In the middle of the Cycladic Islands lies Naxos, the perfect place to stroll along the beaches, swim in the sea, and get lost in the labyrinthine alleys of Naxos City. And for us, it was also the perfect place to immerse ourselves in the Greek language – after all, what better way is there to learn Greek than being surrounded by it 24/7?

We arrived after an eventful ferry ride and got to know each other at Μέλι και Κανέλα in the heart of the idyllic city of Naxos.

After the sounds of the sea woke us up, each day started with a 20-minute walk (or rather: climb) from the hotel at the beach up to the highest point of Naxos City, where the lessons took place.

We worked on our proficiency in Greek in the morning and spent the afternoons swimming and relaxing at the beach, enjoying the local cuisine, going on hikes, and exploring archaeological sites around the island.

We also took a boat tour around the island and learned some of the many, many words that Greek has for seafaring vessels (βάρκα, πλοίο, καράβι, just to name a few). But the main event was the gorgeous sunset (ηλιοβασίλεμα)!

The classes on Thursday focused on culinary vocabulary to prepare for a cooking workshop at Axiotissa. Under Giannis’ (our chef’s) supervision, we prepared stuffed zucchini (κολοκύθι), marinated artichokes (αγκινάρα), aubergines (μελιτζάνα) and more – and of course enjoyed the delicious result afterwards.

Throughout the week, we worked on a bingo assignment with words for local specialties and other related themes, to encourage us to explore the island’s culture and talk with locals. Melvin presented an impressive collection of material evidence and was crowned the winner of the Naxos bingo.

Check out this short video impression (credits for the edits go to Jaap) of the trip and stay tuned for the next chance to learn Greek on location!

Here’s what the participants wrote:

“A fantastic week that was fun filled and engaging. The course was run by experienced enthusiastic teachers using a variety of interactive strategies to encourage language development and talk. It was particularly great to be on a Greek island so you could practise, talk and explore the island through excursions and food. Thank you for a wonderful week!”

– Yasmin

“The Taalhuis course on the magical island of Naxos enabled me to grow in confidence and enjoy practising the Greek language in situ. The fellow students and the teachers were bursting with enthusiasm and positivity, which was highly infectious. I cannot wait for further opportunities to learn with Taalhuis.”