From a lifelong learning journey about ancient Greece to a husband and wife wanting to enjoy nights out in a tavern and dinner dances with fellow Greeks – the stories about why people study Greek vary.
The Greek Herald spoke to seven non-Greek students studying the Greek language as part of a course offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) to find out why they want to speak Greek.
Anne Holmes:
As a non-Greek, people are often puzzled when I tell them that I study the Greek language. However, learning the modern Greek language became a natural progression in my life. Throughout my childhood, I was fascinated by archeology and ancient history. At university, I studied classics (including ancient Greek) and ancient history. In 1975, in preparation for my research in Athens, I began to learn Modern Greek at the University of Melbourne. I discovered that many of us started learning Greek through such studies.
Later, I continued to have an interest in public librarianship due to my work in the field of multiculturalism and libraries. How could I create Greek collections and programs without knowing Greek literature, history and music? Other priorities came into play, but in retirement I decided that Greek was an interest I wanted to rekindle. Ten years later, I am still learning Greek and it is now an integral part of my life.
Paula Roberts:
I started learning the Greek language in 2014 before traveling to Greece for the first time in 2015. I thought having a basic knowledge of the language would help me to drive around the country, decipher road signs and interact with the Greeks.
When I came back to Australia, I continued the lessons. Over the past five or six years, I have studied with students who have also continued and who had the same teacher – the charming Eleni Dimitriou.
It’s a beautiful course and although we work hard to learn the language, we also have a lot of fun. Certain aspects of Greek are very difficult for English speakers, notably the cases and the verbal system, but I love this language and I appreciate the mental gymnastics it requires. I also like to compare Greek to English and other languages I know, and like a five-year-old child starting school, I always enjoy writing letters.
Melvyn and Valerie Forbes:
Valerie:
At first I wanted to learn the Greek alphabet and decided to take occasional language classes for a semester and learn some useful phrases. But I found the Greek language fascinating, especially for its influence on English. Seeing Greek origins in English words enriches my understanding of my own language. My language lessons continued, on and off, until 2019 when I started taking classes at the Greek Center in Melbourne. I wanted a more formal approach to the language and it gave me so much more, culturally and socially.
In the various Greek dance learning situations and classes I have experienced, with the associated tavern nights and dinner dances, I have come to know many gregarious Greeks who support anyone interested in dance, music and the Greek language. Learning Greek made me feel more connected to a very welcoming community.
Melvyn:
I have been retired for 14 years but I am still very active. When my wife, Valerie, started taking Greek dance lessons at U3A, she also started getting invitations to Greek community events such as dinner dances for fundraisers. I went there too and discovered that I really like being with the Greeks.
As Valérie was studying the Greek language at the time and we were both fluent in other languages, I thought I could try learning Greek myself. And of course, there was this lure of a possible trip to Greece one day.
It’s not easy to learn a new language at 70. I use various resources, including group classes. In these courses, I had the pleasure of deepening the etymology of many Greek words, which interests me personally. Over time, I also began to feel the gratification of being able to make sense of this language and feel comfortable in it.
Valerie Rendle:
Many years ago I was married to a Greek and learned some Greek to communicate with his family. After our divorce, I didn’t speak or hear Greek for years and forgot most of what I had learned. Nevertheless, I had planned at some point to spend time as a voluntary refugee counselor in Greece, and for that I would have to improve my Greek.
The unexpected opportunity to study Greek presented itself at the beginning of last year. I stopped working due to long Covid and while stuck at home I started studying with the Melbourne Greek Community Greek language course.
The course structure works well as I could start at a lower level while re-accustoming to the language and then progress to a higher class. It gave me the confidence to communicate in Greek and to be able to take accreditation exams in the future.
Sam Martin:
My partner, who has Greek heritage, and I have traveled to Greece several times and love Athens and Greek culture. We would like to live and work in Greece, so we thought learning the language was essential.
I also enjoy studying philosophy and economics and find the works of Castoriadis and many left-wing political-economic movements in Greece inspiring, especially considering the unjust and undemocratic treatment of the nation by the Troika. I want to be able to immerse myself deeply in the culture, ideas and history of Greece and learning the language is a gateway to that.
The Greek language course allowed me to better appreciate the beauty of the language and to learn how to express ideas in a way that is not available in your native language. The course was a great way to meet new people, especially our instructor Alexandros, who is a legend, always supportive, enthusiastic and friendly. Hopefully one day I will be able to understand my favorite Greek rappers or follow Greek news.
Erica Myers Davis:
It’s a long story but the short version is that I found myself by chance on a small Greek island during the COVID restrictions, unable to return to Australia. Three hours after setting foot on the island, I was “adopted” by a local family who housed, fed and entertained me. A two-week break ended up lasting three years.
Even though the family speaks good English, I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t speak Greek, especially among older relatives who don’t speak English. I started learning the language online and with a local teacher and when I returned to Australia I continued at the Greek Community Language School in Melbourne. The in-person and online classes with Elena, who is an amazing teacher, and my fellow students gave me confidence in my speaking skills and deepened my love for Greece.
Today a Greek resident, I live between Poros (Attica) and Melbourne, like Demeter living in perpetual spring and summer.
