Michel Thomas Beginner Greek, Lesson 1

By: Hara Garoufalia-Middle, Howard Middle

Narrated by: Hara Garoufalia-Middle, Howard Middle

Length: 1 hr and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

What is the Michel Thomas Method?

The Michel Thomas Method teaches everyday conversational language that will allow you to communicate in a wide variety of situations, empowered by the ability to create your own sentences and use the language instinctively, having absorbed the vocabulary and grammatical structures. These all-audio courses were perfected over 25 years by gifted linguist and teacher Michel Thomas, and provide an accelerated method for language learning that is truly revolutionary.

Lessons 1-8, the Beginner course: This course makes no assumption of knowledge of any language other than English and gives the beginner practical and functional use of the spoken language. It is also appropriate for anyone who has studied Greek before, but has forgotten much of it or does not have confidence in speaking. The Beginner course is designed to take you from complete beginner to intermediate level.

Lessons 9-12, the Intermediate course: This course is for those with an intermediate-level foundation in Greek, or those who have completed lessons 1-8 and want to take their learning to an advanced level and speak Greek proficiently and easily.

How does it work?

Unlike most language courses that focus around topics or grammar forms, the Michel Thomas Method works by breaking a language down into its component parts, enabling you to reconstruct the language yourself - to form your own sentences, to say what you want, when you want. Within the first 10 minutes of the course, you will be generating complete sentences on your own. It is important that you complete the lessons in order. The Method is successful because it builds on the language you learn in each lesson and "recycles" language taught in earlier lessons, allowing you to build ever-more complicated sentences. Because the Method is based on understanding, not memorisation, there is no set limit to the length of time that you should study each lesson. Once you feel you have a good grasp of the language taught in one lesson, you can move on to the next.

In lesson 1 of the Greek Beginner course, you’ll be able to make statements and ask questions (positive and negative) with…

• Nouns: "sandwich", "ouzo", "tea", "glass", "wine", "bottle", "water", "market", "bar", "park", "underground", "supermarket"
• Articles: "a", "the" (neuter)
• Social communications: "please", "yes", "no", "excuse me/sorry"
• Conjunctions: "and", "because", "but", "or"
• Pronouns: "I", "you", "it" (neuter), "something", "anything/nothing"
• Verbs: "I/you want", "I/you have", "I/you buy", "I/you wait (for)", "I/you know", "I/you understand", "is", "am", "(you) are"
• Adverbs: "not", "now", "near(by)", "far (away)"
• Question words: "what?", "why?", "where?"
• Prepositions: "at/in"

In the next lesson you’ll learn that nouns have different genders and the effect this has on articles and pronouns, and be able to use verbs in the "he/she/it" form.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2013 Michel Thomas (P)2013 Hodder & Stoughton

Great Method

This method starts with a few words in the language you know, ( unknowingly!) and builds simply on these words until in only 10 minutes are so, you are building quite a few useful phrases. Y the end of lesson 1, you will have much more than just the typical tourist phrases.

I have tried 4 or 5 methods for language learning and likely having the best results with this one and ear worms. This Greek one is particularly good, despite Greek perhaps being more difficult to learn for English speakers due to the Greek alphabet.

It works for me

It is not just a list of words, neither a set of rules. It helps you understand the language by expanding through structured sentences gradually adding new vocabulary. For me this works. I have a way to go but, so far, I am impressed and am hoping to continue with lesson 2 and then further if I can continue to maintain my interest. I am interested to see how I get on when I make my annual visit to Greece this summer.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

easy and enjoyable

easy to follow, you feel part of the class -highly recommended way to learn

Excellent

I found this very helpful, any Greek that I can speak is entirely down to this app and it was very easy to learn

Great start

I already know a little greek but this is fantastic at putting it into sentences and getting to grips with ways of remembering words and phrases.

May be a little hard to pick up from beginner but a bit of repetition and you will be well on your way.

Really liked it

Easy to follow. Good repetition. Nice and easy. Just wasn't as long as I expected, but good!