Learn Greek Free with the FSI Basic Course
Ελληνικά
Learn Greek by working through FSI Greek Basic Course. Vento has 72 units, with audio repetition and pronunciation practice, at no cost. The State Department lists this language at about 44 weeks (1,012 class hours) to reach ILR 3.
Who this is for
This page is for someone who wants to learn Greek and does not know how to start. The method is the one the Foreign Service Institute used with US diplomats: a short dialogue, then repetition and pronunciation, until the lines are automatic. Vento is the same public-domain course, laid out as lessons you can do on a phone. It is free. It is not a game and it is not affiliated with the State Department.
The source course
FSI Greek Basic Course. Foreign Service Institute Greek Basic Course (first published 1967). This catalogue includes the units Vento has ingested, not a promise that every printed unit is present. This catalogue has 72 units.
The first lessons you will actually open:
- Unit 1: Greetings
- Unit 2: Introductions
- Unit 3: Numbers and Time
- Unit 4: At the Café
- Unit 5: Directions
- Unit 6: Shopping
How a lesson works
- Listen to the dialogue and follow the line that is playing.
- Repeat it aloud. The course is built on that repetition, not on tapping translations.
- Do the drills, then check pronunciation in your browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari).
- Come back to the same unit before you pile on a new one.
A fuller explanation of the drill cycle is on the FSI method page. Hours and categories are on the difficulty ranking.
How long it takes
1,012 class hours (about 44 weeks) is the State Department figure for full-time class to ILR 3, speaking and listening. Studying alone for an hour a day is a different pace. Use the number to see how large the language is, not as a date you will be fluent.
Figures for categories and class hours are from the U.S. Department of State, “Foreign Language Training” (https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training), describing full-time classroom study to an ILR 3 in speaking and listening. They are not a promise about self-study. state.gov/foreign-language-training
Questions
Is the Greek course really free?
Yes. Vento does not charge for the Greek lessons. The underlying Foreign Service Institute texts are US government works and are generally public domain in the United States. Vento is not affiliated with the State Department.
How long does Greek take?
Greek is Category III on the State Department list: about 44 weeks, 1,012 class hours to ILR 3 in speaking and listening. That is a full-time classroom figure, not a self-study promise.
Can I use a lesson without a connection?
You can download that lesson’s text and audio and play them without a connection. Pronunciation feedback runs in your browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) and needs that browser’s speech service, so it is not an offline check.
At a glance
Class hours
1,012 class hours
Region
Europe