I have been learning Welsh(Fersiwn y De) for approx. 2 years using your excellent SSW methods and recently used the language on a recent visit to my home town of Tredegar in Blaenau Gwent.My brother Gareth is fluent in the language so I was able to practice in my father’s house on the visit.My father is a non Welsh language speaker which we put to our advantage because we were planning a surprise 94 birthday for him and talking about who to invite,what time to arrive,numbers to cater for etc.We spoke about all the arrangements in the same room as him and the party went off well with him having no suspicions of the awaiting surprise.I also made use of my visit to Wales(I now live in Ipswich)to attend a Shwmae/Sumae day in Theatr Soar (Menter Iaith) in Merthyr Tydfil where I was able to practice Welsh and listen to local school children singing in Cymraeg.Also I am learning to sing the song Beth yw’r haf i mi and went through translation of it into English with the help of one of the local tutors.I also meet a person who won Welsh learner of the year 3 years ago and the tip he gave to me in learning was dal ati ,(keep at it)In all a very worthwhile visit to my homeland(can’t wait to go back again. Cofion cynnes Bob
That sounds like a superb practical test of your skills - huge congratulations! And diolch yn fawr iawn for your very kind words… 
You pay the price, I’m afraid. of admitting you live outside Wales! There is this petition - trying to get decent funding for S4C, which you can only get online, unless, like me in Scotland, you have Sky! Well, if you would like to sign the petition, I have sent an invite. If you signed already - diolch yn fawr! Also, Croeso to the Forum! It is a warm and welcoming place!
Learning a language is like learning to play a musical instrument - you have to practice every day.
I agree. I know so many who go to classes amd never practice outside of the classroom
I taught myself Welsh and went to a class to practice because I’d never spoken Welsh to anybody. In those days I used to do Welsh every day. I’m in Italy now and back to square one but I still try to keep my hand in. I helped a friend’s daughter write her doctoral thesis on the Welsh colony in Patagonia which gave me a great opportunity to read a lot of Welsh books on the subject. However, I’d like to speak and be able to understand people when they speak Welsh.