This is a service created after the request of Elpenor's visitors for tutoring to help them advance their knowledge of Greek, especially Classical/Attic and New Testament Greek. - It is not for beginners. Please note: Lessons are closed for 2009/10. You can still apply, but for the next year, 2010/11.

Elpenor offers free lessons in Greek, which you can use to learn the Greek alphabet and gain some familiarity with the Greek grammar and the very logic of the Greek language. You don't need a tutor in order to learn basic Greek grammar. If you think that you do, please explain the reason.      Apply for tutoring only when you are able to read some Greek with the help of a dictionary, and you are also able to translate simple sentences from Greek to English. For example, if you can read and translate the sentence "ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν" (John 12.32), you are very welcome to request tutoring from Elpenor.

Requirements and aims of Elpenor's tutoring programme
 

Through the whole course you will be working mainly on a single text; this may be a Platonic dialogue, a New Testament book, or any Greek text you select. Elpenor recommends one of these fairly short (70 pages) and most important texts, Plato's Phaedrus or the Gospel of St John.

The number of lessons is estimated according to the length of the text you will choose. If your text is 50 pages, the course will be completed in 100 lessons. Following Elpenor's suggestion (Plato's Phaedrus or the Gospel of St John) you will have 150 lessons. Of course, you may select only parts of a work, if you feel rather comfortable with Greek and you only need a little help.

For each lesson you will translate in English a portion (about half a page) of the text, and each time you will discuss with your tutor this translation, even in its process - for errors, possible alternative interpretations, cases of a special difficulty, etc. This might involve also discussion on the deeper meaning of the text.      Elpenor's way of studying will reveal the connection between language and understanding, namely, what is lost when one is not able to read the original but only a translation. Broader connections with the cultural context (works of art, history, other texts, etc) might also occur. You can have an example of such a working if you read Elpenor's second lesson in Greek.      To finish a course of 100 lessons or more, translating yourself completely a Greek text with the help of your tutor, along with all the discussion during this process, will give you a great familiarity with Greek.

Elpenor is well known and highly respected for its quality, but you may have different needs. If you check the second free lesson in Greek you will know in advance what to expect from Elpenor's tutoring.

There is no class; it's only you and your tutor, which means that lessons follow always your specific needs.     You have to complete at least one lesson per week (this will help keep a rhythm.)     You need to have a word processor able to display and edit unicode Greek polytonic texts. (Read directions on how to read and write polytonic Greek on your computer.)

Each lesson costs 20 Euros (about 28 USD), which is a low price for private and advanced teaching. There is a 2-steps payment; The first step is for the first 10 lessons (200 E), and the second step, if you decide to continue (and if Elpenor accepts your decision), is for the full course according to the number of lessons left. Following Elpenor's recommendation of Phaedrus or St John would result to 150 lessons in a total cost of 3,000 Euros (about 4,200 USD).      There is only an 1-step payment if you choose a very short text or part of a text.      You may send your payments by PayPal or a Citibank check. For PayPal payments you need to add 5% to the amounts above.

Contact Elpenor to discuss your needs and request tutoring

Back to the free lessons

ELLOPOSnet    Contact   Newsletter / RSS

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-tutor.asp