Hey all. I dont use the forum much but wanted to say thanks to all the SSIW team for getting my Welsh off to a great start.
Unbelievably, I’ve just won the Welsh Learner of the Year Pembrokeshire award! Really chuffed and it wouldn’t have happened without SSIW.
I even used one of the phrases in the new level 2 course to describe my son in the interview. Can you guess which one?!
Mike
Congrats!
Mae fy mab yn gweithio fel athro??
*fy mhab?
‘He’s a real handful!’ Lesson 1
Well done Mike. What a fabulous achievement! How long have you been learning for?
Congratulations, and brave of you to enter too!!
Llongyfarchi-blwmin-adau 
Agreed 100%!!
Gwych! What a huge achievement - which clearly wouldn’t have happened without your enthusiasm and commitment, so llongyfarchiadau mawrion mawr iawn! 
Thanks all
3 years Ruth. But I’m not a fluent speaker yet. They took a brave decision to award it to someone who still has quite a way to go on the journey.
Think they felt sorry for me because I told them it was hard to learn when i work in an English speaking work environment, live in an English speaking village and an English speaking household. I just talk to myself in welsh when I’m driving!
They took the deceision to award you just because of what you’ve said so that you could go further on your path even more boldly and with confidence. Believe me.
If this was the case then I (if I would compete) wouldn’t even have to open my mouth living in foreign country, not even hearing live Cymraeg speach, speaking totally different (really different) language then Cymraeg is and being the only one (to my knowledge) who learns Cymraeg in the whole country at all. Yah, being in English environment, living in English houshold etc … it seams significent fact to many people I know but, believe me, this was not the case. The case was your knowledge (although I dn’t even know how much knowledge you really have) and the courage to even go there and speak as good and as much as you can.
I have the same circumstances as you Mike, and also have to speak to myself when driving and walking… but the fact you have kept going for 3 years and (they DIDN’T feel sorry for you! ) won this award for your great progress really inspires people like me who have been learning for just 3 months. I hope to be as good at siarad Cymraeg as you are one day!
Thanks Ruth
You’ve made my day. Part of being a learner of the year is a responsibility to inspire others so i guess ive got off to a good start! Keep at it.
Da iawn, Mike!
I remember another SSiWer won this award a couple of years ago: Matthew Rempes. I believe I met him one evening at a Bootcamp…
Llongyfarchiadau Mike! Cyflawniad gwych. Da iawn! 