Evidence of the Greek language shows it has been in use for over 3,400 years! In fact, some of the first Greek writings were found in the 15th century BCE of Linear B, a system of writing by the Mycenaean Greeks. It falls upon the Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family, and Demotic Greek is the official language of Greece.
If you are interested in learning to speak Greek, check out the following GreekPod101 review below!
GreekPod101 Review: Summary
Upon signing up for GreekPod101, you will be asked to pick a level of expertise from absolute beginner through advanced. There are five levels in total. If you are unsure where to start, you can always take the placement test and you’ll be assigned a starting level. You can complete lessons at each level at a pace that works for you, advancing only when you feel ready.
Your first seven days is considered your free trial period. After that, you can choose between the Basic, Premium and PremiumPLUS monthly subscription plans. Each plan offers more features than the one below it. Some of these features include:
- Full access to all lessons in the library including podcasts and videos (over 990)
- PDF (printable) lesson notes
- Energetic and knowledgeable teachers
- Variety of learning materials including flashcards
- Active discussions
- Vocabulary and common phrase lists
- Multiple learning 'pathways' to learn on your own time
Pros of GreekPod101
Pro #1: Relevant and Modern Lessons
The instructors in the videos and on the podcasts are young, lively and ambitious. Learning is fun with up-to-date material and scenarios that are relevant to everyday living. This helps keep lessons interesting and keeps you wanting to learn more. You will find a few instances where the information is outdated or obsolete like with many other learning programs, however there’s enough variety for everyone.
Pro #2: Variety of Learning Methods
Video, audio and hands-on type learning are available with GreekPod101. This ensures that you can find the learning method that suits you best. The key methodology behind all of Innovative Language’s courses is the fact that they are all podcasts at heart. One of the most difficult things in learning a language is finding enough material to develop your listening skills. With GreekPod101, this is not an issue, since every lesson contains a video or podcast that you can read along with using the downloadable transcript.
There are also a variety of different tools to help you memorize and retain vocabulary and common everyday phrases. One feature we found useful is the ability to record yourself. Greek has many sounds that don’t exist in English, so it’s important to train yourself to distinguish them and to get the pronunciation right. In the vocabulary section of each lesson, you’ll find a small microphone symbol. You’ll be urged to listen to the nature speaker (you can select half speed if you want) and then mimic them. They’ll both be played back to you so you can compare and make sure you get the pronunciation spot on. This is a great technique for really boosting your Greek fluency.
Pro #3: Learning on the Go
With the ability to log into GreekPod101 from your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, you can truly learn on your own terms. With each lesson being only 15 minutes on average, you can check out a video on your tablet during your lunch break or catch a podcast on your commuter train home in the evening. With so much flexibility, it is easy to incorporate learning Greek into your already busy lifestyle. For offline learning, you can download all the audio lessons and dialogues beforehand, along with the transcript pdf’s & lesson notes for you to learn anywhere you find yourself without wifi (a huge bonus!).
Pro #4: Cultural Focus
One thing we and love about all the Innovative Language courses is that there’s a strong cultural emphasis weaved throughout all the lessons. This really helps to keep learners engaged and motivated, as well as revealing deeper insights into the language itself.
You’ll be introduced to many different native teachers throughout the lessons, exposing you to a variety of accents and speaking styles. The lessons cover such things as Greek food, Greek cities, sports, traditional clothing, historical figures, artists and musicians. If you’re looking to not only study the language but also dive right into Greek culture, then you’ll find GreekPod101 to be very valuable.
Pro #5: Customizable lesson pathways
Within the lesson library, you can browse around and select any learning pathway that takes your fancy. This feels a bit strange at first but its benefits become quickly apparent. Unlike most language platforms where you are forced down a linear syllabus and are prevented from jumping around and skipping ahead, GreekPod101 allows you the maximum flexibility to fully customize your own learning. Whilst this may be daunting to some, it allows you to focus on the skills you need to work on the most, in addition to the topics that most interest you. The toggles on the left-hand side give you ability to filter by skill ad media type.
This rather unorthodox learning style does however come with its downsides. The learning can feel unstructured and disorganised if you don’t have the discipline and self-awareness to curate your own syllabus, and may not suit learners who prefer to be guided down a logical structure. For this reason, it’s best to start off with the base level pathways and go from there.
Cons of GreekPod101
Con #1: Fewer Lessons for Advanced Speakers
GreekPod101 seems best suited for those just beginning Greek to intermediate speakers. Advanced speakers wishing to dive deeper into fluency may find the materials lacking. For those who already possess a significant background in Greek, this program may be more of a review.
Con #2: Not Much Feedback
Unless you opt for the PremiumPLUS subscription plan, there is not much-individualized feedback on how you are progressing. You will have quiz scores so you have an idea of how well you are doing, but there is not a good way to have specific questions answered.
Con #3: Too Much English
If, like me, you prefer a more immersive language experience then GreekPod101 may not be for you. There’s a lot of explaining going on in English and not enough Greek being spoken in my opinion. One lesson had over half the video being explained in English by an American woman! This does seem to drop off rather dramatically as you get into the higher levels though, with entire dialogues in Greek and English explanations beginning to phase out.
Whilst the use of English does help to explain complex grammar etc. there’s definitely a balance to be struck between immersion and explanation, and I feel GreekPod101 is unfortunately more weighted towards the latter.
Features of GreekPod101
Dashboard
Upon logging into your account, you will be taken to your dashboard. Consider this your control center for GreekPod101. This is where you will access lessons, change your expertise level, find the latest news and even upgrade your subscription.
Learning Pathways
Level 1 Greek is the official curated pathway for learning the language. Start here for the most structured and orderly lesson plans, or choose other pathways to meet your most immediate needs. For example, you could choose ‘Before You Travel: Survival Greek Phrases’ to prepare for an upcoming trip or start from the basics with the ‘Greek Alphabet Made Easy’. There are tons of pathways from which to choose and you can work on them singly or simultaneously.
GreekPod101 Video and Audio Lessons
Both video and audio lessons feature energetic instructors who simply want to help you learn to speak Greek in a fun way. They begin slowly and advance as you advance through expertise levels. Videos offer on-screen words so you can see what you are saying. Both lessons offer transcripts at the end to go over.
Additional Learning Tools
Flashcards
Spaced repetition flashcards help increase your vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. The Greek word is shown with a picture and you must figure out its English equivalent or vice-versa. You can use the flashcards as often as you need to. If you’re a fan of Anki or quizlet then you’ll feel right at home with SpanishPod101’s flashcards functionality.
Lesson Transcripts
Transcripts are available at the end of each lesson so you can go over what you just saw or heard. They will highlight any important grammatical or pronunciation issues. You may also get explanations about certain customs or cultural issues as they pertain to the lesson.
2000 Most Common Words
2548, to be exact. You can filter the most used words by category and number (the most common 100, 200 words etc.) allowing you to focus on only the most useful vocabulary. Each word comes with at least one example sentence to grasp it’s context and can be added to your wordbank or a personalized flashcard deck to review later.
Some Sample Pathways & Lesson Topics
Here’s a quick overview of a few different lessons to give you an idea of what to expect from GreekPod101. Let’s take a look at an example pathway for the beginner, intermediate and upper intermediate levels:
Pathway: Absolute Beginner Greek for Every Day
Content: 16 lessons and 1hr 39min of video content that covers all manner of Greek phrases, starting with the 25 most useful and then covering more lighthearted and interesting topics such as foods, complements, gift ideas and ways to save the planet. You’ll also learn some useful techniques to memorise new vocabulary and reasons to learn Greek.
Pathway: Extensive Reading in Greek for Intermediate Learners
Content: A series miniature books that you can listen to and follow along with the transcript. This pathway comprises of 25 individual lessons and nearly 5 hours of audio content, with topics ranging from dinosaurs to bike safety.
Pathway: Level 4 Greek (Official Pathway)
Content: The official level 4 pathway that is aligned with level B2 of the CEFR. The official pathways include assignments every few lessons to practice what you’ve learnt. This pathway consists of 25 Lessons, 23 Assignments and 7hrs 8min of audio content. Topics are practical and interesting, for example job interviews and taking a tour of a Greek cruise ship.
Who Should Buy GreekPod101?
GreekPod101 is a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to learn about the Greek language. That being said, those who would benefit the most from GreekPod101 include those who:
- are self-motivated and excel at independent study
- would like to learn key phrases prior to a personal or business trip
- do not have access to on-site learning classes
- love the Greek culture and language and want to know more about it
Who Should Not Buy GreekPod101?
Since everyone learns best in a different manner, a one-size language learning program will not fit all. Those who may not benefit from GreekPod101 include those who:
- require individualized instruction and feedback
- lack motivation or determination to study
- prefer a classroom learning setting
GreekPod101 vs. Competitors
To be fair, we must include some information about GreekPod101’s closest competitors. Greek language learning programs are not as abundant as other languages but we did find a few. We will compare these programs to give you the most information.
GreekPod101 vs. 101Languages.net
101Languages.net offers Greek 101 which is designed for beginners interested in learning Greek. The site calls itself a one-man project, but offers a ton of free resources. There are links to Greek radio, vocabulary games, useful phrases, quick translations and Greek newspapers to enhance your learning. You can also find travel guides to the top Greek-speaking countries.
GreekPod101 vs. Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone typically has a reputation for being one of the most expensive ways to learn languages and it could well be out of many people’s price range. It does offer voice-recognition technology to help you with pronunciation. Lessons are efficient, but explanations about social norms or culture are rarely given. Grammatical explanations are also lacking for most lessons, leaving the student to look up the information elsewhere.
GreekPod101 Cost
The following is a breakdown of the monthly subscription costs for GreekPod101.
Basic Monthly Subscription $8 $2.80/month (using our coupon link)
- Access on multiple devices
- Access to all lessons
- PDF notes after each lesson
Premium Monthly Subscription $25 $7/month (using our coupon link)
The Premium monthly subscription includes everything offered with the Basic subscription plus:
- Voice-recording applications
- HD video
- Line-by-line audio dialogue
- Interactive quizzes and flashcards
- Grammar and word bank
- Custom word lists
Premium PLUS Monthly Subscription $47 $16/month (using our coupon link)
The Premium PLUS monthly subscription includes everything in the Premium subscription plus:
- Personal learning plan
- One-on-one instruction from a native Greek speaker
- Continuing professional assessment
- Personal assignments
Related: Read How To Skip Monthly Payments and Get A GreekPod101 Lifetime Premium Account!
GreekPod101 Final Thoughts: One of the Best
GreekPod101 is one of the most structured language learning programs you can find. The lessons are clear and concise and relevant to modern life.
If learning to speak Greek is something you want to do, we would recommend GreekPod101.
If you sign up using our referral link you can get 30% off, and we get a small commission (at no cost to you):
Michael has been an avid language learner and traveler for many years. His goal with LanguageTsar is to discover the most fun and effective ways to learn a language. He is currently learning Japanese, French and Indonesian.