Imagine your first real day in Greece.
You don’t arrive with a transliterated phrase book and hope for the best. Instead, you step into a taxi, strike up a conversation, and understand what comes back. You walk into a taverna, order in Greek, and feel at home. You get lost, ask a stranger for directions, and find your way back to your hotel without falling into an ancient bath.
First Day Greek is designed to get you to that day.
The Taxi
You'll tell the driver where you're from and what you do, and you’ll ask about his family. Even though you won't understand every word that comes back, you'll be in a real conversation, with a real Greek.
The Directions
You'll stop a stranger, ask how to get to the Acropolis, and actually pull it off. After that, the world is your oyster, and you’ll set off for more ambitious exploration than most ever do.
The Restaurant
You'll order your meal in Greek, exchange pleasantries with the waiter, and start to feel the difference between being a tourist and being a guest.
The Shop
You'll walk in, ask for what you want, and have the kind of small human exchange that makes you feel genuinely welcome.
🗣 WHAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DOBy the end of ten weeks, here's what changes.
First Day Greek covers foundational Greek corresponding to the A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) — giving you a recognized, structured starting point for everything that follows.
📦 WHAT'S INCLUDEDThe Details.
The Cohort
Twenty live sessions over ten weeks, meeting twice a week on Zoom. Each week, Session 1 runs 90 minutes and Session 2 runs 60 minutes — 2.5 hours of live instruction every week. Maximum 8 students: small enough that you're never invisible, but large enough to practice with real people.
The Curriculum
First Day Greek follows a curriculum developed especially for the course. It uses the most popular Greek textbooks available, supplemented by materials created specifically for adult learners. You're getting a university-level curriculum delivered in an engaging, accessible setting.
The Platform
Everything — notes, vocabulary lists, flashcard sets, assignments, quizzes — organized and accessible on our dedicated learning platform throughout the program. The textbook title will be provided privately to each cohort.
*note: all students are required to purchase the course textbook. Language learning textbooks require a great amount of labor and expertise to produce, and The Greek Academy stands in full support of the publishers who produce such valuable material.
Once you join the cohort, you also receive:
Clear Grammar
The Greek Academy's own grammar curriculum, built to help adult learners see under the hood of Greek sentences. Clear, explicit explanations that let your analytical mind understand the system so you can use it yourself.
Read Greek First
Before your first session, you'll complete Read Greek First — a short, self-paced pre-course module built around the Distinction Method, which makes the Greek alphabet faster and easier to learn than you'd expect. You'll also receive the one-page Pronunciation Bible: a reference card covering every sound in the language. By the time you show up for your first class, you can already read Greek.
Course-Steps Learning Path
Before the program begins, you'll receive your personal program learning path — a clear, structured overview of what this course covers, in what order, and why. No surprises, no guessing. You'll know exactly where you're starting, where each week takes you, and what you'll be capable of when you arrive at the other side.
Weekly Work Recipe
Each week, you'll receive a recipe-style checklist of exactly what to do. No guessing, no wondering, no wishing. Just follow the recipe.
Sure-and-Solid Quizzes Accountability System
Vocabulary is the raw material of language, and grammar holds it together. Each week you'll work with carefully curated vocabulary lists and grammar models, reinforced by a Sure and Solid Quiz to help you master essential grammar and 30–40 words every week!
Immersion Live
At set points throughout the program, English gets banned. Two full-immersion sessions are built into the schedule and designed to show you what your Greek is actually capable of. You’ll be shocked at what you can do.
Study Strategies Simplified
A practical guide to practicing every element of the language: vocabulary, grammar, reading, and speaking — alone, with a partner, and through self-immersion. Starting from week one, you'll know exactly how to make your time outside class count, and how to begin surrounding yourself with Greek long before your first day in Greece.
Learned, Learning, Locked Retention System
The students who progress fastest are those who know what they've learned, what they’re learning, and what they need to lock in. The Learned, Learning, Locked template gives you a structured system for tracking your progress and fulfilling your review so that everything sinks in.
Resource Hub
A curated, living library of the best resources available for Greek learners — organized so you always know where to look when you have a question, and you never run out of ways to engage with the language between sessions.
🗓️ A WEEK INSIDEWhat it’s like from inside: A Week of First Day Greek
See yourself learning Greek? Here's how a single week of First Day Greek actually feels.
Sunday — Pre-work, 20–30 minutes of preparation
Before your first session each week, you'll complete a short pre-work set: a preview vocabulary list covering the week's themes, and clear grammar lessons introducing the new concepts you'll encounter in class. Most students do this on Sunday evening — a quiet half-hour to prime them for a week of learning.
Monday — Meeting 1, 90 minutes of live instruction
Be
Tuesday & Wednesday — 30 minutes of homework, short daily review
Homework reinforces what was covered in Meeting One. Daily vocabulary and grammar review (15–20 minutes) keep the week's material fresh in your mind, preparing you for the next class and the Sure-and-Solid Quiz at the week’s end.
Thursday Live — Meeting 2, 60 minutes of live instruction
This session is entirely about activation. You'll work with partners, with the cohort, and with Michael to use the language you've been learning all week. These classes grow more immersive as your Greek grows, and they're often the sessions that feel the best.
Friday & Saturday — Sure-and-Solid Quiz
30–40 vocabulary words, and the occasional grammar model to memorize. These quizzes hold you accountable and help you move into the next week knowing that what you learned this week is solid.
Two live sessions per week. For every hour in the classroom, plan for an hour of study outside it. This is a serious program — and that's exactly why it works.
🤔 WHO THIS IS FORFirst Day Greek is for serious learners. Here's what we mean:
This program is for you if:
You're a complete beginner or have dabbled but never built a real foundation
You're committed to showing up to every session, every week, for ten weeks (sessions are recorded if there is an unavoidable conflict)
You're willing to do the work outside the classroom
You want to understand Greek, not just survive it
You're a motivated learner, and you want to learn instead of dabble
This program is not for you if:
You're looking for a casual, low-commitment, patchwork approach
You're not able to dedicate time outside of class each week
You're hoping the language will come without work
A note from Michael:
I want every student in this cohort to succeed. That means being honest about what this program asks of you. If the timing isn't right, it isn't right. But, if you're ready, I promise you this: show up and work, and you’ll learn Greek.
🤝 THE GUARANTEE
I stand behind this. Guaranteed.
If you complete Read Greek First before session one, attend live sessions, do your assignments and submit every quiz — and you still can't hold a basic conversation in Greek by the end of week ten — I will work with you for free until you can.
THE GREEK GUARANTEE exists because I want you to enroll with complete confidence, not lingering doubt about whether this will work for you.
💲 PRICINGInvestment
Program:
10-Week First Day Greek — structured beginner cohort for serious adult learners
$1397
Everything included
What's included at a glance:
• 20 live sessions on Zoom — 2.5 hours of instruction per week
• Cohort with a maximum of 8 fellow learners
• Full access to course materials on our learning platform
• Read Greek First
• Clear Greek grammar curriculum
• Course-Steps program guide
• Weekly Work Recipe
• Sure-and-Solid Quizzes accountability system
• Learned, Learning, Locked retention system
• Study Strategies Simplified
• Resource Hub
• THE GREEK GUARANTEE
What students say
Your first day in Greece starts here.
This fall, two cohorts will begin their Greek-learning journey. First-come, first-serve.
If you want to learn Greek for real this year, be 1 of the 16 students to take a seat at The Greek Academy this year.
If you're ready to learn, the first step is a free conversation with me. This is an honest conversation about where you are with Greek, where you want to go, and whether First Day Greek is the right fit for you. Whether you decide to enroll at The Greek Academy or not, I’ll give you my best suggestions for how to continue your journey with the language.
Not ready yet? Download the Free Guide to Learning Modern Greek and start there.
Questions? Visit our FAQ →