I never really started off to learn Greek, and if you had told me five years ago that I would one day be a huge fan of the Greek language and Greek literature, I would have been surprised at the time. Don't get me wrong ? learning Greek is somewhat of a tradition in my family. It is just that we do not usually go in for modern Greek You see, there are a lot of great reasons to learn ancient Greek. It is one of the classical languages, and many of the most important works of western civilization are written in it. Until recently, in fact, unless you knew a little bit of ancient Greek, no one would think of you as cultured.
As a literature major in college, with a minor in divinity, I decided that it made a lot of sense for me to learn Greek. I took some Greek language classes, eventually getting to the point where I could make my way through the works of Plato, Aristophanes, and other figures of ancient theatre and philosophy. I was so interested in the language, however, that my studies led me beyond that.
You see, there has been a big resurgence of interest in ancient literature among modern Greeks. As a result, you really have to learn Greek in order to read the scholarship. It just made a lot of sense for me to do, and soon I was on a study abroad course in Athens.
I have never been to a more friendly, interesting, or enjoyable place. The people are nice, the climate is mild, and all around you are some great sites of historical interest. Learning Greek soon took on a much more personal significance as well. You see, when I was there, I met a girl and fell in love. Her English was poor, as was my Greek, which made me study even harder than I would have otherwise. Soon, we were both able to converse fluently in her native tongue.
If you want an exciting and unusual language, I really have to suggest that you learn Greek. If you can, of course, you should travel to Greece, but if you can not, there are still a lot of options. There are audio courses that you can take, for example, and a lot of colleges offer classes in reading and speaking modern Greek. Give it a thought. You will not regret it!
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