Greek in Three Months (Hugo)

In preparation for a trip, I checked out several book and tape courses in Greek. The Hugo course struck the right balance between total immersion on the one hand, and just learning select phrases on the other. This series will give you a quick grounding in the language though it is not as complete as the Barron Foreign Service Institute tape set. The Hugo audio quality is much better than Barron's, and the speakers are quite a bit friendlier. (The Barron series sounded like it was recorded in a garage and the speaker was about as friendly as a police interrogator).After working with these tapes for about two months I went to Athens. I'm pleased to say they worked. People could understand me without trouble. However, one gentleman asked me where I learned Greek. I sounded like I was stuck in the 1950s. Perhaps it is the difference between Katheravousa ("official") and Demotic ("popular") Greek. So, I may have sounded a little stiff, but most everyone understood me.The bottom line: this is the best Greek tape and book course I found for someone looking to learn a lot of useful Greek in a short time. Highly recommended.

I have searched for a book/audio course that would teach me the language rather than help me memorize phrases. All the packages at the library were for travelers so they could make sure they "get a room with a bathroom." I wanted to learn the language to be fluent. This book/audio teaches you the language! It includes exercises, both written and oral, as well as an essential grammar section. The four accompanying tapes are very well done, easy to understand, and follow the 290+ page book. If you're looking to learn the language, you can't beat this course for the price!