As new research from the London Language Studio indicates the increasing popularity of Greek lessons amongst us Brits, journalist Tina Clough went to find out what makes this foreign language so popular especially during the recession.
Alena Sunavska, founder of the firm who offers private Greek lessons, in addition to private Spanish tuition , Italian classes, Czech classes and Slovak classes, said, “Here at the London Language Studio we definitely receive the most enquiries for our Greek lessons. More people want to learn Greek, but this is not surprising considering Greece was voted the second most popular European holiday destination in January by the Telegraph Travel Awards.”
The poll also found that Greece was in fact ranked ahead of Portugal, the golfers paradise and the Spain the birthplace of the British package holiday, demonstrating that the €40 million injection by the country’s Ministry of Tourism in 2008 (which country?) is finally paying dividends with the tourism sector increasing by 2.7 per-cent in 2008.
Ms Sunavska added, “The English are certainly keen to become more culturally affluent and learning Greek, or just foreign languages in general, is a huge part of this. We are finding that more and more people are taking Greek lessons to aid them on their annual holidays and aid them in the buying of properties abroad as they struggle to understand the locals, the culture, the language and the people.
“We are finding that there is an influx in adult learners who are opting for one on one private Greek tuition with us, some of which are planning to buy property abroad as an investment and are uncomfortable with the language barrier. As the Pound grows stronger against the Euro investments in Greece are starting to pick up again and it seems that investors are willing to go that extra mile to see a return on their investment without getting bogged down with the hurdles presented by language.”