LITERATURE & CULTURE COURSE (MODERN GREEK)

We had a lovely time and the teachers were supporting a very good communication as in actually speaking the language. What I found a bit hard is that the level of each student was very different. It was hard for everyone to please the need of each student.

Sometimes there was too much translation in English but ok.
I liked the atmosphere in the group and the excursions we did!!!

Andreas and Baio were really giving us a good time with nice food and good company. I have to say that my decision of doing only one week was not the best. I needed almost three days to get back into the language before I started to actually learn more. So the time was too short. Next time I will do it again for two weeks.

the classes : MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE AND CULTURE COURSE(A1)
PRIVATE LESSONS (2HX10DAYS)
teachers : Ελένη Κάρκοι
location : Νέα Ιωνία
facilities : ALEXANDRIA INSTITUTE
activities : Walking in Nea Ionia and eating and drinking in Taverna, eating and drinking in Taverna in Athens.

Nea Ionia is a quiet town about 15 minutes by metro from Omonia.
ALEXANDRIA INSTITUTE is located on the 4th floor of a building about 5 minutes from the station.
Head of studies Andreas Tselikas is a very caring and kind person.
Ελένη is an excellent teacher.
Teaching Greek carefully to me who is not good at English.
Greek was an introductory version, but it was easy to understand and remember.
I got a very good opportunity to study Greek. Thank you very much.
Of course, I enjoyed walking and talking in Nea Pionia, eating and talking in Taverna.
It was a fun memory to be invited to the anniversary party and meet many students.
I'm really thankful to you.
I am looking forward to seeing you again.

They make learning fun. I attended the school in Athens where our lovely teachers explained grammar to us so we could understand some basic principals. I learned to read and write...not well...but progress for a beginner. The teachers were always happy and willing to explain and help. In Xios it was a more relaxed atmosphere where the emphasis was on communicating. Having learned a few basics in Athens helped this immensely. The relaxed atmosphere helped and the classes were really enjoyable. I highly recommend the....I am planning to attend more next year.

I do a course of 2 weeks every year. What I like first, is that they split the group according to the level with the language, something that I appreciate as due to the fact I'm living in Athens my level of Greek is usually more advance than the regular students who are coming to Greece just for the course. Second, I enjoy very much the structure of the course as you learn the language through texts, songs and general discussions related with Greek history [Ancient and Modern], Greek literature [Ancient and Modern] and Greek Music . And third, they do a sort of rotation with the teachers they have making the course more interesting as every teacher has its own style. In regard of the location, even though the institute is not close to the main archeological sites in the center, it is close to a metro station and on a typical neighborhood of the city with several restaurants and shops, having the possibility to have a real taste of the everyday life in the city. As I have to go the work after the lessons I can't assist to the activities they organize thereafter, but the time I went it was to an archeological site outside of the city [Marathon] finishing with a super nice lunch in a place full of restaurants in front of the sea! I know they organize visits to the museums in the center, to other archaeological sites outside of the city and even to some places with Greek live music. They also organize some evenings on the institute where they show Greek movies with a decent projector they have - which is good as looking for Greek movies it's not a easy task. My experience is very positive because it's not only the language that I learn but it's also the access to the culture of the country that makes me go every year. Finally, I would say that even though the institute is not so big the facilities are super nice being easier to interact with the other students and making the groups to be maximum of 5 /6 people that it's great.

Since 1969, the year in which we met each other, we visited Greece almost each year, sometimes twice. Me and my wife Cornelia. She had a classical training with Old-Greek and had been in Greece for a longer time. And for years I followed her when she spoke in Greek and I used some words like καλημέρα. Now beeing retired we decided to pay attention to the beautiful Greek language by subscribing to a course in the country itself. To the Alexandria Institute.
In spring of this year we went together to the beginners-course in Chios. We had a great time, learning, exploring the island and meeting the people. Returned home I decided to attempt to get more knowledge. I subscribed for the Skype-course and Andreas found me an excellent teacher, Xará Tsιchli
by October we had reached chapter six of ‘Ελληνκά Α’.
Iin Oktober I travelled to Athens in order to attend a 2-weeks class. Andreas and Irene worked with me through the chapters seven and eight. As extra’s Irene told me about Zeus’ son Herakles, born to unite the Greek people, and about Aesop’s fables.
I enjoyed the stay in the institute, had a wonderful time with my teachers and hope to return to Athens in the autumn of 2020

I attended to the lessons of Alexandria Institute in Athens for many times in winter and also to the courses in Chios, in Paros at summer. They are; as a language school doing their best more than I accepted. It is not only a language school, it is like an international school uniting people all around the world. The teachers are young, friendly and patient philologists. They always understand the student’s needs and difficulties in learning Greek and give special effort to solve them. The teaching materials and the books are well organized with the related source books on the bookcase. I also continue on having Skype lessons once a week through the year.
Although the location of the Instıtute is not at the centre of Athens, it is easy to arrive there with a Green Line (metro) and with an additional little walk.
The lessons are held according to the prefrences of the students and their time limitations. It could be group or private lessons. The rooms where the lessons are taken were day lighted, spacious and airy.
Sometimes you can also have chance to get together with the teachers and have greek language practises in daily life either at lunch or for a cafe or daily sight seeking or a visit to a museum, workshops etc. for more involvement to Greek culture.

Actually I was alone, but the attention towards my desires and needs has been spontaneous and extremely efficient. I enjoyed a lot the personal friendship that developed with Alexandria staff.
I hope to have time again to repeat this great experience.

I innitially heard about Alexandria Language Institue and Andreas back in 2014, when I was looking for a special kind of vacation in Greece that would enable me to study the language. I enlisted for the two week program in the vilage of Methoni in the Polopenese, where Andreas and his team were teaching me and my classmates for two weeks in September. Andreas and his team were much much more professional that I'd ever expected,they were determined to teach us the Greek language and let us enjoy ourselves while we're at it. They didn't only use books and excercises, but also songs and fun stuff, and to say I had a blast, is an understatement. Andreas always felt to me like he was BORN to be a Greek teacher, his life's purpose is to bring the language to foreign people who are interested in Greek culture and language, and being in his presence alsways feels special. During those two weeks he also took the time to show us around in the area of the Poloponese, and we saw lots of Greek sites of interest.

After this wonderful experience in 2014, I came back in 2017 and in 2019 to the city of Athens and studied with Andreas again in his Nea Iwnia school. For me, this is the perfect vacation, and I love advencing slowly in my language skills. I can't recommend Andreas and his team enough, you will be in good hands. I can't see myself learning Greek anywhere else.

The teachers of Alexandria Institute are fantastic, very well qualified and very helpful for every thing you can need. Classes are very good organized and adapted to the students. Apart from the classes, there are always activities to do in the afternoon that are a very good complement to the contents of the classes.
I attended a course of Alexandria Institute for the first time in the summer of 2017, in Paros. After that, I’ve attended three more curses with them and the next one will be on Christmas in Athens. I really like the way they work!

The school is in a quiet street in Nea Ionia, a really nice area of Athens. You can reach the school very easily by metro, it is about 5 minutes walk from the metro station Nea Ionia on the line to Kifissia. The school has two classrooms with a lot of daylight which makes the atmosphere very peaceful and cozy.
The teachers are very welcoming and helpful. They teach with different methods, they use modern techniques and they make small groups on different levels, so everybody get teached on his/her level. During one week I learned so much to understand and to speak which was great to go on to learn the Greek language.
After the lessons there is enough time to discover Athens, there is a lot to see in all the different areas of the city and also there are some interesting museums. Some days the teachers will organize excursions after the lessons and some days you will go by yourself with some other students. Also often you eat together with the teachers after the lessons in a taverna and you try to go on talking in Greek! I had a wonderful week in Athens, not only because of the lessons, but also because of the whole atmosphere and the activities beside the lessons, I hope I will have the chance to go again.

I first met the Alexandria Institute teachers on Skype lessons, and I really improved my skills.
Then, I attended a 2 weeks language course in Paros, and I fixed all that I learned previously, having the opportunity to speak with local people, attending cinema evenings, dance lessons and all the activities organised by the school.
I would only recommend a more balanced composition of the classrooms, so that they are composed by people with the same level of skills.