Hello/Goodbye from Liverpool & how about a meetup?

Shwmae pawb!

I realise that it’s time for me to move on from SSiW’s spoken lessons and become literate in Welsh. I finished course three (South) a couple of months ago, and last week I completed Nant Gwrtheyrn’s Canolradd/Intermediate course as my next step. In June or July, I hope, I will be going to Popeth Cymraeg in Denbigh for their summer school.

I would like to thank Aran, Catrin, Iestyn, and Cat for creating such a friendly, good-humoured, and effective learning resource. SSiW has been the key to my success so far in learning Welsh, and I can see that it has done the same for many other people too.

I have one final point to make. As far as I can determine, there is no regular opportunity in Liverpool, where I live, for learners to meet and practice speaking Welsh. Every week I have a Swedish conversation (plus excellent Scandinavian coffee and cake!) at the Liverpool International Nordic Community, sometimes with as many as ten or more other learners at a time. It really helps. If anyone else from SSiW is interested in establishing something similar for the Welsh language, then please tell me. I hope to persuade the Liverpool Welsh Society to host learners’ meetings if enough people are interested.

Diolch o galon unwaith eto,

Meic Ff

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I would come along as it’s not all that far to Liverpool from Wigan. Certainly not as far as Wrexham which I have been going to almost every week since Easter.

I would highly recommend you visit the Saith Seren in Wrexham at least once if you haven’t already done so. There is a ‘sesiwn siarad’ every Monday evening from 7pm onwards and we have a friendly and welcoming group there.

I am about halfway through level 3 (but had only just finished level 2 when I started going to the weekly chat sessions. Regular weekly conversation meetings have really helped a lot.

Just through the tunnel and down the M53 (and a bit of A55/A483) or Wirral Line to Bidston and Borderlands Line to Wrexham. Closer from Liverpool than from Wigan and well worth it.

Pob lwc!

Bob Phoenix

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Bob,

Thanks very much. I was already thinking of a visit to the Saith Seren but your recommendation has moved the idea further up my to-do list. If you can go there on a regular basis from Wigan, then I don’t have much excuse not to travel from Merseyside!

I know of one or two other local learners who might be interested in a regular sgwrs in Liverpool. They are not SSiW users, however I will have an opportunity on Monday to ask them whether they would like to participate. I will report their response here next week. If we can assemble a critical mass of people, then a sesiwn siarad should develop a life of its own. Our weekly Swedish sessions have certainly done so, and I agree with you strongly that live conversation really helps a lot when learning a language.

Finally, do you happen to know how to send messages to people who appear on the SSiW map? It occurred to me that a personal message to each of the other SSiW users on Merseyside would be a good way of finding people who might want to practice conversation. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet worked out how to send a personal message other than as a response to someone on the forum. Any advice would be welcome.

Da boch chi,

Meic Ff

Update: Sesiynau sgwrs in Liverpool will start next year with a meeting near Penny Lane at 7:30 pm on Monday 11th January. The venue will be the Liverpool Welsh Centre, Capel Bethel, Auckland Road, L18 0HX. Thereafter we plan to meet at the same time and place every Monday evening. All learners are welcome. If you can already speak some Welsh, then that’s great. If you haven’t tried yet, then don’t worry - we’ll help you to learn!

For more details, including our email address, see the Liverpool Welsh website:

http://www.liverpool-welsh.co.uk/learn.htm