Since 1995, the Ikarian Centre has offered intensive Greek language courses for non-native speakers of all levels, and special language courses for advanced students, on the picturesque Greek island of Ikaria.
The courses are intended for:

• Individuals over 17 years of age who wish to learn Greek or to improve their Greek while acquiring a deeper knowledge of Greece and its culture;
• Teachers of ancient or modern Greek;
• Interpreters and translators.

Since the summer of 2009 the Centre has also offered Greek – Turkish parallel language courses to Greeks, Turks and Greek or Turkish language students from other countries.

Our courses assist students in improving all their skills (listening, writing, speaking and reading) in the Greek language. Additionally, the Centre’s aim is to make  each course a cultural experience. Through a variety of guided activities (interviews, projects, lectures, pair work, etc.) students are brought in touch with the local community and learn more about Greece and its people.

Our teachers are Greeks who are specialized and experienced in teaching Greek as a foreign language. Our teaching method combines textbooks and traditional educational materials with other, less conventional sources, such as songs, newspapers, the radio, and Greek literature.  Each of these sources is used according to the students’ level. Emphasis is given to vocabulary and grammar through guided communicative exercises, and students also learn about contemporary Greece through texts and videos from the Greek Internet, the Greek press and Greek literature.

Each intensive course lasts for two weeks (40 hours). Class sizes remain small (2 – 7 students) and individuals are grouped with other students of similar ability. We try to keep our programme flexible. This means that students may participate for one, two or more weeks, according to their personal schedule. In addition, students can suggest alternate dates for a course if the dates we propose are not convenient.