“My Athenian Adventure”
In 2023, I took a study leave to spend four months in Athens. I wanted to deepen not only my knowledge of the Greek language but also of Greek culture, and that’s why I decided to choose the “Alexander the Great” Center for Greek Language and Culture. I was a long-term student, but I wasn’t the only one—my classmate, also a long-term student, came from China. The reasons why students came to Athens were diverse: some had Greek relatives, others wanted to immigrate, some were learning Greek for professional purposes, and a few simply for fun.
My motivation was that part of my family lives in Greece, so even though I’m Swiss, I’ve been in contact with the Greek language and culture since a young age.
I started classes in June, attending lessons every day for four hours, often followed by about three hours of homework. It was very intensive, but it really pushed me to make progress. I began at level A2/B1, completed both B1 and B2, and even began level C1.
During this time, the school felt like a small family to me. It wasn’t just about language teaching, but also about the rich offering of extracurricular activities. These were a major highlight for me during that period. Activities included cultural presentations, museum visits, film screenings, occasional school dinners, and of course, Greek dance lessons. Every Friday, we had lots of laughs as we stumbled over our own feet!
My days were always full—on weekends I either visited my family or stayed in Athens to go on excursions. I visited islands and landmarks outside the city. For example, I went to Delphi, Corinth, and Epidaurus. Irini, the school’s communication coordinator, would sometimes send us emails with suggestions for plays, films, or special museum exhibitions. I made use of these tips from time to time. Irini was always a huge help whenever we had questions, and the school constantly tried to offer us a rich program.
Our lessons were always very diverse. The balance between speaking practice and written exercises was just right. Our teacher, Nancy, was very creative in how she organized the lessons. The same goes for all the teachers—lessons at the supermarket or in the park across the street with the school director were welcome changes that always brought lots of laughter. After school, I often explored the city or met up with friends from school for coffee or dinner. After these four months, some new friendships were formed, and I still feel connected to the school as a student today.
— Student at the Athens school, 2023 -2025
