Taking on the Greek language

"When I heard Greek music for the first time, as a child, I felt like the sun had suddenly burst onto the overcast sky of my country. I did know anything about Greece. Later, in my 20s and very much in love, I went on holiday to Paros and have been coming to Greece every year ever since," says Monica. The 65-year-old was among a group of other Swiss nationals who took part over the summer in a Greek language and culture seminar on the island of Tinos, organized by the Hellenic Culture School in Zurich.

The students - ranging in age from 35 to 80 - who responded to the invitation of the school's founder and teacher, Maria Skiada, all feel a strong attachment to the country that compelled them to take on the challenge of learning Greek, even though it has nothing in common with Switzerland's three official languages. They have friends and even relatives in Greece, they have...