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laptop, geek, MacBook, bursting, breakout


Matt's LiveJournal

Random ramblings of a programmer, photographer, journalist and runner

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laptop, geek, MacBook, bursting, breakout

Τα Ελληνικά

I'm just off out to see if I can find a cafe to get started on my Greek comprehension coursework. For this course, the marked written component is two big chunks of Greek, one straight prose, one dialogue.

The Greek is going... Ενταξει. Or maybe ετσι και ετσι. Which is "okay", or "so-so". I don't feel I'm doing well, but the standard in my class is high -- not helped by the higher class not running, as we've got a couple of people repeating the year.

I'm really struggling with the vocabulary. Sometimes it feels like there's someone running out in front of me, throwing hundreds of words over their shoulder while I jog behind them, panting, trying to catch what I can in a leaky bag.

On the other hand, the grammar mostly makes sense, and having been lucky enough to be exposed to English grammar at school, I've got more knowledge of the workings language to pin my new learning on. That is, unlike a couple of the younger people in my class, I knew the difference between nominative and accusative before I started Greek (let alone genitive or subjunctive...)

And at least with Greek you've got a good chance of knowing what bloody gender a word is when you hear it. And their tenses make sense, in general. I particularly like the way you move the stress on a verb one syllable backwards to head for the past tense. Makes sense to me, anyway.

While I feel like I'm a long way behind, I think that if I was instantly transported back to the beginning of last year's lessons, everything would seem relatively easy. My vocabulary is expanding, albeit slowly, and this year I'm practising more outside the lessons -- not much more, but at least I'm doing it.

All the same, I think I'll still have to consider voluntarily repeating the year. I know being outside your comfort zone is good for learning, but I feel a very long way outside it right now, and if there's a similar step up to next year as there was for this year, I might start to lose hope/motivation. Meh.

So, anyway. Just wanted to check in on how I'm doing with Greek. Now for that cafe. I can reassure myself that at least I can order a cappuccino in Greek. (ένα καπουτσίνο, in case you were wondering...)

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In fairness, the only things you need in Greece are minimal request-type and pleasantries vocabulary, chilled-out attitude, worry beads and a donkey. You'll be fine.

I can find you a donkey if you wish, assuming that you have a set of worry beads already.

Fancy some more practice next year? We are definitely going sailing again.

Ah, yes, but if I were wishing I had a donkey, that'd have to be in the subjunctive, see, so it's all useful...

Next year is all still rather up in the air with me. It'll depend on whether I still have a job, and also what decisions I've made about bigger solo holidays to the billions of places I've never been before. I should have a better idea come February or March. Sorry I can't be more coherent yet!

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