@Nicky I am so very sorry your evening was ruined by a thoughtless hurtful comment. @siaronjames is spot on. You have done something truly amazing by not only learning to speak Welsh so quickly, but also by living your life through it. And rather than just enjoying that for yourself, you put so much time and effort into helping others to learn. You should be incredibly proud of all that you’ve accomplished. You are really an inspiration to me. Keep doing what you’re doing, because you are absolutely a winner! 
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Nicky, it’s probably just one thoughtless and insensitive person, but I’m sure it hurt nevertheless. To your audience here, you are the winner. There is, quite possibly, an industry of Welsh for Adults teachers out there in a bit of a quandary, using a slow amd not necessarily very effective method of teaching the language. You, we, are evidence, you especially, that this does not have to be the only way. Diolch o’r galon am weithio cymaint ar gyfer yr iaith, ac ar gyfer y dull SSIW. Thank you so much for working so hard for the language, and the SSIW method. Today, and tomorrow, you will still be an inspiration to many.
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I think that is a reflection on their poor courses/teaching methods and a credit to you and SSIW. If you only do the Welsh for adults course you would still be paying for lessons after 10 years and not be able to communicate effectively but perhaps if I am a little cynical that is what is intended? The answer to the comment should be then perhaps you should be a better teacher…
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Ruined what been a brilliant experience
This would be sad, Nicky, so I’m going to suggest another viewpoint which may allow you to look back at your experience with nothing but pride and pleasure.
Reading her words as you report them, my first and only reaction was that she was paying you a pretty compliment, especially as she followed it with a laugh. Besides, from my own fairly positive experience of Welsh for Adults tuition, I would be surprised if she or her colleagues feel threatened by SSiW and other approaches. The Million Welsh Speaker target should guarantee roles for all the many teaching/learning resources.
You worked so hard and successfully in this competition that I really hope you can either take her remarks as praise or, if you can’t do that, just forget them. 
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Difficult to know if this was a horribly misjudged ‘joke’ or a genuinely defensive sentiment. Not nice either way.
I think there are certainly tutors out there who are starting to re-evaluate what their role might be in a changing learning landscape. The smart ones will be no doubt be turning themselves into ‘facilitators’ - there to fill the gaps, answer the tricky questions and offer conversation practice and encouragement. Others may prefer to stick with ‘chalk and talk’ and I’m sure that there is still a market for that amongst people who are learning more as a social hobby without much real serious aim of ever using the language out in the wild.
Dal ati, mêt. This is just the beginning.
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Difficult to know if this was a horribly misjudged ‘joke’ or a genuinely defensive sentiment
… or just a compliment.
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I agree with you Huw, it’s a compliment - it shows admiration for what you’ve done in learning Welsh and inspiring so many others.
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Where is everyone? 
I’m shocked and unhappy to hear that - thoroughly inappropriate. Any one of the 4 of you could have won - you each had a clear case - and I’ve never previously heard of the finalists being told that they were in a ranking order apart from the winner. Was this from one of the judges? I think you should drop the Eisteddfod a line and let them know that this was unnecessary, inappropriate and discouraging.
Very, very sorry to hear about that thoroughly unwise comment from a tutor - please don’t let it spoil the memory of a fantastic achievement for you. 
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Well, @Nicky I totally understand you and maybe that’s why I (if quietly considdered and wished for a while) I never took the step forward and effort to enter. Now if you’d be a mean man (what I know you aren’t) this particular person would really be able to end jobless.
But, hey, no matter how bitter was the end really and your evening ruined, you have the whole army of learners behind you who you are helping, you’ve helped them or they hope you’ll be helping them in the future. Your work to bring the best to and for Welsh language is important and not the competitions. Competitions come and go, winners change and rearly who is really remembered in a time (except of those who are popular in general) but the work you do stays. Teaching people the language, organizng things, making videos which help the learners to learn more easily, this is what is important. It isn’t that winners wouldn’t do that too. All who go for this competition contribute their work dedicated to the promotion of the language but at the end all what matters is how much your work contributed to the cause of promoting the language and not if you won the competition or not. It’s the same thing as with finishing one school, university or whatever … at the end they ask what title you’ve earned and not how were the marks to accomplish that (at least this is the case in our country).
Howdver, I was not surprised about what you’ve said. When I visited Wales I’ve got a picture of what and who is important prety fast especially cruising around the Maes D so no matter how I’d (maybe in more or less early days of my learning) like to experience all these competitions, now I know I REALLY DON’T STAND A SLIDEST CHANCE! And here’s no need to explain why actually.
All in all, congrats @Nicky! You did well and remember, continuing the work you do will make you a winner anyway, being officially proclaimed as such or not! You know for yourself what you do and how much effort you’ve put into all this and you won already! I believe they at the competition don’t search for the people who are willing to learn language really and atop of all, really fast, but the figure who’d best promote their “show” with everything - appearance, stance, attitude and a bit of diplomacy which we, who are too honest, actually lack a lot, you want to admit this or not. But we are who we are, so don’t change! Be who you are and teach the language, help the people to learn it and … you are a great ambasador of SSiW maybe even in the World, not just in Wales being lucky you live in Wales … The thing I and me alike could never be …
BIG CONGRATS! DON’T EVER STOP WORKING FOR THE GOOD OF WELSH LANGUAGE AND BE WHO YOU ARE ALWAYS!
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Where is everyone, or is the party over? Just left Karla’s competition.
Hey Nicky,
Seeing your journey, enthusiasm…video channel has been a real inspiration.
More so than any formal tutoring…or tutor ever could…
The journey continues…keep going comrade…
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Helen and I were astonished at that. I’d like to thank you, Lara and all the SSiW ers on the night who were so kind and encouraging to her At the dinner. That’s the first time she’s felt confident speaking Welsh outside the house. Whatever the result on the night, you have now met someone who is personally invested in and inspired by you Nicky. Diolch am galon I ti X
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I bet she did well!
At least 20 people sang, Including one man. Three are through to the final tomorrow, but Karla isn’t one of them. It was her first ever competition.
My comment above was before reading the recent thread contributions.
It was really good to meet you and your young lady today @Nicky (sorry about grabbing you so unceremoniously 
). Your disappointment was very obvious to me but it was still very fresh. It’s difficult to gauge the intention of the statement / joke but stewing over it in your head wouldn’t be healthy. You’ve done really well up to this point and you know it, keep on keeping on.
I’ve never kept it a secret what I think about the DyF competition and this strengthens my thought that it is mainly a political decision who wins and that SSiW doesn’t tick their boxes.
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Well done Nicky! You turkey are an inspiration? Please don’t be insulted this is definitely not what I typed…you truly are an inspiration.
When I read what the tutor said I thought it was a compliment and definitely something I would have said as such. I think there is an element where The SSIW method feels like there isn’t enough suffering involved and methods in the classroom need to change. I think the comment was just an acknowledgment of this and the amazing distance you have travelled in such a short time. A compliment too for the whole SSIW team.
Anyway four out of four equals one doesn’t it?
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Oh who is through, can you remember? Bet Angharad (2nd Singer) is through
At least one Angharad. I heard someone say there were at least two professionals in the ccompetition and she wondered who would be the third to go through. And that was well before everyone had sung.
But you weren’t 1 of 4 in the competition, Nicky - you were one of hundreds, maybe thousands . It was the NATIONAL Eisteddfod after all. So 4th out of ALL the learners in Wales is an AMAZING achievement in my book!!! We are all very proud of you . Don’t be so hard on yourself! You deserve a great celebration, so make sure you treat yourself !!!
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