About Me
Hi! I'm Stefania.
Get to
Know Me
I’m a Greek language teacher, a graphic designer, and a busy mom who was born and raised in Piraeus (Greece) by a Greek father and a Costa Rican mother. Speak Greek to Me is my project, a website that took me a lot of time and large amounts of chocolate to build and launch, so here it is! Keep reading to know more about me.
Get to
Know Me
I’m a Greek language teacher, a graphic designer, and a busy mom who was born and raised in Piraeus (Greece) by a Greek father and a Costa Rican mother. Speak Greek to Me is my project, a website that took me a lot of time and large amounts of chocolate to build and launch, so here it is! Keep reading to know more about me.
10+ Years of
Teaching Experience
My Education
Growing up being bilingual from a very young age and my orientation in humanities during high school, where I studied modern and ancient Greek, Latin, as well as other languages later on, formed the teacher that I am today.
The Start
My story as a Greek teacher begins around 2012 in Tokyo, Japan (it’s a long story!) where I started to proof Greek content for a well-established language-teaching company. Soon after, I started creating Greek content and lessons, and tutoring 1-on-1 for over 10 years.
Today
I really enjoy helping others learn Greek and the positive comments I receive keep me motivated. That’s why I decided to create this platform, because I wanted to form an international community of learners of Greek.
My Super
Powers
Communication Skills
Although I’m not a philologist, I never struggle to give clear, concise, and easy-to-understand answers to even the most tough questions I get from students. My deep understanding of the structures and mechanisms of Greek helps me to transmit that knowledge to others easily.
Multilingualism & Adaptability
Being a lifelong learner of different languages myself has helped me teach Greek being in the student’s shoes. I know the struggles of language learning so I adapt my explanations by using examples or concepts of the student’s own native language whenever I can.
Focus on Culture
Language learning is not just grammar, vocabulary, and skills. It’s also becoming familiar with the culture of the people that speak it and creating a powerful bond with them. I always strive to pass on cultural awareness to my students so they understand Greece and its people more.
A Lifelong Passion
My Language
Journey
Greek
Spanish
English
Italian
German
French
Japanese
1. The School Years
I became bilingual (Greek-Spanish) at around 5-6 years old. In 4th grade, I started studying English. That journey went on for 6 years until I finished middle school. During middle school and high school (6 years), we were taught French at school but the pace was really slow so I never became fluent.
2. The Roaring 20's
When I was 24, I moved to Vienna in Austria. There, I studied German for 4 months. Later that summer, I studied some basic Arabic writing in preparation for my move to Dubai. Learning how to write right-to-left was simply fascinating to me and it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be!
3. Lost in Translation
After Dubai, life brought me to Japan for 3 years (I told you it was a long story!) where I studied basic Japanese conversations, reading, and writing. It was by far the most challenging language for me, so I quit after 6 months of trying. Instead, I went back to studying German at Tokyo’s Goethe Institute.
4. Pura Vida!
After Japan, my next stop was Costa Rica, my second homeland I always felt nostalgic for. There, I studied the Russian alphabet and at some point, I took a trip to Italy to study Italian that a I always loved. At that stage I really wanted to study Russian, Turkish, Portuguese, and a Nordic language, like Swedish or Norwegian as well.
5. Back to Basics
In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced me to return to my birthplace in Greece. Despite all the restrictions, it felt good to be back in my home country. Being in Greece after so many years of living abroad has given me great inspiration to put into creating this platform, however, it’s been such a chaotic and busy time of my life, so I’ve set aside my next language goals for now. At least it’s for a good reason 😉
My Goal
as a Teacher
To be able to use my understanding of Greek as a native speaker combined with my experience as a lifelong language learner in order to help students of Greek learn naturally (as much as possible), focusing not only on grammar and vocabulary but also on culture.
My Goal
as a Teacher
To be able to use my understanding of Greek as a native speaker combined with my experience as a lifelong language learner in order to help students of Greek learn naturally (as much as possible), focusing not only on grammar and vocabulary but also on culture.
Extra Stuff
In case you are curious, here are some of the things that I like to do because they make me happy.
Traveling
Ever since I was a little girl, all I wanted was to go to far away places and experience the world. Sometimes I feel that a lifetime is not enough to do that, so I try to travel as much as I can as often as I can.
Arts
Music is by far my biggest love when it comes to arts. Listening to music, singing, or dancing, are all my favorite forms of expression. I swear there’s music playing in my head most of the time.
Sports & Fitness
Although I’m not a ‘let’s-do-yoga-at-7-am’ kind of person, I do enjoy running, exercising, sailing, water sports, and leading an active lifestyle… Well, at least I try to because sometimes, being a chocolate-eating couch potato also feels good!
Gardening & Nature
Starting my day with some gardening is my kind of meditation. It grounds me and puts me in a relaxed mode immediately. I just love being outdoors, hiking, or simply looking after my plants, observing bugs, or working on some DIY project in the garden.
3 Facts & 1 Lie
Flip over the cards to find out!
I've been bitten by a lion.
I almost got snatched as a child.
I can sing two different notes at the same time.
I can do the Star Treck hand sign.
And the lie is...
"I can do the Star Treck hand sign."
The truth is I can't do it nor have I ever watched Star Treck!
