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Are you thinking lately about taking up Greek as a new language? Do you want to gain an extra skill or have a new hobby? From the fact that you are reading this right now, I can guess that you are thinking of taking up Greek as a new language. Maybe you are a second or third-generation Greek living abroad and you want to learn to speak the language of your ancestors. Or you love the country, you have visited a couple of times and you want to know more and dive into more details about the culture and things.
Whatever the reasons are, if you said “yes” to anything of the above, come with me to narrow down why taking up Greek as a new foreign language is the super-duper awesome idea.
Picking up a new hobby is not an easy issue. It is quite exciting though! Choosing a sport is a matter of working out the body while choosing a language or generally a mental activity is working out the mind. I don’t know which is more challenging to choose. I totally support that both are beneficial and keep us young. It is the best gift we can offer to ourselves.
However, I can understand that choosing Greek is a frightening idea for many people. There are these frightening characters in the alphabet which are not all of them related to the Latin origin languages. On the other hand, we need to be serious about this and realise that an easy language doesn’t really exist.
It always gets on my nerves when someone says for example «English is an easy language», Italian is an easy language. Only watching TV as a hobby is easy in this life. Whatever needs commitment even five minutes a day, is challenging. But this means it gets enjoyable and takes us somewhere beautiful.
So, I totally relate to those that are afraid of choosing Greek as a new language. Wherever we come from, we are familiar with the Latin alphabet so people who speak English will definitely go for French, German or even Turkish. There is a difference with Greek though. When you learn how to read you will see so many exciting similarities with the words you use every day, that learning this language, in particular, will be proved to be a great exercise for the brain and a journey through civilizations.
Let’s take the word cat for example.
English: Cat
French: Chat
Italian: Gatto
German: Katze
Greek: Γάτα
The first reaction is to avoid the “Greek difficulty” and choose something easier to learn. However, if you learn how to read the characters, (something that will happen in just 2 lessons) you will see that the word cat in Greek is “gata”, exactly the same as in the other languages. This happens to so many words and it is a really exciting journey.
The Greek language is an unknown ocean of words you are not sure if you want to explore. But once you learn how to swim, it is a MUST DO experience for word lovers.
This part of the ocean is related to the ocean you already know and you won’t be swimming alone. The Greeks love people that want to learn their language!
Let’s go to the practical thing. I am sure you have already thought about the benefits of learning Greek, but let’s start with some basics.
Greek is one of the oldest languages that are still spoken today. Who cares about this Efi? Well, it is not that boring, if you consider that all the other ancient languages have died and the Greek is the only one used today, with millions of words spoken everywhere in the world, right now.
Greek is a member of the Indo-European language family. What the hell is that? When I first heard of the indo-European language I just couldn’t figure out how the European languages could ever relate to the Indian. It was really messed up for me. Well, afterwards I learn that is is a family tree to which every one of us is related. We speak the languages that come from Indoeuropean ancient dialects. The branches are hundreds. Greek is a branch itself.
The Greek vocabulary is a journey in time and civilizations.
I am sure that you have heard about the fact that Greek words take place of 6% of the Latin origin languages. When science and technology come around, the number of Greek words skyrockets. Personally, I find this is ok, I don’t care much about that. I won’t sit down and learn a new language only for this. There is however another deeper point that makes me feel interested in things like that. The fact that Greek is the only ancestor still alive and the only one we can study.
This ancestor connects us all. The moment when we realize that, a new bright door opens in front of us. Honestly.
1 . By taking up Greek as a new language, you will be able to understand the origin of the vocabulary in science. We need to admit something really important. We live in the best era to be alive as a human being. Science is approachable to all of us, free and in real-time. This is pure gold if we realize that people before us lived in the violence of dogmas and the darkness of ignorance.
Personally, when I started spending my free time learning about science, history and the universe I started feeling the blessing of real happiness. Knowledge is happiness. I love learning about the philosophers of Ionia and how this knowledge spread and formed the mind as we experience it today. Most scientific words have a Greek origin. Understanding the Greek words and their meanings gives a completely different sense in the whole process, opening our eyes to completely different perspectives.
You will be able to educate yourself further about philosophy and psychology. You will get to know poets and humans that are buried in the fast pace of capitalism and the fears of the modern world. People that hold the key to inner happiness.
2 . You can make Greek friends and practice. Wherever you live, you know that the Greeks are everywhere. It will be extra fun and really interesting to have conversations and fun with Greeks, who trust me, are always willing to help others speak their language. It is a great way to build bonds with your friends and entertain yourself. What keeps us young is the will to keep on learning and growing our minds, no matter the problems we face and the struggles of life. Entertaining ourselves makes us feel happy and interesting.
You will obtain, through entertainment, an extra skill. This phrase is as common but also important as it sounds. It is great to have as many skills as possible in our lives. This way we feel and we will be qualified for more jobs. You can work in Greece and all over the world in positions as far as tourism, translation, and so many other sections are concerned. English is a worldwide spoken language and everyone speaks it nowadays, but knowing more in this highly competitive era is always an extra tool.
It is the fastest way to dislike something and face it as torture. It is the fastest way to quit and feel like being a failure. I am so scared when I think about how many beautiful brains have believed in this idiocracy. And the consequences in their lives.
Whatever the reasons are, the fact that you are currently thinking about it means that you want to do it. It is a door that is in front of you but is currently closed.
In order to make this happen, see learning Greek the way it is. It is a new hobby you want to take up.
See beneficial activities and learning as they truly are. A hobby that has the potential to make us smarter and happier.
There is a way for you to learn Greek.
Just relax and give yourself time to turn the information into knowledge.
Either you find a teacher, or you will be the teacher of yourself, there is no way you will not make it, if you truly love the process.
With Respect,
Efi Asvesti
Founder, Teacher and Copywriter@
MyGreekTeacher.com
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If you are considering taking up Greek as a new language, I will be happy to reply to any of your questions. Simply send me an email and I will reply immediately.
