HAU

Tune in and Learn Greek!

Modern Greek Lessons at ERA 5 ("Voice of Greece")

Modern Greek lessons from the Hellenic American Union and the Hellenic American University are broadcasted through the Fifth Program of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERA 5 - Voice of Greece). ERA 5 broadcasts nationwide, from North and South America to Europe, Australia, Japan, and Africa. Lessons are broadcasted every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, three times per day and are intended for those that want to improve their Greek and enrich their vocabulary. Along with the broadcasts, at the website of ERA 5, one can find each lesson’s audio in mp3 form as well as the complete transcript in .pdf form.

What are the lessons about?

Each lesson aims at teaching you how to communicate effectively in Modern Greek. No grammar, no rules, no “do’s” and “don’ts”; just basic dialogues, short phrases, and words that you, too, will be able to use in a variety of everyday situations. The lessons present the activities in the lives of a group of young people - a parea, as they’re called in Greek. These friends live in Athens and go out for a cup of Greek coffee or for a meal in a taverna, go to the shops, to the cinema or the theater, stay home and watch TV or talk on the phone, and, in general, do everything that Greeks do every day. But it’s not just them that you will meet: Listen for the voice of Xenophon, a funny character, who follows them around, makes comments on what they say or do and helps you to understand better their actions.

The organization of the material is more or less the same for each lesson: First, you hear a dialogue. Then, you are asked to repeat parts of what you have heard. For further practice, you may be asked to choose the right answer to a question relating to the material presented (don’t worry; Xenophon always gives you the correct answer). Last, you are provided with cultural or communication tips that help you understand better contemporary Greek reality.

Here’s a brief idea of what each lesson presents:

Thematic units

1. Introductions
2. Making an appointment
3. In the taxi
4. At the kiosk
5. Family
6. Shopping
7. Giving and asking for directions
8. Becoming ill
9. At the cinema
10. Deliveries
11. Looking for an apartment
12. At the Post Office
13. Spending my weekend
14. Looking for a job
15. At the open market
16. At the travel office
17. Faulty products
18. At the party
19. At the gym
20. At the airport
21. Weather
22. Cinema tickets
23. Directions for use
24. Moving house
25. A new telephone number
26. At the bookstore
27. At the Bar
28. At the hotel
29. At the doctor’s
30. At the bus-stop
31. Using the ATM
32. Reading
33. Dialing the wrong number
34. At the super market
35. Preferences
36. At the hospital
37. Congratulations and sympathy
38. At the Police
39. At the hairdresser’s
40. Family and feelings
41. Damages in the house-The plumber
42. Pollution
43. At the video store-At the record store
44. Apologies and excuses
45. The Electric Company bill
46. Utilities-Flat owners' meeting
47. A break in-The Police
48. Theater tickets
49. Fighting over a party
50. At the cosmetics store-At the jeweler's
51. Road Assistance
52. Weekend-Household chores
53. Invitation to a wedding
54. Healthy living
55. Damages in the house-The electrician
56. Unemployment
57. Superstitions
58. Preferences-Birthdays
59. Ecology-Recycling
60. Feeling ill
61. At the dietician
62. Issuing a new passport
63. Star signs
64. Memories
65. Travel complaints
66. Modern way of life
67. Famous Greeks
68. Alternative forms of energy
69. Greek shadow theater (Karagkiozis)
70. Preferenced / Priorities
71. Sick leave
72. Quality of life
73. Arguing over grades / Profession
74. What would I do if ...?
75. More superstitions
76. Break-ins
77. More faulty products
78. Beware of the sun!
79. Climate change
80. At the Metro

In this section:

• Publications
• Library
• Writing Center
• OnLine Tests
• Podcasts and Radio
  • Learning Greek Podcasts
  • Learning English Podcasts
  • Radio Broadcasts
• Learning Greek Videos
• News