• Maria's warm and engaging personality makes learning Greek fun and stimulating. Her enthusiasm and relaxed style of teaching instantly puts you at ease… more

    Julie Corbett, East Sussex

  • Maria's warm and engaging personality makes learning Greek fun and stimulating. Her enthusiasm and relaxed style of teaching instantly puts you at ease. She is skilled at finding out your best learning method and structuring her lessons accordingly. Her use of role play has given me the confidence to embark on a conversation when in Greece and I now can't wait to get back there to try out my new learned skills. less

    Julie Corbett, East Sussex

  • After three years of hard work based on Modern Greek courses, with a good teacher, I had reached a point where I could 'do the exercises' well enough, but I was still a long way from authentic Greek conversation. My teacher suggested I contact Maria Kontou… more

    C. D., Brighton

  • After three years of hard work based on Modern Greek courses, with a good teacher, I had reached a point where I could 'do the exercises' well enough, but I was still a long way from authentic Greek conversation. My teacher suggested I contact Maria Kontou. I've never had a lesson 'from a book' with Maria - in fact, lessons with Maria don't feel at all like lessons. She has a remarkable ability to teach by natural conversation but at the same time to listen carefully and understand exactly the key areas where improvement is needed, addressing them gently and thoroughly and almost without one's knowing. Maria is clearly experienced at teaching Modern Greek at the highest level, but additionally her breadth of knowledge beyond the language and her ability to guide conversations are striking. An engaging conversation makes the language stick more than any amount of rote learning. I can now say that I speak Greek - with all the mistakes and ups and downs that still implies, the good days and the poor days - naturally, not just 'by the book'. Always, my limits are being tested and expanded. And a bonus is that I have gained much more than just the language. On the way, I've discovered authors, movies, stories, slang, jokes, places, music that I love independently of lessons. Maria has turned something that had become a chore into an important part of my life. less

    C. D., Brighton

  • I've been learning Greek with Maria for just over a year now and feel very happy about my progress. She's very savvy about the way she lets you progress at your own speed but also pushes you gently on at the same time… more

    Emma Lilley

  • I've been learning Greek with Maria for just over a year now and feel very happy about my progress. She's very savvy about the way she lets you progress at your own speed but also pushes you gently on at the same time. She teaches with huge integrity and intelligence, shaping her lessons around you and your particular strengths and interests. She is always mindful of what you ultimately want to get from your Greek. I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience. less

    Emma Lilley

  • Maria's acute perception of what is missing individually in our Greek, which we study with her together, has been remarkable.

    Phyllis Preston and Euan Hill

  • I feel that Maria is able to tackle, with infinite patience, the particular problems in learning the language that I wanted to master… more

    J. B., Sussex

  • I feel that Maria is able to tackle, with infinite patience, the particular problems in learning the language that I wanted to master.

    I find it amazing that the simplest exercise can be amplified to cover extra grammar and vocabulary without resorting to language books - merely by conversation. Everything relates to life and; is very interesting and absorbing.

    Whilst I am far from brilliant at the grammar, I do feel that the emphasis on listening and speaking are a great help to me. The podcasts are good as they make me listen. I am not sure, however, that they would suit a complete beginner without a smattering of the language.

    I am really enjoying learning with Maria and feel very inspired to do as much work as my time permits. Maria has a very good approach and I feel that her teaching is tailor-made to the requirements of the individual. less

    J. B., Sussex

  • What has worked for me is learning the alphabet, combinations, form and how to read - it's really not that daunting! My pronunciation needs work, which I am sure will improve with practice… more

    Mike Rozier

  • What has worked for me is learning the alphabet, combinations, form and how to read - it's really not that daunting! My pronunciation needs work, which I am sure will improve with practice and use in conversation, but I am really pleased I have gone down this route of learning and believe works far better for me being able to remember words from 'seeing them' in my head. less

    Mike Rozier

  • Maria tailors each lesson exactly to my needs. As a beginner I needed guidance with everything - from Greek alphabet to basic phrases through grammar to the foundations of being able to hold a simple conversation… more

    Sean L, Sussex

  • Maria tailors each lesson exactly to my needs. As a beginner I needed guidance with everything - from Greek alphabet to basic phrases through grammar to the foundations of being able to hold a simple conversation. Within just a few weeks Maria has built my confidence, and got me reading and writing simple Greek. Maria makes sure lessons are enjoyable and relevant, but also makes sure that she encourages and sets a good pace to make progress. less

    Sean L, Sussex

  • Love my Greek lesson every week. Maria makes them interesting and varied. We don't just stick to one book and we cover lots of topics.

    I feel my vocabulary has really improved and I am becoming more confident at speaking it. We do grammar but not in a tedious way and I feel I am getting to grips with most of it.

    Dolores

  • Before I had lessons with Maria I'd done some evening classes and taught myself the basics from books and CDs. I don't find learning languages very easy, and in particular struggle with the intricacies of Greek grammar. I didn't feel as if I was making very good progress… more

    Kate Page, Brighton

  • Before I had lessons with Maria I'd done some evening classes and taught myself the basics from books and CDs. I don't find learning languages very easy, and in particular struggle with the intricacies of Greek grammar. I didn't feel as if I was making very good progress.

    I am not trying to pass exams or become a real expert, but want to learn enough Greek so I can have conversations and manage daily life while I'm on holiday. I want the process of learning to be fun, and not too much hard work!

    Learning Greek with Maria has been fantastic. I always enjoy the lessons, and my Greek has really improved. I think the biggest change has been to my confidence - I'm much more relaxed about speaking the language and giving things a go.

    I've learnt a thousand times more than I did from an evening class. Because the lessons are one to one (and because Maria is so good at it), I really get the opportunity to practise my Greek conversation. We've been able to build on conversations I do actually have in Greece - for example talking about my work, or discussing the economic crisis. This is what I most wanted to get from the lessons, and I've really felt the benefits when I'm in Greece - from organising travel arrangements to developing friendships.

    My writing, comprehension and grammar have all improved along the way as well, and Maria has provided some useful exercises and homework. She's also given me help outside of lessons, for example correcting sentences I've emailed to her.

    It's been great that Maria is so flexible about the pace and frequency of our lessons, fitting in with the amount of time I have to put into it. She is an experienced and skilled teacher, providing structure and focus but leaving lots of space for conversations to develop and to explore the particular areas I'm interested in. It's a really good way to learn the language! less

    Kate Page, Brighton

  • After just two years studying with Maria, I feel confident communicating while in Greece with day to day problems that arise and conversation with my Greek in-laws. (Who are all very impressed)… more

    Matt Norman, Brighton.

  • After just two years studying with Maria, I feel confident communicating while in Greece with day to day problems that arise and conversation with my Greek in-laws. (Who are all very impressed)

    Maria has a great ability to identify my strengths and weaknesses with the language and find the appropriate technique to focus my learning.

    The lessons are varied and tailored to my current needs, when she feels I can handle more involved grammar, she goes for the kill. Similarly, if I appear tired, then fluency and listening is more important. Maria has great patience with my Greek and is happy to correct my common mistakes with fun and real conversational exercises. Some lessons pass and I realise I have spoken for almost the whole session in Greek. Grammar is becoming fun now!

    I feel my learning is increasing steadily and the regular classes give me the momentum and structure to build my learning. I can see myself becoming naturally fluent over the next few years, even with limited time spent in Greece.

    Maria has made the learning curve a gentle slope rather than a mountain. less

    Matt Norman, Brighton.

  • Maria has been teaching us Greek for 3 months now. We are a retired couple learning Greek for everyday use on our frequent visits to Greece (speaking, reading and writing). Maria is a great teacher and has exactly the right approach for what we need… more

    Emma and Hans Wagner, Brighton, UK

  • Maria has been teaching us Greek for 3 months now. We are a retired couple learning Greek for everyday use on our frequent visits to Greece (speaking, reading and writing). Maria is a great teacher and has exactly the right approach for what we need. We enjoy her lessons very much and look forward to continuing until we are fluent. We are impressed that Maria takes account of our personal learning preferences and interests - for example, learning from Greek song lyrics - and introduces new vocabulary and grammatical rules in a logical and practice-oriented way. less

    Emma and Hans Wagner, Brighton, UK

  • I feel proud that I am learning Greek, even though I am still a beginner. It is a beautiful language although not always easy to get my tongue and head round everything. But I understand the basics and the structure of Greek, and my range of vocabulary is growing… more

    Maria Liassidou

  • I feel proud that I am learning Greek, even though I am still a beginner. It is a beautiful language although not always easy to get my tongue and head round everything. But I understand the basics and the structure of Greek, and my range of vocabulary is growing.

    What has worked for me in particular?
    I need a mix of method/study and conversations. So what works for me is to learn grammatical rules and structure, but also to have free-flowing conversations that make me think what I want to say and how best to say it.

    How have the lessons helped?
    The lessons have helped by providing me with the mix that I need. Maria encourages me to chat with her about all sorts of things such as what's happened in the past week, so Greek becomes a language that has genuine meaning for me. I couldn't learn properly without having that element of conversation. I also use the lessons to ask questions about things I am not sure of, such as pronunciation. Maria also explains the structure and grammar of Greek, and I feel more in control having an understanding of where everything fits. Also Maria is a lovely caring person and I look forward to the lessons in an otherwise busy life - I am doing something for me, that I really want to do, helped by a really good teacher. less

    Maria Liassidou

  • Lessons are fun, challenging and well prepared. Maria's intuitive approach adapts to my learning style and above all she is wonderfully patient.

    Avril, Brighton