

But that is not enough. If you’ve ever tried to order a coffee to-go in Greek, you’ve almost certainly encountered the following scenario: imagine you’re in a coffee shop, trying to order a coffee to-go. You try to order in Greek, feeling proud of your abilities, only to find yourself in front of a barista who decides to respond in a complicated sentence at *full native speed*. And while you try to figure out what that means, they realize you’re not a native speaker and begin speaking to you in English. Having been at the exact same spot myself – I thought I knew enough French to get by until I visited Geneva – it can leave you feeling defeated.

It should not, however, deter you. It is an indication that you need to practice listening more. And that means outside of the classroom, even if you are taking lessons. Listen to how people speak on the road, in the bakery, at your favorite movie, and even on a podcast. Whatever you choose to listen to, find a topic that interests you and pay close attention. Keep taking notes and marking keywords until you understand almost everything.

Speaking in Greek

Finding a native speaker who is willing to grab a coffee with you and spend some time chatting is the best way to learn Greek through speaking. If you are unable to find a native speaker, another learner, particularly one at a higher level, may be able to assist. These kinds of informal learning sessions can help you learn Greek without worrying about making mistakes.

And, if you find yourself in a situation similar to the one described above, try not to feel bad and explain to the – hopefully friendly – barista that you would like to continue speaking in Greek and ask if they could repeat what they said slowly.

Leave Post-It Notes All Over

A great (if somewhat messy) way to constantly review everything you’ve learned is to keep the information before your eyes. At all times. Literally.

That is, you could write the names of objects, favorite phrases, or anything else you want on Post-it notes and stick them all over your house. That way, you’ll never forget how to say “umbrella.” That one is actually simple because it is called ομπρέλα (/ob’rela/), but you get the idea.

If you don’t like sticking things all over the place, you could try virtual flashcards. You can make flashcards to help you remember words that you frequently forget or the most common Greek irregular verbs. You can find great resources online, such as the ClassMaster tool.

Do Your Homework

I know I sound like a downer, but… you should also do your homework. There is no doubt that immersing yourself is the most effective way to learn Greek quickly. Listening to natives speak, reading literature, and listening to slang-filled podcasts are all excellent ways to prepare yourself for a conversation with your coworkers.

However, you will not be able to advance your knowledge unless you practice grammar and vocabulary exercises in a systematic and methodical manner. Exercises can be found on websites such as GreekPod101. Of course, if you prefer to practice through apps, Clozemaster is an option. Clozemaster is a gamified language learning experience designed to bridge the fluency gap between advanced beginner knowledge and native-level comprehension.

Whatever method you prefer, incorporating some type of practice into your daily study will ensure excellent results in a short period of time.

Assess Your Progress

The best way to learn Greek is to be in touch with your progress. Of course, this does not imply that you should closely monitor every step of the whole thing. You could take a language test once in a while and track your progress with apps like Duolingo. This will assist you in determining how much material you have covered. Another excellent method is to solicit feedback from native speakers. If your main goal is to be able to speak like a near-native speaker, the best way to do so is to get feedback from others on your syntax, pronunciation, and stylistic choices.

The Best Way to Learn Greek: Advanced & Lifelong Learning

To reach an advanced level in any language, the key is to practice lifelong learning. That concept refers to self-directed learning outside of a formal educational institute. I don’t mean to imply that lessons aren’t important. For most of us, having a tutor guide us through the most difficult parts of a language is really important, if not critical. However, achieving near-native fluency cannot happen in a classroom setting.

Every waking moment of our lives, we learn something new. That holds true for any new skill, such as learning a new language. As previously stated, the best way to learn Greek according to this educational concept is to be constantly exposed to the language. That being said, you should…

Immerse Yourself

Nobody can deny the advantages of complete linguistic and cultural immersion. You find yourself suddenly immersed in the culture, compelled to speak and understand Greek, and constantly surrounded by it.

This can assist you in learning idioms and slang expressions, immersing yourself in the culture by understanding – and even participating in – festivals and national days, and learning the nuances of Greek language and culture. You may even reach a level where you understand major differences in dialects or regional variations which even native speakers find difficult.

Take Some Classes

A CERF certification may be required if you need to demonstrate your knowledge of a language for a specific job position or, well, anywhere in academia. A certified Greek tutor or teacher can help you get to the advanced levels faster.

The Best Way to Learn Greek: Conclusion

The key to all of this is to combine all of these different aspects of studying into a plan that works best for you. As previously stated, the best way to learn Greek is always your own way. You should keep experimenting with different methods until you find the right combination for you. For example, even though I enjoy the apps and movies, I don’t feel confident in what I know until I approach it in the traditional, memorize-the-grammar-book manner.

Whatever you choose, through trial and error, you should be able to find what works best for you and helps you learn Greek without getting bored.

Have fun and καλή επιτυχία in your endeavor. You’ve got it!