Finding my way around

Hi, i have just signed up and i am not sure where to start.
I have been learning for years on and off, going to classes. At the moment i find it hard to make the time to go, but want to keep learning. I would also love to go over all the patrwmau again.
Where should i start on the course? Happy to begin at the beginning but can i spend more than 6 mins a day?
I got a relatively dysfunctional mobile and bad wifi (this is meant to be in my excuse) and i can’t find the course content. I downloaded the ssiw app, there’s only an intro and session 1,which isn’t opening. Could be due to our exceptionally bad wifi at the moment, or maybe i am looking in the wrong place?
Diolch am eich cefnogi.
Hwyl, Nicole

Once you’ve signed up to a subscription, you get access to all the course (Old and New, Levels 1-3 and advanced) as well as to regular zoom chats with tutors and other learners through Slack.

The emails (whether it’s via the 6 minutes a day emails or by another schedule) are called the ‘structured’ courses because they dole out the content in varying size chunks, and give you a few other tasks, but there’s no reason why you have to use the emails at all – you can just do the lessons (‘Challenges’) on the website or the app at your own pace - that’s what I did for the first two levels. Login into the website and go to the Learn tab and you’ll find them there and you can download them to your computer if that’s easier (though they should also be available on the phone app then as well).

But if you do decide to do it at your own pace, then I would definitely take the opportunity to join the Slack community because the tutor led zoom chats are really helpful. If you contact @Deborah-SSi on this forum, she’ll be able to set you in the right direction.

And, yes, I’d start right at the beginning with Level 1 New Course (pick either Southern or Northern). The New course doesn’t follow a traditional grammar based pattern - instead it aims right from the beginning at getting enough Welsh to hold conversations, so early on you’re learning the structures you’ll need for that (without having to worry about every little bit of that grammar…).

HTH

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Diolch David for your detailed answer. That’s really helpful.
I have found the old course on the app and started working my way through.
Though my former courses were all very restrained on grammar and conversation focused, this course is completely different. I can almost feel my brain being massaged and worked on in the process, and i haven’t left my comfort zone yet.
I hadn’t been aware it’s a completely different approach. I am looking forward to the experience.
Diolch am eich amser,
Nicole

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Glad it helped!

Is there a reason you’re starting with the Old Course? I’m asking because it’s generally considered that it’s preferable to do the New Course first (Levels 1 and 2), because you will be better equipped, earlier, for the Welsh you need in conversations. So, for example, I’ve read somewhere that people who went on a Bwtcamp (the ‘holiday’ where you’re only allowed to speak Welsh) after only doing Level 1 of the Old Course were felt to need additional vocab courses to get the most out of it, while those who have only done Level 1 of the New Course are in a better position because it concentrates on the Welsh you’ll need every day, rather than, say, exploring the details of every structure in turn, as the Old Course tends to do. (The Old Course isn’t nearly as ‘rigid’ as some other more traditional methods, but it’s still more so than the New Course, where anything that isn’t aimed at getting you speaking Welsh with real people ASAP is minimised.)

The general recommendation is to do Level 1 and 2 of the New Course to be introduced to (almost) every structure you’ll need in everyday Welsh, then go back to the Old Course where you’ll get a really firm revision of those structures.

But of course, it’s entirely your choice!

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Ahh!
On the app i only got lesson 1 of the new course available, but got access to all of the old course. So after doing lesson 1 on the new course, i went over to old course to move on further.
The new course definitely felt a different pace to the old.
I will have a look at the website on a device bigger than my phone and hopefully all will become clearer.
I am not great with technology and all feels a bit random at the moment. I was glad to have found lessons to get stuck into.
Thanks for pointing this out.
It’s great to be able to connect with people with experience. The robot-coach was also helpful.
A lot of thought has gone into this.
Hwyl am y dro

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I agree - the whole set up is really well thought out.

If you’re having problems technically then you may be better off emailing admin@saysomethingin.com who are best placed to help out.

One thing to remember — making mistakes is a good thing, because listening to the correct answer then correcting your errors is the best way of getting the new material to stick. So don’t get discouraged if sometimes the New Course feels a bit of a struggle. Everybody feels this way at different points and you will get through it!

Pob lwc!

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Helo Nicole! I’ve just checked your subscription and I can see that you’re on Week 1 of the new course now, doing Challenge 1.

You can always go faster if you wish, moving through the Challenges at your own pace, but you’ll be given 1 a week in the emails. Make sure you get into Slack early and take part in the online group chats. They really help to build your confidence in your spoken Welsh.

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