FSI Greek Basic Course

As the direct descendent of Ancient Greek, this is a language with a history of at least 3,500 years. Of course, the language of today is significantly different from that of Homer, Plato, and Aristotle, but in relative terms, it has changed remarkably little when compared to the transformations undergone by other languages over time.

Nowadays, Greek has around 14 million native speakers in Greece, Cyprus, and the surrounding areas – as well as among the Greek diaspora worldwide.

With its distinctive alphabet, Greek can be a fun challenge to learn, and since many English words have Greek roots, it will also give you a deeper understanding of your own language. Studying Greek will introduce you to the rich culture and traditions of Greece, and this free Greek course is an ideal place to start.

Course Details

What is FSI Greek Basic?

FSI Greek Basic is a comprehensive course that will provide you with a solid foundation in the modern language.

The course was first published in 1967, meaning it is a little dated now. It comes from a time before the “Greek language question” had been resolved and Demotic Greek was declared the official version of the Greek language, but it still contains a wealth of materials that can be used to learn the tongue.

Like other FSI Basic courses, it is a rich source of dialogs, drills, and audio recordings, all of which can help you master this fascinating language.

How was FSI Greek originally used?

The FSI Greek course was originally created to help US diplomatic staff prepare for postings in the country.

They would study these materials as part of an intensive course that involved six hours of class time per day as well as two additional hours of personal study.

In class, they were expected to speak only Greek, and even among themselves, they were encouraged to use Greek to communicate at all times. In this way, in only around six months, they were able to acquire the necessary level of language required to carry out their duties abroad.

How can you use FSI Greek Basic?

Although it will be impossible for most people to recreate anything like the environment of an intensive FSI course, it is still possible to make use of the materials to help you achieve mastery of the language. If you are already studying Greek, the dialogs and drills can be a valuable tool for practicing your listening and fluency while also growing your vocabulary.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a free online Greek course, you can use it as your primary study resource, to be supplemented by whatever other study materials you have available.

For further details on how to make the best use FSI Basic courses, please check out our accompanying post here for more study tips and advice.

Taking it further

Volume 1

Student Text

Unit	Audio
Unit 01	Tape
Unit 02	Tape
Unit 03	Tape
Unit 04	Tape
Unit 05	Tape
Unit 06	Tape
Unit 07	Tape
Unit 08	Tape
Unit 09	Tape
Unit 10	Tape
Unit 11	Tape
Unit 12	Tape
Unit 13	Tape
Unit 14	Tape
Unit 15	Tape
Unit 16	Tape
Unit 17	Tape
Unit 18	Tape
Unit 19	Tape
Unit 20	Tape
Unit 21	Tape
Unit 22	Tape
Unit 23	Tape
Unit 24	Tape
Unit 25	Tape
Review of Units 01-05	Tape
Review of Units 06-10	Tape
Review of Units 11-15	Tape
Review of Units 16-20	Tape
Review of Units 21-25	Tape

Volume 2

Student Text

Unit	Audio
Unit 26	Tape
Unit 27	Tape
Unit 28	Tape
Unit 29	Tape
Unit 30	Tape
Unit 31	Tape
Unit 32	Tape
Unit 33	Tape
Unit 34	—
Unit 35	—
Unit 36	Tape
Unit 37	Tape
Unit 38	Tape
Unit 39	Tape
Unit 40	Tape
Unit 41	Tape
Unit 42	Tape
Unit 43	Tape
Unit 44	Tape
Unit 45	Tape
Unit 46	Tape
Unit 47	Tape
Unit 48	Tape
Unit 49	Tape
Unit 50	Tape
Review of Units 26-30	Tape
Review of Units 31-35	Tape
Review of Units 36-40	Tape

Volume 3

Student Text

Unit	Audio
Unit 51	Tape
Unit 52	Tape
Unit 53	Tape
Unit 54	Tape
Unit 55	Tape
Unit 56	Tape
Unit 57	Tape
Unit 58	Tape
Unit 59	Tape
Unit 60	Tape
Unit 61	Tape
Unit 62	Tape
Unit 63	Tape
Unit 64	Tape
Unit 65	Tape
Unit 66	Tape
Unit 67	Tape
Unit 68	Tape
Unit 69	Tape
Unit 70	Tape
Unit 71	Tape
Unit 72	Tape
Unit 73	Tape
Unit 74	Tape
Unit 75	Tape
Unit 75a	Tape