A path for Modern Greek?

[Expugnator]

Modern Greek is probably going to be my next foreign language, and I want to be sure I am going to use the most effective resources. So, I made a list of what I already have but I still need to find more so as to have a smooth take into the B1 level.

I'm not taking any resources on katharevousa at all.

Here is what I'm planning to use:

- Assimil le grec sans peine
- Assimil le nouveau grec sans peine
- 40 leçons pour parler grec
- Spoken World Greek
- Aprenda griego sin profesor
- Manuel de grec moderne (is it how it is called? I have in mind the INALCO courses)

I usually don't go for any TYs or Colloquials unless I think I need to review things. I know there is a Duolingo course under development which will luckily be available by the time I reach an A2 level passively.

What I see that is lacking from my list are grammar references and semi-readers with audio.

[iguanamon]

Greek looks like fun! You already have a head start on the alphabet with Cyrillic, too. Language Transfer has it's Complete Greek Course partially online which seems to be getting good reviews, and it's free.

[Expugnator]

Thanks iguanamon; I'll probably leave it for a pre-intermediate level as it's an audio-only course so far and I tend to find it difficult to follow along.

More links:

http://langintro.com/greek/alphabet/

http://www.kypros.org/LearnGreek/ (I used this one in my dabbling, I like the course atmosphere though there is a lot of English; I like it that there aren't many new words per lesson).

There's also greekpod101 but I don't know of any more podcasts.

[MorkTheFiddle]

There are three volumes of the FSI Greek Basic Course, but I don't know where that fits on the A1 to C2 scale. Surely the first lessons are A1

[Speakeasy]

What I see that is lacking from my list are grammar references and semi-readers with audio.

Although I have not studied Greek, my experiences with the Routledge series of grammars for the languages that interest me have been very positive. You might wish to consider their "Greek: A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Language" which is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Comprehensive-Language-Routledge-Grammars-ebook/dp/B007ZZ0OTU/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1454905711&sr=8-15&keywords=greek+grammar and on the publisher's website.

As to semi-readers with audio, you might wish to take advantage of the latest Linguaphone sale and grab a copy of their "Greek Complete: Beginner-Intermediate" course. http://www.linguaphonelanguages.com/inc/sdetail/3107 Although the format is likely to be the standard fare for the Linguaphone courses of the 1970's-1980's, the materials include 8 CDs of audio. The current sale prices are fairly reasonable. The only slight draw-back is that the cadence of speech is probably artificially slower, and the articulation likely clearer, than those employed by native-speakers in normal conversation. Then again, I suspect that this would be the case for the Assimil courses, as well.

I support the recommendations for the FSI Greek Basic Course: https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/languages/greek.html. Although "less modern" than the materials you have identified, the sheer mass of practice materials are sure to be helpful. In addition, the FSI audio recordings were most often prepared by non-voice-trained native-speakers who made no effort either to slow the cadence of speech or to articulate every syllable. While difficult at first, the FSI recordings are actually quite good for developing one's listening skills.

I would not be surprised if students tended to overlook the DLI Greek Basic Course: http://fsi-dli.yojik.eu/DLI/Greek/ While it might not be as in-depth as its FSI counter-part, it is sure to meet the high quality of the materials of the other DLI courses. As for the Assimil and Linguaphone courses, you can expect that the cadence of the speakers would be somewhat slower than normal conversational speed. These courses often include "prose narratives" with accompanying audio recordings.

[obsculta]

The Hellenic-American Union has 80 mp3s for learners (Assimil-style, although longer -- 15 minutes each) with transcripts (but not translations). I've worked with them heavily for several months. I think they're well done. http://www.hau.gr/?i=learning.en.podcasts-in-greek

Youtube's Easy Greek offers a series of on-the-street interviews around A1/A2 level topics. I've watched a couple, and they look promising.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtmBaIKw5P4

[Expugnator]

I was secretly waiting for Speakeasy's detailed post.

FSI is on the verge of language challenge so I'm ruling it out. The only FSI-like resource I've used has been "Basic course in Estonian" and the long drilling sessions are time-consuming and not so effective. Even if I process the audio for removing all silence it's still too much within a lesson.

Easy-language is usually one of my methods within a pre-intermediate stage, pity there are only 3 episodes so far. The podcast is a great find, thanks obsculta!

[Speakeasy]

Speakeasy's detailed post? Hmm, my reputation precedes me, I had best review my editorializing!

Given your study plan for learning Modern Greek and the impressive list of materials that you have already chosen, I had decided not to mention the "Cortina Greek" course. The method is very similar to the one that was adopted by Assimil; however, most of the currently-available Cortina courses were devised in the mid-1950's and, apart from converting the audio to CDs, they have not been updated since their original publication. Thus, some of the vocabulary "no longer has the purchase" that it once did. Although the audio recordings are remarkably clear, particularly taking into consideration the time at which they were produced, the speakers on the recordings invariably adopted an unnaturally slow cadence and a highly articulated speech. There is an advantage in this approach in that the beginner can follow the audio more easily than if it had been recorded at a conversational speed. The disadvantage, for the student who does not have access to other recorded materials (which is not your case), is that the student will have to adjust to the "real life" quicker cadence and less clearly unarticulated speech of native speakers when he encounters it later.

On another matter, it seems that Language Logs of this forum contain a number of disparate comments on Modern Greek, but that, until you opened this discussion thread, there has not yet appeared a central “filing drawer” for a list of resources for this language. So then, for the benefit of others -- and with your forbearance, particularly as this widens the scope of your original post -- I have appended below a selection of LINKS to some HTLAL Discussion Threads that have some relevance to this subject:

Modern Greek Profile
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=184&PN=3

Modern Greek Language Review
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/languages/modern-greek/index.html

Assimil’s Modern Greek Course
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26398&PN=43

Audio material Greek for beginners
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=39792&PN=5

Modern Greek Resources
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=38222&PN=11

Modern Greek - Assimil type source
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36104&PN=18&TPN=3

Best Programs to Learn Modern Greek?
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27359&PN=46

[catullus_roar]

OP, you need to check out Odysseas: http://www.greeklanguagetutor.com/signup/

Sign up here and you get this online trainer with lots of exercises, text, and audio recordings.

[Cavesa]

Greek is one of my frequent wanderlust Mefistos. The more now that I know two people learning it (in real life, not on the internet!) and after visiting a few bookshops in France and Germany, finding out there are actually courses and tools for learners. I have a short list of things (from all the googling and amazoning during procrastinations. embarassing to admit it, but I have such a wish list for some more languages too, including Mandarin and Persian), things I haven't tried but that look promising. And I realized one really important thing: I really need to learn German before even trying Greek.

Griechish Aktiv (Buske), should lead to A2/B1
Sprachkurs Griechisch (Hueber), good looking, to A2,
several bilingual readers Gr/Fr and Gr/De, Pons overviews,...
Elinika-probably English based and, when the series is finished, should lead well into the B levels, unlike the rest
Kalimera Neu (Langenscheidt), A1/A2, probably classroom meant but it has an Arbeitsbuch and CDs
Griechisch mit System (Langenscheidt), B1, looks very self study friendly and thorough
Jassu (Klett), another A1/A2, it looks like there is quite a beginner Greek market in Germany, surprising, but probably noone is expected to get further
Langenscheidt Praktischer Sprachlehrgang Griechisch, again for self study and B1
Méthode de grec moderne (Langues et Mondes L'Asiathèque), you probably know that already
Le mot et l'idée. Grec moderne (Ophrys)
and some more grammars and dictionaries, phrasebooks...

So even a very superficial search in a few bookshops and websites actually gives a lot of results, at least for the beginners, I suppose the intermediate is quite a hell for Greek Learners

Hmm, not sure whether my "wishlist" is useful but I would certainly welcome any recommendations and direct experience with such resources. I suppose I should have a free spot to add Greek sometime around 2023