A great introductory course, but don't expect too much.
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This introduction to Greek is a gem of a short course which lives up to the claim on the cover: "The ideal course for absolute beginners." It consists of a 128 page book and two cds. The cds are well integrated with the book and the course moves smoothly from one to the other (don't even think about getting the book only - the cds are an integral part of the course and add immeasurably to it). There are lots of short spoken exercises which help with learning and build confidence in speaking. The best way of using the course is carefully explained in the introduction and the page layouts are outstanding - very clear, all the Greek is highlighted and it is very easy to follow. In the first three of the ten units the Greek is supplemented by Roman transcription while the Greek alphabet is introduced, but the transcription is subordinated to the Greek and can be easily ignored (which you should do as soon as you can).
The course is aimed at those who speak no Greek but are heading off for a holiday or a visit to Greece. The vocabulary and phrases are well focussed on this aim and once the course is assimilated, you should be able to make yourself understood in Greek in some common situations. Whether you will be able to understand the responses you get is another matter. Greek is not an easy language and it has a complex grammar. There is a very brief grammatical section at the back of the book which attempts to brush over some key grammar points (articles, plurals, the present tense of the simplest verbs), but it doesn't take you very far. The sad fact is that in a course of this brevity you cannot hope to get beyond a very basic stage in learning the language.
Nevertheless, this is a good way to start. The cds are very interactive and you can make rapid progress with a little application. I am sure you will find the course enjoyable and at the end of it you will be well placed to move on to a more comprehensive course (I like the Oxford Take Off in Greek -see my review- but you might prefer Colloquial Greek or Teach Yourself Greek).
If you just want to be able to say a few words or make yourself understood during your visit to Greece, this course is ideal. Good luck with understanding the responses!
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Good start -- easy to follow and clear.
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Would definatly recommend this book. The tape can be used with and without the book. The book is great for running through and supporting the tape. We have been using the book/tape to give us a start of greek so we can enjoy our greek holiday more. The BBC have tailored the book for this very well.
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It was all Greek to me!
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Talk Greek is a must if you want to learn the basics. The ten units take you quickly from understanding how to say hello, good morning and goodbye through to asking for help, directions and the menu. The cassettes are great and really helpful for absolute beginners. The Greek alphabet with corresponding English sounds on page 6 is just the beginning of this great little language course.
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I've Learnt to Talk Greek in only a week
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Having started a beginners greek class I was looking for a cheap book to reinforce what I had learnt in the class. This was by far the best book I came across. It is very informative. Our class has followed a very similar format to the book, so the book has been great at helping me with my homework. Our greek teacher is a great believer in that you cannot learn greek without learning the alphabet first. If you are thinking about learning greek this book is an excelllent place to start.
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Up and running
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Having been a complete newcomer to the Greek language (any language besides English for that matter) and not having time to go to a class I bought this book and tape set as I have been preparing for a lengthy stay in the Greek Islands. I was pleasantly surprised how far in 2 weeks I have progressed. On the basis of the first 3 chapters in the book you are taught the basic greetings and how to count to one hundred and the tape exercises offer you a chance to practice and reinforce the learnings in the book. The written exercises in conjunction with the tapes allow you an opportunity to eavesdrop and see how much you actually understand. I would recommend this title and tape pack to anyone who is thinking about getting an introduction to the Greek language - it is informative, reinforcing and easy to use. Emphasis is put on teaching you the Greek alphabet and as the book progresses the phonetic spellings are removed and an opportunity to sound out the letters is given. Each lesson builds on the last one and the conversations include words and phrases from previous chapters. The more you play the tape the more reinforcing it is and the easier the pronounciation becomes. It's not an easy language - but in this format and a bit of perseverance you'll learn a lot about the structure of the language and have a grounding to move on to more indepth study.
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