I discovered this CD-based course by accident whilst glancing at online customer reviews for the Earworms series (where phrases are set to music - could be fun, could be annoying!)

We logged onto audible.co.uk, of which Paul is a member (he likes listening to audio books whilst working), and downloaded a free 20 min sample - and we thought it was brilliant. The course is aimed at people with a basic knowledge of Greek - i.e.the alphabet and enough Greek to say hello and "tourist Greek" such as ordering a drink/food etc.

The way they do it is there is a teacher and two real pupils, and you become the third pupil. Their way of teaching is to tell you NOT to try too hard to memorise stuff, NOT to do "homework", and DEFINITELY NOT to worry and get anxious about it, but just to keep playing the CDs and practising speaking until it sinks in and gets absorbed naturally. They start with small sentences and build up into longer, more involved conversations. There is no written work. just eight hours of CD lessons, and a book. (about £45 to buy the whole course).

We have been attending Greek language evening classes for 2 years and frankly the second year we didn't feel as though we progressed much further - it seemed very concerned with verb tables, adverbs, pronouns etc and became very arduous and complicated - we came away from classes feeling dizzy and we never finished (sometimes never even started!) our homework! (we've also got a couple of other CD based courses, which are okay, especially the BBC Greek Language and People one)

We just want to speak and be understood, and to be able to understand what people are saying to us - we are not particularly concerned if our grammar is crap! So far we are still in the UK but soon (we hope) we will be able to move to our little house near Kalamata and our Greek will HAVE to improve then!!!

I looked at the Michel Thomas course on Amazon and there were four customer reviews - all saying it is excellent. From the 20 min free download, I can see why, and so far I agree.

We are going to invest in it anyway - rather than waste another year attending expensive classes that just frustrate and bamboozle us - but I wondered if anyone on this forum had done the course? What did you think?

The same people are also bringing out an Advanced course in the near future too. Hurrah to that! I hope we get that far!

UPDATE TO PREVIOUS POST

Realised why no-one seems to have heard of this - its NEW, only released this month, although the Michel Thomas method is well-known (and much praised!) for learning other languages such as French/Spanish etc

We have now bought the course - £45 for eight CDs (Amazon.co.uk), and we thinks it's excellent. We have uploaded it onto our MP3s and I listen to mine on my bus to work (trying to speak the sentences in my head rather than out loud! ).

If you have tried other CD or book-based courses and they haven't suited you, I can highly recommend this one. The emphasis is on relaxation and not "trying" to learn or getting anxious about not remembering things - you just go back and keep doing them again until it sinks in. No pressure at all. I am enjoying it very much and the main thing is, it seems to be working!

£45 for eight CDs what a total waste of drinking vouchers ! the blighter's all understand English! mind you some make out that they don't, but all you need to do is shout at them and wave your arms around, they soon get the message.....

I am now on CD 3 of the 8 in the Foundation course and am so impressed. (I only do 15-20 minutes a day on my way to work on the bus - hence the slow progress) BUT I can now string a whole sentence together (Wahay!! ), something I couldn't do after 2 years of Greek language classes at nightschool (where they seem to be far too concerned with learning verb tables and getting grammar exactly right etc)

Listening to the CDs is just like being in a class, but with only two other pupils - and they get it wrong too, hurrah!

In fact, we are so chuffed with it that we have now also purchased the Advanced Course. Yikes!!!!!