Cyprus-Forum.com

[Z4]

When are you planning on moving David&Angela? This year or next?

[maureenwilkinson]

Hi David & Angela
My name is Maureen, and I live just down the road from you in Durham with my husband and son - and also work for the NHS! We too have been thinking of moving to Cyprus for some years now and are now seriously investigating and planning the big move. We'd be very interested in hearing how you get on. As far as employment goes, what I have found seems to echo the views above - Limassol, Larnaca and Nicosia being the main employing areas. We are currently looking at Limassol/Larnaca as we believe you get more property/better lifestyle for your money - especially as we have a young son.

Good luck!!

[Oracle]

Hi David & Angela
My name is Maureen, and I live just down the road from you in Durham with my husband and son - and also work for the NHS! We too have been thinking of moving to Cyprus for some years now and are now seriously investigating and planning the big move. We'd be very interested in hearing how you get on. As far as employment goes, what I have found seems to echo the views above - Limassol, Larnaca and Nicosia being the main employing areas. We are currently looking at Limassol/Larnaca as we believe you get more property/better lifestyle for your money - especially as we have a young son.

Good luck!!

I don't think you need to go quite that far and exchange your son for property ...

[CBBB]

As the civil service in the UK only employ people that can't get a job in the private sector, it might be difficult finding work here.

[Milo]

If your not planning on living in Cyprus for a year or two can I suggest that you learn the language as best as is possible in that time, even if you do it from books and cd,s. This fact alone especially if you are one of those people who can pick up a language easily, will open some doors for you.

We took private lessons here very expensive on a one to one, classes of many don,t give you that special treatment though as they are not able but tend to be much cheaper. We have heard that the authorities here are now offering language course free (not in my area) and in these days of less money and usually starting in September, no excuses not to learn.

A nurse in the Famagusta hospital says they are desperate for nurses but for obvious reasons they must be greek speakers, so in many professions here essential.

Some good books available plus course,s on the internet to help.

Trouble is when you speak to most they talk great English. The Greek text books also differ quite a bit from the Cypriot dialect, and worse for me is they talk so fast IF they think you know the language. But it is do-able and you should imo learn enough to have good manners and ask for simple stuff in Greek because it shows at least some commitment to Cyprus. I am rubbish, but I always say thankyou in Greek Cypriot as I love hearing my favourite word here Parakalo! Which means either Please or you are welcome. Efforts I believe are always rewarded, its just some of us are a bit effortless

[Tim Drayton]

If your not planning on living in Cyprus for a year or two can I suggest that you learn the language as best as is possible in that time, even if you do it from books and cd,s. This fact alone especially if you are one of those people who can pick up a language easily, will open some doors for you.

We took private lessons here very expensive on a one to one, classes of many don,t give you that special treatment though as they are not able but tend to be much cheaper. We have heard that the authorities here are now offering language course free (not in my area) and in these days of less money and usually starting in September, no excuses not to learn.

A nurse in the Famagusta hospital says they are desperate for nurses but for obvious reasons they must be greek speakers, so in many professions here essential.

Some good books available plus course,s on the internet to help.

Trouble is when you speak to most they talk great English. The Greek text books also differ quite a bit from the Cypriot dialect, and worse for me is they talk so fast IF they think you know the language. But it is do-able and you should imo learn enough to have good manners and ask for simple stuff in Greek because it shows at least some commitment to Cyprus. I am rubbish, but I always say thankyou in Greek Cypriot as I love hearing my favourite word here Parakalo! Which means either Please or you are welcome. Efforts I believe are always rewarded, its just some of us are a bit effortless

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know if there exists a text book for teaching the Cypriot dialect, particularly at an elementary level?

I once asked about this at the Ioannides bookshop in Limassol and the staff there seemed to find this quite an amusing request, so I imagine that no such thing exists. I thought I would ask, anyhow.

[Nikitas]

Tim,

There is unlikely to be a grammar book of the dialect. There have been glossaries of vocabulary published, I will try and look them up.

My opinion is that a language oriented person will figure the peculiarities of the dialect easily once they are competent with proper Greek grammar. The only people who have problems doing it this way are mainland Greeks because they are "set" into modern Greek by habituation rather than learning.