Sorry, this is a longer post than I originally intended. I think I can finally say I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough moment! I finished level 3 at the beginning of the year but must admit I didn’t do as much as I should have afterwards, so started to go a bit backwards.
I’d been thinking since lockdown about doing a trip to Wales focused primarily on trying to speak as much Welsh as possible and last week I did just that. It definitely started off slowly, a couple of days in Swansea and Llanelli (also to watch rugby!) didn’t offer too many opportunities, and I was too shy to make the most of the chances I got beyond ordering a beer or food, or the odd shwmae.
I then went to Carmarthen and met @margaretnock who very kindly gave me a very interesting tour of the town, mostly in Welsh. I don’t think I necessarily gave the best account of my speaking or listening skills, but I understood more than I expected with my lack of recent practice - it almost felt like a reset button had been pushed and stuff slowly came back - I hope she doesn’t mind me saying, but can’t really thank her enough for giving up several hours of her day to provide me an opportunity to practice. It was so helpful, and gave me the confidence to try and speak more, initiate conversations and ask if people spoke Welsh even if they started a conversation in English. Without that I might have spent the week muddling through greetings and simple transactions.
I got more chances to try speaking as I went deeper into Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, though not everywhere I expected to. Please be assured I tried to sell SSIW to any aspiring or current leaner!
I had a couple of great nights towards the end of my stay in a pub, talking in Welsh to the locals and the staff. I spoke with one lady for an hour and a half about her former life as an opera singer. She was really kind to speak slowly and clearly with me and overjoyed that I was learning even though I don’t live in Wales.
The next night in the same pub I spoke to a local builder with a thick accent and fast talking pace. I probably only understood 50% of what he said first time round but he understood me and was happy to repeat himself. He was so enthusiastic that halfway through our conversation he stopped to phone his partner to tell her “theres a man in the bar from Yorkshire who’s speaking Welsh!” (I’m originally from Yorkshire)
Later on another lady asked me if I was the Welsh speaking Yorkshireman (I assumed that was me!), as I had spoken to her daughter the previous night and she’d told everyone about me! (Hopefully all positive!)
I was genuinely surprised, not by the friendliness, but by the enthusiasm towards me - an outsider and still very much a learner - that so many people showed.
I’m sorry, this has been a really long read, but the experience has genuinely made me so happy. I can’t thank Margaret, all the people who put up with my dodgy Welsh and of course SSIW enough. I really recommend people to get out there and try something similar. Its super scary but its so worth it
Shwmae @charlie-o, I’m glad I was of help, and even gladder of the responses you had later on. Dal at i, keep up the good work!
As a person who lives in Yorkshire but is moving to North Carmarthenshire next year , this was reassuring to read 
Thankyou for sharing your story. I hope this will be me one day! I only started learning Welsh on Duolingo 3 months ago and have gone through a couple of weeks of SSIW . But your post is giving me the motivation to start properly and get practising!
Good luck with the move! I’m sure you’ll have a great time
Recently I have been actively listening to conversations between some colleagues, who know I am learning Welsh and I allowed me to listen. I can pick up the meaning of the sentences, and can follow the conversation. Hoping in the coming weeks, I can converse with them. I have picked and inserted words into conversation daily.
And I have started to notice that I can translate words live, and speak them out loud when required.
Small steps 
This week I was in Llambed on the Ebrill Bŵtcamp where collectively we had some great breakthrough moments. For me the best was when a couple of us fancied a pint before turning in for the night and were under strict instructions to keep it all yn Gymraeg (does dim sneaky Saesneg!). In the bar the girl behind the bar understood Welsh but was reluctant to speak so we ordered in Welsh and she replied in Saesneg. Tables turned…bloke from Basingstoke forces local Welsh girl to understand Welsh😂
I’ve heard the legend of the pub where everyone ‘switched to Welsh when we came in’, but not the one where they switched to English! 
Not sure if it counts as a breakthrough, but I’ll certainly celebrate it as a small success: i did my first edit on CY Wikipedia
I’m a champion procrastinator, and to prove it? I have been using challenge mp3s I downloaded back when the first 15 were free… in maybe 2018? Ish? And I actually started using them seriously… at the beginning of March this year. (Not a total freeloader - I plan to pick up a year’s subscription when I reach the end of these files.)
But anyway.
The other day I had a kinda cool first. A family friend (English, lives in Caerphilly with Welsh wife and son) was on the phone and my mother told him I’d been learning Welsh. Immediately he grabbed his son and insisted he come to the phone and judge my Welsh. Mother handed her phone to me.
Two total strangers suddenly handed phones, awkwardly glaring at parents (I assume friend’s son was glaring too - I couldn’t see him).
I managed to admit dw i wedi bod yn dysgu Cymraeg uh… am biti mis.
He said hey, that’s good Welsh! (Not good enough he felt he could reply to me yn Gymraeg, I guess…)
I said diolch yn fawr.
Then I was done, completely froze, handed the phone back to my mother.
I feel more than a bit of a dork for dropping the conversation like a hot potato, but you know what? I spoke Welsh to a real live Welsh person and he didn’t laugh! He said it was good!
Yay
That’s a brilliant start @verity-davey! And hopefully you’ll get to meet him sometime in the future and you’ll be able to say a lot more than that by then. Da iawn ti! 
I had a brief conversation and was recommended two books in the bookshop at the Canolfan Owain Glyndŵr this week. It’s a real success somewhat diminished because in the week I’ve been here it’s the only conversation I’ve had in Welsh. I’ve attempted to initiate others but I don’t even know whether the people I was speaking to were Welsh, let alone Welsh speaking. Going to buy one of those badges for the next time I’m in Wales.
I’ve been able to think of ways to say most simple sentences around the house to my welsh speaking partner successfully!
On a recent visit to Saint Fagans, I was speaking to the guide in English when I turned to my son and said “mae hi’n ddiddorol”. The guide heard and that sparked my first Welsh conversation “in the wild”.
Echoing some of the comments much further up the thread, I was watching S4C about a week ago with the subtitles on as always. Usually I can only pick out the odd word or phrase in Welsh but this time I understood enough to notice what the subtitles had left out.
Sounds like you’re flying!
It is wonderful to hear about everyone’s successes - big and small!
I travelled solo to Wales in May and forced myself to go up to strangers and start a conversation. I was actually surprised that a number of people didn’t speak Welsh at all (!) but those that did were more than happy to speak ever to slowly with me. “Fedri di ddeud o eto bach yn arafach?”!! and were very complimentary and encouraging. It was a great experience and helped me build confidence.
Cheers, everyone!
I particulularly like the point where you catch yourself using a word you didn’t know you knew! Most recently adlewyrchu.
I did immediately relause I couldnkt spell it might you!
I feel like I’ve just levelled up… There’s a group on Facebook called Gramadeg y Gymraeg or something, where native speakers and some frighteningly fluent learners discuss Welsh, in Welsh. It’s a mix of “I know how to say this in street Welsh, but how do I make it literary?” and “I’m trying to translate, and what on earth would X be in idiomatic, natural Welsh?” and I mostly just lurk.
Anyway: Hedd Gwynfor (yes - or should I say Yes? - that Hedd Gwynfor) asked a question on the group, in Welsh, about Welsh, that I was able to answer for him, about Welsh, in Welsh. Using knowledge* gleaned from this fair forum. Teimlo’n smỳg.
* Tiny questions with quick answers - continuing thread - #7083 by garethrking
That’s pretty flippin’ awesome - Street English
Many congratulations on your fine achievement - Literary English
Kudos! (I just lurk in that group - wouldn’t have the confidence to actually post anything!)
I normally just lurk… I find some of the discourse interesting and some faintly terrifying