Cheating?

Ok so I’ve just started learning Welsh, attending a class, and really enjoy this app, but I struggle to remember longer sentences and fit them in the time slot provided before the female voice kicks in, so I start speaking as soon as I hear the phrase rather than waiting for the bloke to finish the sentence. Is this cheating? Should I really wait for him to finish the sentence first?

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I do that too. My attitude is that the exercises are a practise of my Welsh not my ability to remember English sentences so I feel no compunctions at all!

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As Leia says that’s fine! I often got the days wrong (if there were days in the English sentence) not because my Welsh was wrong but because I couldn’t remember the English.

It’s more about the patterns than the exact words. How the sentences are built and that kinda thing.

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Yes I agree with you, it’s remembering the English sentence that’s the problem. Like ’ I am trying to remember to practice how to say something in Welsh’ for example. As soon as he starts with ‘I am trying…’ I kick in with my translation and kind of do it simultaneously with a second or so delay.

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Absolutely not cheating at all, in my opinion. :slight_smile:

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In fact you are learning a valuable skill! Simultaneous translators are much in demand!
Oh, welcome - croeso to the Forum!

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Lol yeah that had crossed my mind. Now I am reassured that I’m not actually cheating I can take your positive view and prepare for a very late career as a translator (though I’ll probably be dead before I achieve fluency - doh!)

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If you do all the SSiW Levels (and maybe some of the old “Courses” as well), and stick at them, you could be fluent much more quickly than you imagine. What will take a little longer will be building up a good working vocabulary. Even that might be sooner than you think if you keep at it and get plenty of exposure to the language.

Pob lwc! :slight_smile:

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It was only when I thought to do this that SSiW became usable. I’d had two previous attempts and had abandoned the method because if I wait until the end of the sentence, I wouldn’t be able to repeat it in English half the time!

So definitely not cheating at all.

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@annemarcellarayment all who replied here said it all so what I’ll actually say is Welcome to the forum. since you’ve only joned us 4 hours ago.

Croeso yma ac dal ati!

And … no … not cheating for sure!

Oh, and just to introduce “female voce” and “the bloke” … They are our real tutors of south or north version of Welsh - it depends of which version you took.

“Female voice” of the south course is Cat who was once also Welsh learner but today she speaks Welsh so fluently no one would notice it isn’t her native tongue. And “the bloke” is Iestyn who is native Welsh speaker, very passionate about teaching and learning languages, especially Welsh of course. Both also organize bootcamps every year (there are 4 or 5 of them, it denepnds how much interest is for particular one) where you can be very much exposed to real Welah in the wild + enjoy holidays. And … they are both excellent singers.

And “Female voice” of the North version is Catrin who is native Welsh speaker and who also, among all tallents she has, is an excellent singer. “The bloke” is Aran, Welsh learner once, now also so fluent I just can’t imagine he was learner once too and he’s the man who structured the course and who’s always here to check the forum and help people among all the rest he does. They both also run 1 bootcamp in North Wales every year and during the year Aran runs 5 or 10-days Intensive Welsh learning courses which are (according to those who attended them) REALLY brain melting and demanding in learning.

So, now you know … :slight_smile:

Pob lwc gyda ddysgu yr iaith. (Good luck with learning the language).

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What are these ‘old courses’ and where can I find them please?

So my voices are Catrin and Aran then! Its nice to feel they are real people, if you see What i mean.

Old courses were the original lessons that @aran used when he set up SSiW. I am typing this on an iPad and on this, if you click on Levels at the bottom of the screen then try sliding one way or the other. You should see Course (old) appear! @tatjana,would you explain for other devices. I am hopeless at remembering if I can’t just flip to and fro!

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Ah yes I see now, thanks for the advice.

Definitely were last time I checked… :slight_smile:

And a very warm welcome to the forum!

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HAHA! You made my day @aran! :smile:

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No, not at all and welcome to the forum. I often can’t remember the sentences and have done all the way through. when I sense a long sentence coming I do make an early start, especially when the new bit is at the end of the sentence. I think it’s all part of the SSiW process whether intentional or not.
Really as long as you can say those sentences after doing a few more challenges, it doesn’t matter if you are talking about a cat going through a window, when you should be speaking about a dog waiting by a door, it means you are using your Welsh to create the thought in your head, even if it isn’t the one intended.

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Haha and thank you!

I think what I like most about Tatjana’s excellent introduction to our esteemed tutors, is that Aran is the only one who is not described as an excellent singer. The absence of praise makes me wonder…

I’m sure you sing very nicely, Aran, but I now have a lovely image of you ruining some beautiful three-part harmonies by jumping in with some out of tune wailing. It’s not a fair image, but it’s mine, and I’m keeping it until I hear you sing. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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It is, sadly, not as far from the truth as I would like it to be. I was always very careful not to sing loudly enough to be heard during my short stint in a male voice choir (you couldn’t quite call it miming, but…).

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