“I always tell my students it is achievable for anyone to learn and excel in the Greek language and I hope to inspire our young Greek-Aussies to learn and love our language,” Claire Lagoutaris tells The Greek Herald.
In 2012, Claire came 1st in New South Wales in Greek language studies for the Year 12 Higher School Certificate. She achieved Dux of her school, with an ATAR of 99.25. Even though her ATAR allowed her to study anything she wanted, she chose to progress her Greek studies.
Ten years on and she is still leading the way, inspiring people of all ages and levels to learn Greek.
Although Claire was born here in Australia, she completed schooling both here and in Greece, living the native life of both cultures. Her insight from these experiences places her in a unique position when helping others in their journey to learning Greek.
This led her to develop Hellenic Learning, a specialised Greek language tutoring service.
From teaching others at Hellenic Learning and her own personal experiences, Claire has uncovered key strategies for children and their parents.
“I have uncovered key strategies for children and adults to learn Greek. It is my personal experiences and years of teaching others that have provided me with unique insights that form the Hellenic Learning teaching strategies,” she says.
Here are my top 3 tips in learning Greek:
1. Talk Greek at home. We know that learning a language needs repetition.
2. Have lots of Greek language resources such as workbooks, books and other reading material. Also, an easy way to learn is by listening to Greek music or watching Greek TV shows, even if they are playing in the background. Adults may like listening to Greek podcasts on the way to work or follow Greek social media pages.
3. Lastly, get support. Reach out to a professional Greek language expert like myself who will be able to guide you or your kids, provide direct feedback, and help you meet your goals.
Hellenic Learning helps students by paving the new and modern way to learn Greek in Australia. Its teaching methods are progressive and create a safe space for people to build confidence with Greek, whilst also valuing and educating others on our Greek traditions and culture.
“The Hellenic Learning Greek lessons fit seamlessly into today’s post pandemic world, given that many families are wanting to travel again and need to get themselves and their kids up to speed with speaking the language,” Claire says.
“I have also found that other families simply want to do more Greek study from home as it fits into their busy lifestyles now that everything has opened again. This trend in families wanting a more personalised approach has led to my student bookings often reaching full capacity and I am now on the search to expand my team.”
Despina, a mum of a child attending the Kounelakia Playgroup, says “finding Claire and her program Kounelakia has been an absolute blessing for our family.”
“I feel privileged to not only have a dedicated learning space to share my language with my 2-year-old daughter, but the sense of belonging, the culture and of course, the people that come with it. Claire has helped me reconnect to my roots, ensuring that the next generation of Greeks feels the same,” Despina adds.
Sophia is of non-Greek background and attends the Adult Greek Groups course.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed learning the Greek language with Claire this term. As a Maltese-Australian whose partner is Greek, learning the Greek language is very important to me,” Sophia says.
“We owe it to those generations to keep Greek culture alive in Australia and to pass it onto future generations with confidence and pride.”
Hellenic Learning’s programs include:
Private Tutoring:
- All ages, all levels.
- Personalised lessons, tailored to student needs.
- Flexible & caters to a busy schedule.
- One-on-one or with a sibling/friend.
- Face-to-face or online.
Kounelakia (Little Bunnies) Greek Playgroup:
- The unique & vibrant Greek Playgroup of Melbourne’s West
- For ages 1-5
- Greek-school readiness, by building a strong language foundation.
- Readiness for mainstream school, by encouraging routines, love for learning, and building social skills with other children
- Fun & play-based learning
- Craft, song, dance, nursery rhymes, story-time, sensory-play, and more!
- Social environment for the parents/grandparents, too!
- Face-to-face in Melbourne’s West (Altona Meadows & Burnside) at 9.45am-11.00am. More locations to come.
Adult Greek Groups:
- Fun & engaging Greek group lessons for adults
- A way to do some ‘self-care’ and open your mind to another language & culture
- Taught specifically for adults using contexts such as travel, work, socialising with friends, etc
- Online in the evenings to fit in with busy life schedules
- Beginners levels (BEGIN GREEK 1, 2, 3, 4) – first level starts Greek from scratch
- Intermediate levels (CONTINUE GREEK 1, 2)
- Conversation practice with feedback (LET’S TALK GREEK)
To inquire about Greek lessons or for enrolments, contact Claire on 0434 380 148 or at hellenic.learning@outlook.com.
Instagram: @hellenic.learning
Facebook: Hellenic Learning – Greek Tutoring and Education
