When I tried it I got question 11 right through a process of elimination and it told me I should just accept that I was fluent. This is the point at which I started to think that it’s a blunt instrument!
I’ve wondered about going in at Uwch as well, but given that the last time I did a formal course it was for Mynediad I can’t help but think that this is going to be too much of a stretch - I’m guessing that they stress a lot of vocab and grammar which I won’t have, as well as the ability to write (ie, everything that SSiW doesn’t stress). But I’d be really pleased to hear that I’m wrong.
From what I’ve picked up on the forum there are a few of us wondering what about the same sort of thing at the moment.
For Cardiff, also, there’s the Menter Caerdydd website http://www.mentercaerdydd.org, which has lots of information about all sorts of things going on through the medium of Welsh, along with lists of Welsh-speaking tradespeople, etc.
Found out today we get night Welsh courses paid for in work. I did the online test and it came out as Intermediate so put in an application for the September start seeing as it’s free. After reading this thread, starting to think I should just focus on course 3/ consolidation and building my unbroken welsh conversations up to and beyond the 2 hour mark you’ve suggested, then go straight into Uwch for the 2015/6 term?
I’m not too familiar with the levels in evening classes (it’s been a long time!) but I’d certainly recommend that you push yourself, and opt for a level beyond whatever anyone recommends. You’ll have ‘technical’ gaps, but your speaking ability will very quickly be at least the equal of anyone else’s in there
You’ve done all the courses, right? So I’d do the last 2 sessions of Level 2 once a fortnight, and the last 2 sessions of Course 3 once a fortnight, and leave it at that for ‘work’ with us - make the rest of it happen over a pint…
I finished course 3 last September, and at New Year I went to a two-day ‘Cwrs Galan’ at the university. I put myself into the Uwch 1 class, more than a little nervous that I’d be out of my depth (since the tutor I had spoken to in September had suggested Sylvaen!). I wasn’t … not even slightly.
earthpig - why don’t you see if there are any one-day courses between now and September that you can attend, just to give yourself a bit of confidence that you’ve chosen the right sort of level (and that the content and structure of the classroom course is going to suit you)?
But I agree 100% with Aran (no surprises there!): go for at least one or two levels above what is suggested to you.
Haven’t done Course 3 yet, I’m doing that intensively this weekend, but figured that by September with all the listening / consolidation lessons and speaking practice I’m gonna be doing that I should continue down the intensive immersion technique and aim for Advanced. I really wanted to do the month long intensive Summer classes but could get the time off unfortunately.
Yeah the lady I spoke to at the Cardiff University Centre was kinda veering me towards Foundation too, but she did say I could change level if I wished to…
Didn’t notice day course, but will check out the website at lunch.
I told the lady at the centre what I got in the test, and then she went through some of the syllabus for Foundation but I’d done most of it. She spoke some welsh and asked me what she said, and although I didn’t recognise the patterns, I understood the meaning so she said I sounded ready for the Intermediate…
So far I’ve done, Course 1 + c1 vocab , Course 2 most C2 vocab , Level 1 (all South) intensively over various weekends since start of May. This is my second attempt at learning after an 18 month break, first time was over 9 months doing lessons daily.
Have you done any conversation sessions yet? That’s probably the last pain point for you before it all really starts to kick in.
If you could line up a couple of two hour conversation sessions, I think you’d very quickly be too strong for intermediate - but no harm in you starting there and seeing how soon you get bored, because you can always change
Haven’t yet, both my fluent friends have been busy or on holiday, although taking the plunge Monday and going to welsh practice in Chapter which is about 1.5 hours, and I’m having two welsh lunch sessions with my work friend. Also signed up to Ffrindiaith but no replies as yet…
Excellent, that sounds really promising. ffrinDiaith hasn’t got the critical mass yet to be really reliable - fingers crossed the new National Entity decides to help it grow further…
Your first few sessions will feel challenging and frustrating, but don’t be down-hearted - keep putting yourself into conversational situations, and the huge amount you’ve learnt will start to blossom.
Thanks, will do…Although, just found out you can buy the Wjec syllabus ( which they teach) in book and cd form. I was always a better student on my own in University, so maybe I can rip through Intermediate before September and go straight into Advanced…
The Intermediate WJEC book came today, and there’s no English, with a bunch of words I don’t recognise …Eep… hopefully the accompanying Cd I’ve ordered will help…
I started this thread a year ago. Here is an update.
I never did go to a class in the end - I took the advice on this thread and did things like work my way through Gareth King’s grammar books (sooooooo useful), go to conversation groups, go to Bw^tcamp (brilliant experience!), watch telly, listen to the radio, read (starting with Lingo Newydd and working my way up to Golwg and then novels - hope to be able to read Barn one day, but that’s quite tricky). I also had 3 or 4 lessons with a private tutor, who helped me out with some specific grammar issues and so forth.
I still wanted to do some kind of course, though - if only to help me to ‘dal ati’. I asked the friend who had been tutoring me which she would recommend, and we settled on ‘Gloywi iaith’, which is a post-Uwch course concentrating on grammar and formal written Welsh (right up my street!)
I’ve just been to book, and on the form you have to click on your level of spoken Welsh. There are three options: no Welsh at all; some Welsh, but not fluent; fluent Welsh. So I clicked on ‘fluent Welsh’. That felt weird! I’d describe myself as ‘bron rhugl’ but that option was probably the closest.
So there we are - two years, no formal classes, and it’s possible to become a fluent speaker. I still wouldn’t be able to hold down a job in Welsh, or whatever, but in social situations I’m perfectly fine, and I’m going to continue to work at it and improve.
It’s quite a highbrow literary/art magazine. I got a subscription for Angharad for her birthday last year, so it’s knocking around the house (but it’ll be a while before I’m ready to tackle it) http://www.cylchgrawnbarn.com
