Shmae!
I started SSIW a few years back and stopped at lesson 3.
I’ve now began to try again and AGAIN find myself struggling with lesson 3!
I just can’t seem to remember whether it’s ‘dw I’n wedi’ or ‘dw I’n wedi bod’ and then remembering that for ‘just started’ you drop the wedi and just add in newydd…
not to mention that the sentences are so long I totally forget what I’m trying to say!
Urgh! Any tips? Or is it just a case of keep trying?
I’ve gone from excitement to feeling disheartened!
Diolch
Nicola
Keep going, but don’t go over and over lesson 3 - move on. The course is designed to build blocks and has spaced repetition, so if you don’t get things straight away, they’ll come up later. And often, things that stumped you a few lessons ago magically come out right when you come across them again.
Remember, you don’t have to get everything right to move on - mistakes are all part of the process.
For the longer sentences, although it’s best to try and do them without using the pause button, you can use it if you have to - just try not to use it every time or you’ll come to rely on it too much.
Most of all, don’t be hard on yourself - this is your journey and it’s not a race. Think about how much it will mean to you when you can have a conversation in Welsh (it’s not as far away as you think!)
I think everyone has more trouble with some of the challenges than others. For me it was challenge 4. I felt like none of it was sinking in at all, but I decided after 3 or 4 attempts that I had to just shrug and move on. Over time it worked out and did eventually make sense. So try not to worry if you have trouble with a particular challenge or word or whatnot - it will get easier gradually.
The other thing, and this has been easier said than done for me, is to try not to think of the challenges as a test. If you say the wrong thing, you haven’t failed or made a mistake - saying the wrong thing is actually part of the learning process with this course.
Actually, I’d say one other thing too. The point of Say Something in Welsh is to be understood, not to be correct. If you were speaking to someone and you said wedi instead of wedi bod, or vice versa, chances are they’d understand what you meant.
I work with someone from Germany and occasionally she words things slightly strangely, but no one cares. We all understand what she’s trying to say and no one judges her imperfect English. The same will be true for anyone you try speaking Welsh to. They won’t care if you make some mistakes.
The other day I spoke to someone in Welsh and he replied in Welsh. Hours later I realised that I’d completely messed up one of the sentences. But he understood me. He didn’t care that I flubbed the grammar. He got what I meant and answered my question.
This is all a long-winded way of saying imperfection is completely fine. Mistakes are completely fine. So try not to fret.
I’m a few lessons ahead of you Nicola and I must say I found the bod/wedi bod/wedi really difficult but it did just ‘click’ eventually, so hang in there!
I’m finding it very tough too. I’m on level 2 challenge 5 and am completely forgetting things from previously. It’s a bit depressing,if I’m honest. I’ll push on with it though and hope for the best.
Persevere! During my teacher training we looked at ways that the human mind works to absorb new information: if you revisit the same problem/calculation/word etc every few weeks, say three, it becomes clearer to you and retain the memory better each time (and progressively in less time, like two weeks instead of three).
I’ve just started this style of learning myself (lesson 2), and I can see that I’ll run into the same scenario as yourself/yourselves. But as already mentioned, it’s a journey not a race!
I would like to say that no doubt, over time you’ll revisit these bits and it’ll be really familiar to you, and then you’ll surely crack it!
I had the exact same issue as @xxnicola1987xx on challenge 3 and @sylvia-walter on level 2 challenge 5 and was left feeling frustrated but after persevering and continuing on, I now find they’ve clicked and I am much more able to deal with the longer sentences. Keep going and you will get there
Absolutely correct. Native speakers make plenty of mistakes, both on pronunciation and in grammar (and in no way am I restricting this to any one language), so don’t worry too much, or even at all, about being 100% correct.
I agree Alan. It is nice to understand the correct grammar but the main objective (for me at least) is to be able to converse in Welsh. Just listen to how Aran and Cat say things and go with them
Yes even some formal exams - in general, not just language, only require low % to pass. It was 40% when I was in school.
So I went through SSiW learning as I went and missing some stuff along the way. I surprised myself that I was able to converse fairly well with 1st language speakers part way through. Since then, for a couple of years I’ve been consolidating my knowledge and filling in some gaps at the same time as expanding my use of the language. As with English, driving a car, etc, I’ll never stop learning, but we all had to start somewhere.
So I’d say don’t set you sights too high, just allow the course to lead you. You can always go back later, Its not a competition, we are all different, but we can all enjoy the ride.
I am so glad I’m not the only one struggling, but will carry on, only at my pace! But I’ll get there. I love it when I get a sentence right. That’s what keeps me going.
