Easily done. Happens to me all the time.
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Donât be, Nina - speaking a new language with random strangers with no warning is the toughest gig there is - itâs much easier to inch in slowly by talking more and more to people you know, in predictable situations, until it becomes easy enough to take it out into the wild⌠
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If everyone on here knew the number of times I chickened out from typing in Welsh because I canât spellâŚcountless!!
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Could have been worse - I was on a years sabattical from Welsh learning in 2015, after starting SSIW at the end of 2014. I saw someone I knew in Cross Hands who doesnât speak Welsh and his wife who I had never met before rushed up to me and started talking in Welsh. I was completely thrown and not ready for it and I had no idea what she said but I just said âGwyddoniaethâ. I have no idea where that came from and I wanted the floor to open up in front of me.
I did say âthatâs science isnât it - not sure why I said that my Welsh is rubbishâ and carried on talking in English. She said that her husband had told her I speak Welsh, but Iâd known him for years and never said anything about Welsh so he just assumed for some reason. So very awkward to start with and ended up OK, but I never said anything in Welsh.
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What is it? 
To encourage people here is a recent experience.
In Corwen on Thursday I went into a welsh speaking cafe. We looked at the menu and spoke in English. It was obvious at least one of us did not speak welsh (Possibly 2!).
I went to orderâŚa breakfast, a baked potato with prawns, a black coffee and a milky coffee.
I hadnt expected the questionsâŚtoast or fried bread? mayonnaise with the prawns? Bread and butter or side salad?
i coped. I paid. I sat back down.
The food and drinks were broughtâŚthen the glorious momentâŚdach chi isio sos?..sos brown plis.
On the way out i cleared my tableâŚthe other member of staff who hadnât served us thanked.me in english. Dim problem i said. Then she thanked me again in welsh. I did the same then we left. Hwyl i saidâŚat which point all three welsh speakers replied in kind.
Its taken me a long time to trust in my ability to speak welsh. It is so rewarding to do so.
(My edits are my inability to type in english)
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Itâs a childrenâs picture book
well today i am in caernarfon. Last night i stayed in a local hotelâŚup i went to reception and said wnes i bwcio stafell ar booking dot com. I received a blank lookâŚso said it againâŚand then came the reply âsorry i dont speak welshââŚfortunately the bar staff did so after a few drinks a little conversation in welsh
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I hope you took the opportunity to hand over an SSiW business card 
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The first terms that I learned were Bore Da and Pânawn Da. This was care of a council who required all staff members to answer the phone in Welsh. The phone answering went ok, but I was generally met with a wall of silence, until I repeated myself in English. This changed one day, when an S4C producer called asking to speak with a welsh-speaking colleague who, in his spare time, was arranging some Eisteddfod fund-raising events. He wasnât in work that day, so the producer decided to update me on things on my friends behalf, all in Welsh. I canât remember how much of the message I was able to pass on.
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I dont have any but i always mention say something in welsh
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That makes so much sense thank you so much for sharing this with me! I never thought about it in this way but you are completely right! I can imagine people who lift weights and fail get frustrated and work even harder to make sure that next time they can lift that weight.
I know that when I am given the opportunity I will be more determined to say more as I know how disappointed I will be if I donât especially when I am putting the work in now I am on the 6 month course!
Thanks again
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thatâs a good idea re prepare a few sentences in advance, it really helped me when i was nervous.
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