Berlitz Greek Phrase Book (Berlitz Phrase Book)

Rating:
Summary: Herete! Philo Ellenika poli!
Review: Of all the Greek language resources I picked up before travelling to Greece, this handy little book is definitely the most valuable. By using this book and having some patient instruction from some friendly Greeks (who will be very happy that you've taken the time to learn something of their language), I was able to go through nearly all of my daily activities without resorting to English. This gave me a much richer experience in Greece and allowed me to develope closer relationships with many of the locals I came to know. If you're going to ELLADA, please please please buy at least this one little book. Invaluable. Efharisto!

Rating:
Summary: The phrase book you want to have on your person in Greece
Review: One big advantage to the "Berlitz Greek Phrase Book & Dictionary" is that it feets easily in your back pocket, shirt pocket, purse, whatever. The key thing is to pay attention to the pronunciation guide (as you travel around Greece you can practice by sounding out words on signs and such). You will do a lot better if you can look at the Greek words and sound out the words rather than relying on the phonetic spellings in English. The first key section covers Basic Expressions, so the basics are up front where they need to be. Other sections deal with key areas such as Accommodations, Eating Out, Travel, Sightseeing, Leisure, Making Friends, Stores & Services, and Health. The back of the book has both an English-Greek dictionary & index as well as a Greek-English glossary, along with a nice little Reference section (public holidays, maps, emergency, info, etc.). The final comment is that you have to make a real effort to use what you learn because you will probably be stunned at how many people speak English. We just came back from a week there and we had no problems. Still, it was nice to be able to show I knew a little something and was not afraid to totally embarrass myself by opening my mouth. You might be using some other book to learn the language, but for carting around this little Berlitz book is the obvious choice.