Why someone would learn Greek? I've been teaching modern Greek to a native Brit for almost two years. John is a great student and basically my friend. He gives talks on flowers or birds in England and in doing so he loves throwing in some stories from Greek Mythology. The Greek language is one of the hardest in the world. It’s not a coincidence that the well-known expression “it’s all Greek to me” (it’s all Chinese to me, in Greek, “αυτά είναι Κινέζικα”) is used to show a total confusion. My friend is a polyglot and a lifelong learner which would explain why he took up a new language to learn. Why Greek, tho'? I couldn't help but ask. The Greek language, he said, is a fascinating trainer for your brain so it keeps functioning well; plus, you can make yourself crystal clear without saying more than the necessary. The truth is that the variety of Greek words and grammar forms for specific cases let us articulate our exact feelings and thoughts. These days, unfortunately, we tend to simplify our language to the extent that it’s losing all precision and magic. As a Greek tutor, I prompt everyone to use some old expressions here and there. For example, I suggest they use the expression “Εις το επανιδείν” (see you later) instead of “τα λέμε,” which is a kind of slang. By using expressions that share the same verb I can help my students see how Greek and English are associated with one another. In the word επαν-ιδείν, the prefix επαν means again and the suffix ιδείν derives from the verb ορώ that means see. Once the learner sees the similarity, it’s easier to remember the expression and dig deeper into the Greek language. John is far from perfect as a Greek learner, but he is a good one, despite his poor listening skills. He truly enjoys the learning journey and he’s managed to make himself clear by writing or speaking in Greek. Who is perfect anyway? Either as teachers or learners, we are all striving for improvement, not perfection. Day after day we are becoming more and more confident and comfortable talking to anyone at any time. We’re stepping outside our comfort zone and facing our fears. We’re coming closer to different people and cultures just to realize how much we’re alike. As a genuine learner, I always take any chance I am given to learn something new and make the life better for myself and people around. Einstein once said that when you stop learning you start dying. It’s an inspiring motto, don’t you think?