CLIENT CASE STUDIES

Listen & Learn: Hello Vivienne, thanks for giving us the chance to ask a few questions! Could you tell us a little about your story?
Vivienne: Sure. After retiring around 20 years ago, my husband and I started visiting the Greek island of Skiathos for our holidays. I have always loved Greece, but Skiathos was special – it’s a small island with its own airport, which was a huge advantage for us, as we had elderly parents in England.

Listen & Learn: Did you spend much time there? Why did you decide to learn the language?
Vivienne: Well, we made some very good friends on the island, and when the opportunity arose to buy property there we took the plunge. Living in Greece for a significant part of the year motivated me to start learning the language and I found a teacher who taught me the basics. She eventually left for America and my lessons stopped. When my mother-in-law and my parents needed more care, we sold our property and moved back to England. After they passed away, I decided to continue my studies.

Listen & Learn: What steps did you take to continue studying?
Vivienne: Initially, I started with Linguaphone - they specialise in self-study, but it was difficult to find motivation and perfect natural conversations with only the use of books.

Listen & Learn: So how did you find Listen & Learn?
Vivienne: I started searching the Internet and liked the idea of one-on-one lessons. When I moved to Swanland from Peterborough Listen & Learn was able to arrange another tutor for me.

Listen & Learn: What is your tutor like?
Vivienne: Anna, my teacher, speaks to me a great deal in Greek and I am improving in that I can understand a lot more than I could initially, and she is very good with the Greek grammar also.

Listen & Learn: What are your goals?
Vivienne: Not only do I want to be able to converse in a simple way, but I also feel that at my age it is good to keep the brain stimulated. I am not a natural linguist - far from it, I feel more comfortable with the sciences - but I try, and I am enjoying it and look forward to trying out my Greek with my friends in the summer!

Listen & Learn: What do you like most about Listen & Learn?
Vivienne: Although Listen & Learn is quite expensive, I do like the one-on-one tuition and the fact that my lessons are in my own home. I also appreciate the follow up given by Paula (my course coordinator), which makes the whole learning experience tailored to individual needs.

Listen & Learn: Would you recommend Listen & Learn?
Vivienne: I would absolutely recommend Listen & Learn to others. I am sure that if someone has a flair for languages and is committed, they could learn the language fairly quickly. In a week I’ll be away, staying with my daughter in New Zealand, but Anna has given me some homework and we also email in Greek, which is another feature of Listen & Learn that I like – the flexibility of learning methods!

Listen & Learn: Lastly, what is your favourite saying in your new language?
Vivienne: That would be “θα τα πουμε” - until we speak again!