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!
5 Likes
Good luck with the move! Iâm sure youâll have a great time
1 Like
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 
8 Likes
This week I was in Llambed on the Ebrill BĆ”tcamp 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 turnedâŠbloke from Basingstoke forces local Welsh girl to understand Welshđ
7 Likes
Iâve heard the legend of the pub where everyone âswitched to Welsh when we came inâ, but not the one where they switched to English! 
1 Like
Not sure if it counts as a breakthrough, but Iâll certainly celebrate it as a small success: i did my first edit on CY Wikipedia
5 Likes
Iâm 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 yearâs 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 Iâd 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 friendâs son was glaring too - I couldnât see him).
I managed to admit dw i wedi bod yn dysgu Cymraeg uh⊠am biti mis.
He said hey, thatâs good Welsh! (Not good enough he felt he could reply to me yn Gymraeg, I guessâŠ)
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 didnât laugh! He said it was good!
Yay
8 Likes
Thatâs a brilliant start @verity-davey! And hopefully youâll get to meet him sometime in the future and youâll be able to say a lot more than that by then. Da iawn ti! 
1 Like
I had a brief conversation and was recommended two books in the bookshop at the Canolfan Owain GlyndĆ”r this week. Itâs a real success somewhat diminished because in the week Iâve been here itâs the only conversation Iâve had in Welsh. Iâve attempted to initiate others but I donât 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 Iâm in Wales.
4 Likes
Iâve been able to think of ways to say most simple sentences around the house to my welsh speaking partner successfully!
8 Likes
On a recent visit to Saint Fagans, I was speaking to the guide in English when I turned to my son and said âmae hiân ddiddorolâ. The guide heard and that sparked my first Welsh conversation âin the wildâ.
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.
4 Likes
Sounds like youâre flying!
1 Like
It is wonderful to hear about everyoneâs 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 didnât speak Welsh at all (!) but those that did were more than happy to speak ever to slowly with me. âFedri di ddeud o eto bach yn arafach?â!! and were very complimentary and encouraging. It was a great experience and helped me build confidence.
Cheers, everyone!
5 Likes
I particulularly like the point where you catch yourself using a word you didnât know you knew! Most recently adlewyrchu.
I did immediately relause I couldnkt spell it might you!
1 Like
I feel like Iâve just levelled up⊠Thereâs a group on Facebook called Gramadeg y Gymraeg or something, where native speakers and some frighteningly fluent learners discuss Welsh, in Welsh. Itâs a mix of âI know how to say this in street Welsh, but how do I make it literary?â and âIâm trying to translate, and what on earth would X be in idiomatic, natural Welsh?â 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. Teimloân smỳg.
* Tiny questions with quick answers - continuing thread - #7083 by garethrking
12 Likes
Thatâs pretty flippinâ awesome - Street English
Many congratulations on your fine achievement - Literary English
3 Likes
Kudos! (I just lurk in that group - wouldnât have the confidence to actually post anything!)
2 Likes
I normally just lurk⊠I find some of the discourse interesting and some faintly terrifying
2 Likes