Hi Aran.
Thanks for your comment.
Yes, of couse I will be happy for you to use it on Facebook, or any other platform or publication.
John.
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That’s so very, very kind of you - and hugely helpful to us… 
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Hi Pawb,
I have been listening to @Beca a’i phobl every week since it started too. I’m finding it fascinating.
Up until now, I’ve mostly listened to drama on Radio Cymru. I find that easier than news and other factual programmes - I think for three reasons. First, the actors tend to speak a little more slowly and enunciate a little more clearly. Second!y there is a storyline you can get hold of that gives you an ‘in’ to what is being said. And finally there is generally less technical vocab to wrestle with.
With the scwrs, every week there are new accents and new vocab to deal with. And most of the participants speak very fast indeed. But then there is that magic trawsgriff!
On first listening, I can generally get a gist of things though there are always whole sections that wash right over me. Then I’ll go to the transcript. I try and read as much as I can without the dictionary (and that is getting to be a litt!e more each week). Then I will plough through again and translate every word, making a note of those I don’t know. (I only use Beca’s translation at the very end to check if I’ve got things right, and again, more and more, I mostly have.)
Then I go back and listen again, and something interesting happens. Someone else described this too. It’s not exactly true understanding - more like a bridge towards understanding. Because you remember from the transcript what is being said, your brain recognises the bits of the recording that match those memories. If you heard those same words in a different context, you might not recognise/understand them (yet) but it’s a step in that direction.
Does that make sense? Anyway I think what I am saying is that even though my auditory understanding has a long way to go,this is still a really worthwhile exercise, and a fantastic resource.
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Having read through all these posts it must be good to know @Aran that your new project has been so well received and is proving so very useful to all the participants.
I’m finding it good also but may I offer one small criticism which is that some of these interviews seem to have taken place in a large echo-ey room where other activities are going on at the same time. Perhaps it’s just me but I tend to find this background noise a distraction when I’m trying to concentrate. Sgwrs 16 is a case in point but there was another early on in the series which is worse. If it were possible to have this born in mind I would be very grateful. I really need all the help I can get!
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It’s been hugely encouraging, diolch…
Beca has done terrifically getting to grips with new gear, but with the nature of her having to hunt for participants, I’m afraid it’s going to be very tricky not to have some sessions noisier than others - we can’t yet do what the BBC do and demand that people come in to a studio…
I’m sure she’ll try to avoid where possible - but in the meantime, if it’s any small consolation, this kind of extra difficulty is actually likely to help you understand people better in real life…
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Sorry if this came over as a criticism, which was not my intention at all. The whole concept of providing listening practice is immensely valuable to us all, as the comments show and I realise that the product is as good as you can make it and that we have a right to expect.
Speaking purely from personal experience, noises off don’t seem to be a problem when speaking face to face, possibly because the contact is visual as well as aural which perhaps helps to filter out extraneous interruptions. However when concentrating just on what I’m hearing in my headphones, sudden background noises have more impact, possibly because they’re both coming down the same channel as it were and so have more power to break my concentration. I hope this clarifies what I was trying to say.
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Just to say that I can appreciate that it can be off-putting, but as for me, its OK. As it adds to the realism.
Ive noticed that most of these types of recordings from other sources have fake background noise.
However, as mentioned, I can see how it could cause difficulties, so I’m happy to go with the majority.
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No, no, not at all! All input is always helpful… 
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