The most highly recommended material for a quick study in modern Greek comes from the Pimsleur approach, which promises to teach you the basics in no less than 10 days or your money back. The software is available online at its website, PimsleurApproach.com for USD $10 and is used by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency. The cornerstone of Dr. Pimsleur's methodology is the concept that a student is not able to learn language by memorization, but must learn to use and develop sentences themselves to fully acquire the language skills.
Dr. Paul Pimsleur was one of the founding members of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. A leading expert in romance languages and linguistics, Pimsleur graduated from Columbia University and developed and supervised language laboratories and departments at several universities thereafter. His pedagogical methodology has been termed revolutionary by critics, fellow professors and students.
The program for learning relies on four basic tenets: core vocabulary, graduated interval recall, anticipatory techniques and organic learning. The entire curriculum is based on an audio component and does not include materials for writing or reading.
Core vocabulary applies to a specific lexicon of Greek words, through which most questions and statements can be developed. In the English language, for example, we rely primarily on roughly two thousand words. The Greek core vocabulary is even less, coming in at less than 600 words. Once the knowledge of these core words has been achieved, students may then learn how to contextualize them.
Articulated and studied first by Pimsleur in 1967, graduated interval recall refers to the time students need to retain language and how often they need to be reminded of the information in order to lock it in. On these audio discs, Greek words and phrases are repeated at specific times designed to work best with the way memory functions.
Another element of the Pimsleur approach to speaking Greek is anticipated learning, which requires students to be active participants in their own education. Rather than simply parroting a phrase in Greek, the listener is asked to translate a phrase or sentence into Greek and wait for the confirmation. The idea is that you must generate the language on your own to gain the intimacy you need to speak it. Putting words together on your own, in a grammatically correct way, enables a fundamental capacity for articulating thoughts and questions particular to individual situations.
While some language programs call for textbooks, the Pimsleur method relies solely on audio learning, based on the idea that this is the first natural, or organic, method of study. It is how we learn to speak as children and as such, is the most effective method of instruction for all languages, including Greek.
Prospective students are advised to adhere to the strict progression of Greek lessons as they are designed to inform one another in sequential order.
The program can be purchased from numerous vendors, including the Pimsleur official homepage. There, the cost includes shipping and handling. Alternatively, customers may find the program on Amazon.com or from SpeakALanguage.com, which offers a wider range of Pimsleur Greek lessons for those who want to explore further. At this website, the material is also available for download and can be transferred to a digital player.
There are eight lessons delivered by a native Greek instructor and distributed across four compact discs. The Pimsleur approach to modern Greek has been critically acclaimed.