The Value of Being Multilingual

Greek Language and Heritage

Teaching Greek at St. Nicholas William Spyropoulos School goes beyond language instruction. Our students strengthen their ethnic identity by learning the values and principles of our Hellenic heritage, making it a way of life and perpetuating the legacy of our ancestors.

Knowledge of Greek helps students decode unfamiliar English words, especially in the sciences, where many terms have Greek roots. This gives them a clear advantage in their higher education. Fluency in Greek also enriches their visits to Greece, where historic sites bring their learning to life.

Greek is taught in grades K-8, including Greek history, culture, and religion. We offer three levels per grade to accommodate students' varied backgrounds:

​

1. Accelerated Group: For fluent students, focusing on reading and writing.

2. Greek as a Second Language: For students who understand but are not fluent.

3. Greek as a Foreign Language: For beginners.
    

Students can move between levels as they progress. Additionally, students in grades 6-8 learn Spanish and explore Hispanic culture, broadening their cultural understanding.

A 2016 NY Times article by Katherine Kinzler, The Superior Social Skills of Bilinguals, highlights the benefits of bilingualism:

​

“Being bilingual has some obvious advantages. Learning more than one language enables new conversations and new experiences. But in recent years, psychology researchers have demonstrated …for instance, bilingual children may enjoy certain cognitive benefits, such as improved executive function — which is critical for problem solving and other mentally demanding activities.”

​

“Now, two new studies demonstrate that multilingual exposure improves not only children’s cognitive skills but also their social abilities. One study…published last year in the journal Psychological Science — shows that multilingual children can be better at communication than monolingual children.”