Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

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Lamonte
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Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby Lamonte » Thu Mar 28, 2019 7:35 pm

Greek Resources for Beginners

Online Resources and E-books

Books and Physical Courses
    Greek: An Essential Grammar of the Modern Language by Holton, Mackridge, Philippaki-Warburton (Published by Routledge - has short, readable sections)


Podcasts and Listening Resources

Other

Comprehensive list of resources on how-to-learn-any-language.com

https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/language ... html#Greek

Linguaphone U.K.
https://www.linguaphone.co.uk/language/ ... ourse.html

Kypros: Learn Greek
http://www.kypros.org/LearnGreek/
From the website: “Learn Greek Online is a course provided by Kypros-Net in collaboration with the CyBC to teach the modern Greek language online. Learn Greek Online is currently composed of 105 real audio files (around 15 minutes each), online student notes, a collection of collaborative learning tools and an online Greek dictionary and a Greek spell checker. The text version of these lessons has been contributed by students of this course.” Positive reference has been made of this online course a number of times on the HTLAL and on the LLORG “Modern Greek Study Group.” zjones included amongst her recommended online Beginners’ resources and rfnsoares added: “It's quite long and slow, but I think it is the best resource for beginners.” zjones reported in November 2018 that there are technical problems with the website registration function. Hopefully, these have been resolved. (Editor's note: The registration is working - November 2021). Just wanted to mention that the audio files of the lessons can be accessed legally without registration here: http://www.cybc-media.com/aod2wd/index. ... list_id=30

FSI Basic Greek: Typesetting (cont’d)
on the Greek Study Group, bookstorecowboy wrote:Thank you, I was afraid of that. Probably the clearest type is in an actual physical copy of the old FSI course.
The alternatives seem to be either print the PDF on your own printer, take the PDF file to your local print/copy shop and ask them to do the job for you (there are also online services), or purchase a physical copy …

Mastering Greek - Barron's Educational (6 inches x 8 inches)
To reiterate, the Barron’s edition is a half-sized photo/print version of the original. Double the trouble.

Greek Basic Course by S Obolensky - Hippocrene Language Studies (Size: 7¾" x 9¾")
Slightly reduced in size from the presumed original of 8-1/2" x 11”. During the period when these editions were published, Hippocrene developed an unenviable reputation for the poor quality of their printed materials (they have since cleaned up their act).

Greek Basic Course by S Obolensky – Jeffery Norton Publishers
Jeffery Norton Publishers (Audio-Forum) was an authorized publisher of the FSI courses and even supplied materials to the FSI. Although, in later years, they resorted to using some form of photo-printing process, generally speaking, their printed editions would be comparable to those printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Occasionally, they show up on eBay.

Greek Basic Course by S Obolensky – Audio-Forum
Same as Jeffery Norton Publishers (Audio-Forum). The offers on AbeBook are for PDF/MP3 versions. Subsequent to the cessation of operations of the original incarnation of Audio-Forum circa 2012, the remaining inventories were purchased and offered under a couple of names. The ones listed under this AbeBooks link were an attempt at reviving the company. Packages containing printed materials -- as opposed to PDFs -- would contain the original Jeffery Norton Publishers (Audio-Forum) editions. Occasionally, they show up on eBay.

Greek Basic Course by S Obolensky – MPS Multimedia Inc. The source of these PRINT-ON-DEMAND copies is most likely a PDF version downloaded from the internet. The advantages of using these types of services is that the books would be bound, that you would not have to do all the printing on your own printer, and that the quality would likely be slightly better than that possible with your own printer.

Greek Basic Course – eBay.com
There are presently several copies of the course manuals available for purchase either alone or as part of packages.

an easy reader: Λυδία: Ένα καλοκαίρι στην Ελλάδα!
(Lydia: A summer in Greece!)



https://www.justlearn.com

http://5dim-tavrou.att.sch.gr/lexiko_bambinioti.pdf

This is a dictionary by a famous professor called Γεώργιος Μπαμπινιώτης. I don't know if it has already been listed here. Any of his videos you can find on youtube is more than worth it, if you are advanced.
Last edited by Lamonte on Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:05 pm, edited 21 times in total.
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jonm
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby jonm » Thu Mar 28, 2019 10:23 pm

Hi Speakeasy, I really appreciate everything you put into these comprehensive resources posts and find them extremely helpful. Thanks so much for all your hard work!

Just a quick note, there's a more recent Assimil Greek course by Jean-Pierre Guglielmi, copyright 2017. I believe it's only available in French.
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Neurotip
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby Neurotip » Thu Mar 28, 2019 11:03 pm

Speakeasy, you are a legend.

Vis-à-vis the Greek 'language question' and katharevousa vs demotic: if someone wanted to learn Greek to a basic or low intermediate level for some specific purpose, perhaps as a frequent tourist, I could understand it if they simply wanted to learn the language in the most straightforward way and might perhaps get impatient with antics like the FSI greengrocer episode you mention. On the other hand, for anyone learning Greek out of interest and a wish to explore the language (such as myself), or indeed for anyone wanting to attain a high level in Greek, the diglossia is one of the interesting features to be explored; indeed, Greek is a textbook example of such a situation and learning the language offers a wonderful opportunity to feel how that works in practice, deepening one's understanding of how language works and is used in general (and affording some very interesting comparisons with other languages, including both my TLs from last year, Italian and Icelandic). As such I think courses such as FSI, far from being redundant, enrich the learner's experience.

I have the Living Language course by Stamatina Mastorakou and am halfway through the 'intermediate' book. The answer to your question isn't immediately obvious to me but I'll have a closer look. I did make some comments in my last post on my own log (link in profile).

Thanks again! :mrgreen:
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Speakeasy
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby Speakeasy » Fri Mar 29, 2019 1:22 pm

Thank you, jonm, for your comments. I have made changes to the entry for Assimil Modern Greek. I had consulted the publisher’s website and mistook the continued availability of the Italian and German courses for the current generation; clearly, I was “reading from the wrong libretto!”

Thank you, Neurotip, for your comments. I greatly appreciated your comments on the continuing relevance of the FSI materials. Clearly, your are an adult, thinking being, capable of discernment, who can be trusted use these materials wisely. Once you have finished the Living Language Greek Complete course, I am sure that many would be interested in hearing your expanded views on these materials.

Thank you, Daristani, for your comments via Email, which I am slowly incorporating into the editorializing above.

To all readers: Subsequent to my initial post, I inserted references to the “Ellinika“ and “Klik sta Ellinika” classroom-oriented Modern Greek courses, inserted "Language Transfer" into the "miscellaneous" section and completed the "online" section.
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LoFr
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby LoFr » Sun Nov 10, 2019 1:19 pm

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone could help me.

I have the 1950s Linguaphone Greek course, the one with 50 lessons. Does this have the same problem as the Cortina course? Or does it teach Standard Modern / Demotic Greek?

I don't know how to tell!!
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Daristani
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby Daristani » Sun Nov 10, 2019 3:02 pm

The (older) 50-lesson Linguaphone Greek course uses the old triple-accent system, so would appear to reflect the older state of the language.

The newer Linguaphone course has the single-accent system, so seems to be the modern version.

(Per my understanding, the accent system isn't the only difference, but it seems to be the most immediately obvious characteristic to check. Other differences, as far as I understand, largely pertain to the vocabulary used, and I'm not in a position to make a comparison in that regard.)
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LoFr
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby LoFr » Sun Nov 10, 2019 4:07 pm

Thanks for your help, Daristani.

I'm just worried I'm going to end up learning Katharevousa if I use it.

If anyone does know if the Greek it uses is Katharevousa, please do let me know.

LF
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Speakeasy
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby Speakeasy » Sun Nov 10, 2019 4:44 pm

LoFr wrote:Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could help me. I have the 1950s Linguaphone Greek course, the one with 50 lessons. Does this have the same problem as the Cortina course? Or does it teach Standard Modern / Demotic Greek? I don't know how to tell!!
LoFr wrote: … I'm just worried I'm going to end up learning Katharevousa if I use it. If anyone does know if the Greek it uses is Katharevousa, please do let me know. LF
Hello, LoFr. In the presentation of materials above, I remarked that some users have reported that the Cortina Conversational Greek course focuses on the Katharevousa variety of Greek which is no longer current and which would not be beneficial in the study of the official version of Standard Modern Greek, a derivative of Demotic Greek.
Speakeasy wrote:Cortina Conversational Greek (circa 1950’s)
The original Cortina series of language courses dates from the late 19th century. While the format evolved, that of the editions which are now freely-available via the Yojik website was finalized in the 1930’s. The final revised edition of the Cortina “Conversational Greek in 20 Lessons” course bears a copyright from 1959; however, it is quite possible that the original version first appeared during the 1940’s and that subsequent editions were only superficially revised. The method follows a conventional presentation of the target language through situational dialogues. The course books contain a transcript of the dialogues, a phonetic transcription, and an English translation. The accompanying audio recordings, which are often spoken at an artificially slower speed than that of normal conversation, are of approximately 7 hours duration. The publisher ceased operations in 2016. Many commentators on the language forums have reported that the Cortina Conversational Greek course focuses on the Katharevousa variety of Greek which is no longer current and which would not be beneficial in the study of the official version of Standard Modern Greek, a derivative of Demotic Greek. What a shame!
https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/languages/cortina.html#Greek
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LoFr
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby LoFr » Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:04 pm

Hi Speakeasy,

Thanks for that. I had read your post and was trying to avoid the same problem with the linguaphone.

Sad but never mind.
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Speakeasy
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Re: Modern Greek Resources (version 1.0)

Postby Speakeasy » Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:32 pm

LoFr wrote:Hi Speakeasy, Thanks for that. I had read your post and was trying to avoid the same problem with the linguaphone. Sad but never mind.
Oh, darn! I misread your posts. As the latest generation of the Linguaphone Modern Greek seems to have appeared in the 1970’s, it is “possible” that the authors chose to take into consideration the evolution of the spoken and written language over the previous two or three decades. The publisher’s website is silent on the matter; however, you could always ask them via their “Contact” portal. Should they clarify the matter for you, please add a note to this file and I will update the listings above. Bonne chance!

Linguaphone U.K.
https://www.linguaphone.co.uk/language/greek/greek-complete-course.html
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