I’ve just done my 20 minute listen exercise in level 2. I was hoping that by the time I listened to #2 I would have been able to understand it but I found it so difficult. I’m so disappointed. This is the 1st time I’ve felt like I’m not getting anywhere and now that I’ve thought about it I feel that I’m worse than I originally thought. I’m hoping I’m just having a bad day but I feel so far behind even though I am doing the challenges. Anyone have any words of wisdom?
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I’m not sure if I have words of wisdom but I do feel your pain. Everyone has felt the way you do at different times on this language journey. Everyone is different but I would just start level three and listen to the first 5 lessons then maybe try lesson 25 on course 2 again then listen to the listening exercise and see how you feel then. Be positive and focus on what you have learned already and not on what you haven’t. You will get there. Good luck.
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I could be wrong, but I’m not sure that you are supposed to follow the meaning of the listening exercises. OK, they are words that we have heard on the challenges, but I thought that the purpose was just to be immersed in some high speed Welsh. I’m pretty sure that it’s not meant to be some type of test of understanding.
So please continue with the challenges. If you really want to monitor your understanding, why not listen to a just few minutes of an old challenge ( say go back 10 challenges to find one). You will be surprised at how much you understand.
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Your not supposed to understand them the first time, or the second time, or the third time by the 30th time you might understand a bit more. It takes a long time to develop the listening skill, which comes before the understanding skill, which is what you are doing every listen, so don’t worry about it. I spent a loty of tiem with these exercises, but they do help with a lot of time.
Just keep at it, listen to Radio Cymru too and eventually more and more makes sense. Just organise some listening time regularly, but don’t worry about making progress, and then one day you will realise how much you’ve improved.I took me about 18 months of Radio Cymru before I could properly understand the presenters and I still struggle with Post Prynhawn.
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@sharonmaslingjones Don’t be discouraged! We all have days that we feel like we’re not getting anywhere or even going backwards. And you’re not meant to understand the listening exercises right away - just keep letting them wash over you and eventually you’ll discover you are picking out bits of it. I’ve been learning for three years now, and some days I’m so thrilled with what I can understand, and other days I feel like I can’t understand much of anything. Listening comprehension is the hardest part, I think. Especially at chipmunk speed! Dal ati! (Keep going!) and keep smiling! 
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Thank you. I do listen to radio cymru as often as possible and I do pick up a few things. x
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Thanks all! x x x
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Listening is by far the hardest part of learning a language. I’ve thought about this a lot over the time I’ve been learning, plus previous (unsuccessful) language learning experiences, and here are my thoughts as to why:
Speaking is active. We are thinking and we can channel that thought into an outcome. We want to say “I think that the Welsh language is perfect” we can break it up and think about each part in turn. We can then formulate “dwi’n meddwl…mai/taw/bod…yr iaith Gymraeg…yn berffaith”. The pauses can be long or short and often aren’t noticeable.
Listening on the other hand is much harder. Its passive and active. If it becomes active it can get in the way. Like this; we hear “dwi’n meddwl bod yr iaith Gymraeg yn berffaith” but what we do is: “dwi’n meddwl-” oh I recognise that, It means “I think” oh wait not listening “-berffaith” dammit I’ve missed the middle.
I learnt that listening requires a lot of just letting it wash over me. Having Radio Cymru on but not really understanding. Then eventually there are those moments when you realise you’re agreeing or disagreeing with something or you’re laughing at a joke. Then you realise…I’m understanding!
Listen all the time to something. Don’t worry that you don’t understand. Conversations are easier than just listening because you’re engaged and know the context.
I hope this helps!
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This is actually in Level 2 - that’s not a typo?
So you realise those are at 3x speed, right?!
There’d be something VERY strange about your brain if you could understand those before you’ve spent much more time listening to them!
You’re doing fine. In fact, you’re doing better than fine, because you’re doing the exercises (tough as they are) which you’ve been told to do. You’re going to come out of this with flying colours… 
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Cheers Aran! x
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I know what you mean. But I have had to listen to each challenge several times and I have found each time I remember a bit more. I know the words if I think about them but the thing Im finding difficult is listening to the sentence quickly then translating it in my head.
@ruth-8 with the listening exercises, don’t worry about not understanding, and definitely don’t try to translate them.
Just let them wash over you and you’ll start to understand them in Welsh. You’re aiming to be able to do that in conversations where there is no time to be translating everything, so the sooner you can start understanding in Welsh the better. The listening exercises are designed to help you reach that point, so just relax and let them work their magic
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