3 benefits to learning languages in Kara Tepe

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With the help of the Dutch Development Bank (FMO) we conducted a survey with our residents asking what they would like to learn the most, to help them reach their ambitions for the future. The results showed an overwhelming interest in learning languages! Education is a big part of our Camp to CampUs philosophy, so we were really happy to make this happen. Residents of our Kara Tepe CampUs have access to bi-weekly English and Greek language classes since the start of February!
We spoke to our language teacher Yiannis, to find out how learning languages can transform our residents lives in both the short and long term. 

Number 1 : Communicating on the Island of Lesvos. 

Learning Greek has immediate practical benefits for our residents, who have to interact with other locals who live on Lesvos. “The majority speak only Greek. Yes, English is taught at schools, but not by English speaking teachers like myself, only in private schools. So, with this in mind, the best way to communicate with locals is to speak Greek,” explains Yiannis.  For this reason, Greek lessons so far have focused on building vocabulary based around everyday words that residents might need the most. "Content so far in Greek classes has been from introducing Greek alphabet to the family members, places in a city, fruits, vegetables telling time and common daily objects in the home or the classroom itself," Yiannis tells us. 

Number 2 : Finding jobs in the future. 

Learning both languages, is not just about making day-to-day life easier but also helping our residents prepare for the future. “They will definitely need both English and Greek, because if they stay in Greece, the majority of career paths are in tourism or service related occupations as many of the southern islands of the Cyclades have all year-round tourism,” Yiannis tells us. 

Number 3 : Having fun! 

Apart from just being practical, classes are also a great pastime for our residents. "I use word games to make the lessons varied and enjoyable [...] Farsi speakers, which are the majority of Kara Tepe students, find it great to learn that some word and objects are similar in Greek and their native language […]"

Whatever reasons our residents have for learning languages, we're just happy to see a full class every week! 

If you want to help contribute towards expanding activities like these, click here.

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