Anyone learning Welsh in Somerset?

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Hello I have just started the Southern Welsh course and I have to admit I am finding it hard. I have been following Iestyn’s suggestions to just do the lessons one after another but this causes me more frustrations as I then can’t seem to remember the lesson before!!! So anyone is there anyone in Somerset who is learning as maybe talking to someone will help??

#2

I’m sure @Deborah-SSi will be able to ask in the email if there are other learners in Somerset - also worth clicking on FAQ at the top there and then ‘Map’… :sunny:

In terms of not remembering ‘the lesson before’ - how many lessons have you gone through? The spaced repetition takes a while to work - so it’s normal to feel that you haven’t ‘learnt’ everything, because you haven’t finished the process of getting the memory built - but you will certainly progress much faster if (for example) you go the whole of the way through Level 1 and then revisit some of the first sessions you did than if you get stuck doing multiple repetitions of individual lessons because you fall into the trap of thinking that you need to ‘master’ any individual session… :sunny:

#3

There was some discussion about Bristol not too long ago, but that’s the closest I’m aware of. Meetup in Bristol

Flynn ended up finding a group at the university and was planning to get to the Chepstow meetups when he could.

I’ll pop a request in the weekly email and see if there is anyone else out there. Croeso i ti Glynsig! (And if you’re not receiving the weekly email, just go to FAQ and look for the topic on how to register :slight_smile: )

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#4

Thanks Aran and Dee…I am intrigued by the ‘go through’ the whole Level one in one go as that is a difficult thing to get lodged in my brain coming from the learn by rote old school way of learning. I would normally ‘master’ the sessions so this is a new way of learning for me but I will give it a go!!! I will look at the’ Map’ too. I am determined to know some Welsh before I go on holiday to Snowdonia in September!!!

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#5

Well done, that’s the spirit! Don’t worry about the mistakes - they’re a natural and important part of the learning process… :sunny:

#6

Hi Glynsig,
I’m in Somerset. I live near Cheddar. Happy to meet up x
Tammy

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#7

Hello Tammy
It was great to hear there is someone in Somerset!!! Amazing :grinning: I live in Evercreech which you may know as it is near the Bath and West Showground but otherwise 4 miles from Shepton Mallet…so not too far from Cheddar. I am a very new learner and only just on Lesson 2 Course 1. Where are you on the course??? It will be lovely to meet up so where do you suggest??? Are you happy to do homes or maybe meet part way which would be Wells maybe?? Let me know. Are you Welsh??? I am but have lived in England since I was 17 and I am now 61 :unamused: . Are you on Facebook or Skype???
Glynis x

#8

Hi Glynis,
No, your not far at all. Happy to meet up in Wells or Shepton Mallett. :coffee:️:cake: There plenty of coffe houses in Wells, and there’s that designer place in Shepton with a nice tea room I’ve been to.
Yes I’m Welsh, I’m originally from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen in the Amman Valley but I went to secondary school in Cwmbran​:hugs:. I left Wales when I was 17 too. I’ve lived all over but I’ve lived here for nearly 10 years now. I’m 46 I’m still on course 1 around about lesson 10. It would be great to practice with someone, really great actually. My Mam says my accent is terrible because I don’t practice enough. :zipper_mouth_face: I’m on Facebook if you went to send me a friend request, we could talk on the messenger thing or Skype to arrange a meet up.
Look forward to hearing from you :grinning:
Tammy x

#9

Hello Tammy

I am sure my accent will be terrible too. I have never spoken Welsh before and none of family do either. there are loads of Tammy Nicholsons on Facebook so can’t locate you. I expect there will only be one Glynis Sigrist so can you send me the friend request?? Then we can really connect properly.I don’t have messenger but I am on Skype.
Glynis x

#10

Hi, this is my first post on here but am just getting to the end of course one. I have always wanted to learn a new language but don’t know anyone who speaks welsh so i can only practice with myself! But i really enjoy it! Is anyone in Somerset of a similar level and maybe wants to practice basic conversations and improve together? Thanks :slight_smile:

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#11

@Deborah-SSi - maybe one for the email? :slight_smile:

#12

@gillianmacintyre - I’m in Somerset, near Clevedon, and have just finished level 1 and now starting level 2. I definitely need someone to practice with, and just some help getting some confidence in speaking to others would be great too…
Whereabouts are you?

@aran or @Deborah-SSi - does the weekly email/newsletter still go out? If so I’m not receiving it any more… can I please be re-added to the mailing list? :sunny:

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#13

@gillianmacintyre Hello. I am in Somerset too near Shepton Mallet. Whereabouts are you? You are ahead of me if you have finished Course one as I am still ploughing through it. But let me know if you want to meet up.

#15

I’m near Glastobury :slight_smile:

#16

I’m happy to meet for coffee mid distance with anyone in Somerset. Message me if interested :slight_smile:

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#17

I’m happy to meet for coffee and Welsh anywhere in Somerset - maybe we can get a little group going? @glynsig I don’t think it matters if people are ahead or behind - it’s probably best to have different levels - there are things from early level 1 that I can still never quite remember!

What about a meet up in Wells - there are some nice cafes I remember from my one visit…

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#18

Yes! Shall we all meet up together as a little group? I can do Monday afternoons, any evening or weekends and am happy to travel. Wells is nice :slight_smile:

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#19

There’s this in the FAQs:

I signed up for the weekly email, but I’m not receiving it - what’s wrong?
Most likely, you have a junk mail/spam filter that has been triggered. This is one of the perils of mailing lists.
What to do about it depends a lot on email clients, whether you are using webmail or whatever (and if you use a PC client with Gmail it can get more complicated) but in principle:

a) Take a look in the folder where junk mail and spam goes, and along with all those enticing offers for enhancing abilities other than speaking Welsh you may well find our emails are in there.

b) On finding the email, find the button like “Not junk” or “not spam”. That will tell the email system not to filter the email in future.

If you use something like a web version of email together with a PC version, if you do not find it on your PC you will need to also look on the web version of the email client. (General note: users of VirginMedia use a branded version of GMail and often will have this problem, as of course will gmail users). Also some people end up with additional programs that also do spam checking as part of their anti-virus software, so do have a good look round if you don’t find the email in the first place you look, there may be more than one spam or junk mail folder in your mail system.

If you PM me your email address, I can check to see if you’re still listed in the database… :slight_smile:

#20

@Samantha @gillianmacintyre That sounds like a great idea for us to have a Somerset Welsh group. I am retired so can fit in most days. I prefer days but can do evenings and weekends. @tammynicholson is also in Somerset so hope she reads this. Wells is prefect for me as I live 10 miles away and there are lots of lovely coffee shops. Costa, Cafe Nero and Coffee#1 but lots of small independent ones too. Coffee#1 started in Cardiff and is owned by SA Brains a Welsh company so an apt venue perhaps??? :smile:

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#21

I’ve pm’d you - thanks for that (and for pointing out the FAQs - didn’t think to look there!) :slight_smile:

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