Good if you want the basics drummed into you! (Greek - Athena Economides)

Member Name: crazyminx

Product:	Greek - Athena Economides
Date:	11/08/09 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, good accompanying booklet

Disadvantages: Annoying woman, only has the basics

This audio course is ideal if you want to learn a few basic words and phrases to help you out on a holiday to Greece. It will not turn you into a fluent Greek speaker but it will help you in the usual, simple, holiday style situations.

The package includes three CDs and an accompanying booklet, which contains lists of all the new words that the CDs teach you, and transcripts of the Greek conversations which they use to help you learn. It also contains written versions of all the 'cultural tips' they give you on the CDs. I think the booklet is really helpful and an essential part of the package, that lets you revise what you've learnt without the CDs, or makes learning easier if you use the two side by side.

The course is split into 12 units, which take about 15 minutes each. Each unit focuses on a very small amount of words, such as those which you'd use to say hello and goodbye, those which you'd use to say excuse me and do you speak English, and those which you'd use to order drinks. Each unit begins with you being taught the words, then you build on this by listening to conversations in Greek and interpreting what they say, and listening for particular words. I thought it was an effective way to learn but the units dragged on a bit; it did not take me quarter of an hour to learn how to say hello and goodbye!

I found the instructor a little condescending too, and the annoying beeping noise which signalled you should repeat the word, followed by an impossibly short pause for you to do so, irritated me.

However if you have the patience to sit through it, this package will no doubt drum into you the basic words and phrases that you will want to know, and you don't have to be a natural at languages either - it really is very simple.

Whilst not perfect, this certainly isn't bad for the price, which is really not much more than most guide books or phrase books,

Of course most of the tourist areas of Greece are filled with people who speak reasonable English anyway, so some may view this as a bit redundant!

This set has an RRP of £14.99 but can currently be purchase on Amazon.co.uk for £8.99.

(updated from my review on Amazon.co.uk)

Summary: Not bad if you want to brush up on a few Greek words