Greek is a very difficult language to learn. Even when the words are pronounced correctly, confusion can arise if they are not used in the right context.
Whereas in English, one would say “turn off the light” and “turn on the television”, in Greek one could say “κλείστε το φως” – “kleiste to fos”, which translates as “close the light”… “σβήσε το φως” is the right phrase that means “turn off the light”. But some still use the first phrase!
Nothing too confusing about that but this also extends to closing the oven, the switch, the hose, the computer, etc.
Furthermore, instead of putting a sentence in its simplest form, for example “Peter’s dog is…”, the sentence becomes “The dog of Peter is…”. There are no apostrophes in the Greek language, which makes sentence structure much longer and more convoluted.
Add a thick, heavy accent to someone trying to say, “The dog of Peter is playing with the ball,” and you are likely to hear something like, “The dog of Pedro, ‘ee play with ‘is balls.”
Many Greek children living in the UK and US go to Greek School on a Saturday morning, which has become a fundamental rite of passage for any child descended from the Greek Gods. Greek school helps the children learn Greek in a fun environment, surrounded by other children of a similar age. Sometimes the schools are run by the local Greek church so be sure to ask your Greek Orthodox priest if in doubt.
Alternatively there are plenty of online resources to help you learn the language of the Gods.
There are also several Greek mentoring companies dedicated to helping individuals fulfil their business potential so if you are interested in expanding your mind check out our Greek School / Private Tutor Business Directory.
GREEK SCHOOLS
http://greekschools.org.uk/index.html
Greek Primary School of London
St Sophia’s Greek School London
Hellenic Educational Network Abroad
LEARN GREEK ONLINE / PRIVATE TUTOR
Private Greek Lessons in London
Alexia Efstratiou Private Tutor in Essex/London
Greek Lessons & Language Schools in Athens
9 Muses School of Greek Language
MENTORS AND TUTORS