Private Ancient Greek Lessons
Private one-on-one Ancient Greek lessons over video call, tailored to your goals, from your first alphabet lesson to reading Homer in the original. Every session is conducted in Ancient Greek from day one, using the living language method.
The Living Language Method
What immersion means in practice, lesson by lesson.
- Everything happens in Ancient Greek, including the talk about grammar: I teach you the Ancient Greek terms for discussing the language early on.
- I don’t stop the conversation to correct you, unless you ask me to. I restate what you said in correct Ancient Greek and we keep moving: it stays safe to make mistakes, and the confidence to speak grows out of that safety.
- You hear natural, idiomatic Ancient Greek throughout, with harder words paraphrased in simpler Ancient Greek as we go, so you develop an ear for good language while understanding everything that matters.
- You write from early on. Speaking trains you to answer fast; writing trains you to choose well. A favorite exercise of mine is composing a text together, with you telling me what to write.
- How I ask you to study between lessons follows the research on language acquisition: paraphrase over translation, listening for the memory that reading alone cannot build, returning to material on a schedule instead of cramming it once.
Every Level, One Method
Same immersion at every level. Only the texts and the pace change.
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Who I Teach
Different goals, one method: real Ancient Greek, spoken from the first lesson.
Independent learners
You always wanted to read Homer or Plato in the original, at your own pace and for your own pleasure. Whether you are starting from zero or reviving your Ancient Greek from years ago, lessons head straight for those books.
Seminary and Koine students
You study the Greek New Testament and want to step back into it: to hear the words as they were first heard, and feel what they carried.
Classics students
Your program taught you to parse and translate. You want to read fluently, prepare for exams, or bring spoken Ancient Greek into your research.
Homeschooling families
You want a rigorous, structured foundation in Ancient Greek for a younger learner, taught patiently and through the living language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any experience to start?
None at all. Complete beginners are welcome: a first lesson runs in Ancient Greek even when you arrive with no alphabet. Everything said in the lesson is made understandable on the spot, with objects, gestures, and pictures doing the explaining.
Which dialects of Ancient Greek can I learn?
That is your choice. We start in whichever dialect fits your goal, Attic (the language of Plato and Aristophanes) or Koine (the language of the Hellenistic world and the New Testament), from the very first lesson.
What pronunciation is used?
Whichever you prefer. Students are welcome to keep the pronunciation they learned, and I never make it a barrier. I myself use the restored Attic pronunciation, so you will hear it in every lesson, and for students who want to learn it, pitch accent included, I am glad to teach it.
How are lessons conducted?
One-on-one over video call, anywhere in the world, in 50-minute sessions paced to the student, whether that student is an adult or a homeschooled teenager. The content follows your goal: reading classical literature, seminary Ancient Greek, exam preparation, conversational fluency, or academic research.
How is this different from a university course?
Pace and method. A university course moves at the group’s pace and talks about Ancient Greek in English; here the lesson is one-on-one, runs in Ancient Greek, and is built around the texts you want to reach. You spend the hour using the language, not hearing about it.
How do I start?
Send a message through the contact form with your current level, what you want to achieve, and your availability. I typically respond within 48 hours.
Ready to Speak Ancient Greek?
Tell me about your current level, what you want to achieve, and when you’re available. I’ll take it from there.