Meet Angeliki Koureta
The teacher and founder behind Avdi
I am Angeliki Koureta, a native Greek speaker based in Athens, a Greek language teacher, and the founder of Avdi Academy.
As a Greek language teacher, I teach Modern Greek as a second or foreign language to adult learners from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Alongside my teaching, my academic background combines Greek Philology, language teaching, and creative writing, while my professional experience focuses on adult education, language learning, and educational programme development.
These academic and professional experiences led me to create Avdi from a simple conviction: learning Greek can be academically rigorous while remaining closely connected to the language people live, speak, write, and experience.
Academic Background
My academic background is rooted in Greek Philology, with a specialization in Classical Philology. I hold a BA in Greek Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
I later completed an MA in Teaching Greek as a Second or Foreign Language at the University of Nicosia, with distinction. My studies also include a Master’s degree in Creative Writing, which complements my academic training in language and literature.
Alongside my university studies, I have taken part in a number of extended professional training programmes. These have included specialised training in adult education, as well as further seminars related to teaching, education, and language learning.
This combination of academic study and continuing professional development informs the way I approach the teaching of Greek to adult learners.
Professional Experience
For more than seven years, I have taught Modern Greek to adult learners from different countries and linguistic backgrounds, working with students from A1 to C2. Over this time, I have developed extensive experience in adapting language teaching to different learning needs and backgrounds.
Earlier in my career, I spent 3.5 years as Head of Education in an NGO, where I taught Greek to refugees and migrants while also contributing to the development and coordination of educational programmes. In this role, I also took part in European Erasmus+ programmes focused on language learning, adult education, and integration.
Alongside this work, I have participated in teacher training programmes at the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus. I have also contributed to the development of Greek language teaching materials for both adults and teenagers.
My professional experience has therefore brought together teaching, educational programme development, teacher training, and materials development. In addition, I am a member of the Body of Assessors for the Greek Language Proficiency examinations for citizens of non-EU countries seeking long-term resident status.
How I Teach
My teaching approach is structured and communicative. From the very beginning, I combine real-life language use with clear grammar support.
For meaningful progress, learners need both a clear learning path and regular opportunities to use Greek in context. Grammar is important; however, it becomes much more useful when learners understand how and why it works in real communication.
Language, Culture & the Arts
Language learning does not take place through grammar and vocabulary alone. For this reason, my lessons combine clear grammar support with authentic language and carefully selected material from Greek culture and the arts.
Literature, film, music, visual art, creative writing, stories, and contemporary cultural topics can all become part of the learning process. Through these materials, learners encounter Greek as a living language while developing vocabulary, interpreting ideas, expressing opinions, and noticing cultural references.
Rather than using these materials simply to make lessons more entertaining, I use them to create meaningful contexts for communication. In this way, students can explore ideas, experiment with language, and connect what they learn with the wider cultural context in which Greek is used.
Learning Through Play
Games and playful activities also have a place in my teaching when they serve a clear learning purpose. They provide opportunities to practise language repeatedly, interact spontaneously, experiment with meaning, and use Greek with greater ease.
The same principle applies to creative and analytical activities. These encourage learners to move beyond simply understanding Greek and towards actively using it.
Depending on the level and learning objective, a lesson may involve discussing a film scene, exploring a literary text, responding to a song, interpreting an image, or producing a piece of creative writing in Greek.
Supporting Adult Learners
My experience working with learners from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds allows me to adapt my teaching to individual needs while maintaining a clear learning path. This approach helps me create a learning environment where students feel supported, challenged, and able to progress steadily at their own pace.
Ultimately, I specialize in guiding adult learners from beginner (A1) to advanced (C2), helping them develop confidence in speaking, understanding, and using Greek in real-life contexts.
The Approach Behind Avdi
I created Avdi to offer adult learners a different way of approaching Greek. The approach goes beyond isolated grammar exercises and memorised phrases.
Language does not exist separately from the culture, stories, ideas, and people who use it. For this reason, the arts and culture are not an additional feature of the Avdi approach. They are an integral part of how I explore the language with my students.
I draw on literature, film, music, visual art, storytelling, creative writing, history, contemporary culture, and the many forms of expression through which people use and experience Greek.
This gives learners opportunities to encounter Greek from different perspectives. They can work with the language in ways that are meaningful, intellectually engaging, and connected to real communication.
The aim is not simply to memorise vocabulary or complete grammar exercises. I encourage learners to understand how Greek works, notice how meaning is created in different contexts, engage with Greek cultural material, and gradually develop their own voice in the language.
Learning Greek as an Adult
Adult learners bring their own experiences, languages, expectations, and ways of learning to the classroom. I believe these should be treated as strengths rather than obstacles.
Learning a new language as an adult requires structure. It also requires patience, meaningful practice, and a learning environment where mistakes are treated as a natural part of progress.
My role is to provide that structure while helping each learner develop greater independence and confidence in using Greek.
Whether a student is beginning Greek from scratch or working towards an advanced level, the goal remains the same. I want learners to understand the language more deeply and use it with increasing confidence in real communication.
Why Avdi?
Avdi grew out of my experience teaching Greek to adults and developing educational programmes and materials.
I wanted to create a Greek language school where language learning could remain structured and academically grounded while also making room for culture, creativity, curiosity, and genuine communication.
That idea shapes the courses, the materials, and the way I teach. Greek is not treated simply as a system of grammar and vocabulary. It is a language with a history, a culture, a literature, and countless ways of expressing ideas and experiences.
This is the kind of learning I want Avdi to offer: serious about language, open to creativity, and designed for adults who want to engage with Greek in a meaningful way.
Welcome to Avdi.