When I was without voice (and it was quite often earlier in my life) doctors suggested me whispering does damage so better be silent then whispering at all. I found useful going to the forrest that times. It made things better so if you’re near some forest going for a walk (even if it’s cold outside) could do some work.
Pob lwc.
Oh, I didn’t realise that. Thanks for the warning. Well, in this case, Rachel’s coughing fit was probably nature’s way of telling her to stop whispering, so probably a good thing.
@RachelH: Iechyd da yn fuan!
Just an update.
Got my voice back after a tortuous week, but took a break on Welsh for my final uni exams. Decided my brain couldn’t cope with cramming all the maths as well as trying to learn a language! Now it’s the summer and I have some time I’m back at it, completed Challenge 7 today and will repeat some time before dinner so I can try Challenge 8 this evening. Trying to get through as much as possible because in two weeks I’m off to Gwynedd with my boyfriend and hoping to get by as much as possible in Welsh. His Nain has said she’s nervous to meet me because her English isn’t very good, so hopefully I can at least get through a cup of tea with them if we go to visit! A high intensity day or two is probably what I need but I’m a bit apprehensive of how it’ll go…
If that isn’t a chance for a Welsh learner to become a Welsh speaker, then I don’t know what is! 
Pob lwc.
Pob lwc @RachelH. Now you have all threads in your hand and a big practice opportunity at grabs so grab it with both hands. You will amaze all, believe me! 
And … His Nain won’t feel so nervous about her English anymore.
Nobody ever drowned by jumping in at the deep end with a language…
Very true! I’m more worried about if I struggle a lot it might set me back a bit, in terms of feeling dissuaded. I want to keep it fun for me, and I don’t cope well with failure…
Come on! There can’t be two me on SSi!
Now siriously, you’ll do just fine, you’ll see.
It’s very important to know yourself, so this sounds as though you’re being wise. In the medium term, I’d suggest very strongly that you try to reset your perceptions of what counts as ‘failure’ in language learning - because some of the most valuable and important elements of language learning look like ‘failure’ to someone who measures in black and white, school-marking kind of structures.
For example, and crucially, if you hear a prompt in English, say something in Welsh, and then hear something different to what you said, that is a genuinely important and useful part of the learning process, and will eventually lead to mastery - but for most people, it feels like a ‘failure’. If you can switch the goal on that single issue, and learn to roll your eyes in a cheerful way at your variations, the entire process will become massively easier and faster for you
Thanks Aran, I’m trying, but as a mathematician, if it’s not perfect it’s not right, so it’s well built into my psyche by now!
I’m still getting ‘gwella’ and ‘ymarfer’ mixed up when I try to speak now, even though I first learnt those two months back!
Just completed Challenge 13, by far the hardest one yet, having literally just completed it I can’t remember what I learnt anymore. Will definitely need repeating a couple more times.
Or you could trust the system and move on, and see what it feels like if you revisit it once you’ve done another five or six sessions…
As to maths - I hear you - but what about stuff like fuzzy logic and uncertainty principles and suchlike?..
Move on even if I can’t get 80% in time?
Yup
Have a read of this:
Worst case scenario - you move on 5 or 10 sessions and then decide to come back…
That was an interesting read, hadn’t seen that before. I guess I’ll crack on with Challenge 14 today and hope for the best!
I have a question about formality. Are there changes I need to make to my vocab when meeting my boyfriend’s (Welsh speaking, little English) grandparents for the first time? Just wondering if there’s a formal ‘you’ etc, as in French.
Also, how would I say “Nice to meet you”?
Feeling rather nervous!
Neis eich cyfarfod chi - northern
Neis (eich) cwrdd â chi - southern
Diolch! I actually know cyfarfod, just didn’t connect it in this context, so that was very helpful
Update: Just completed Challenge 22 (Level 1) and spent the day listening to Radio Cymru in the car (who knew you could get it in Manchester?!), as a brass bander and a chorister, today’s Eisteddfod coverage couldn’t have been more perfect!
My week in North Wales went by with actually very little spoken Welsh, which was a shame. Spent most of it up mountains where there were not many people to talk to! Going to the Eisteddfod on Monday so there’s still an opportunity. I just need to get over my fear, even struggle a bit with confidence when trying to say things in Welsh to my boyfriend, so strangers are a big step!
I did learn some handy phrases though…
Tyrd Meg, tyrd yma, tyrd!
Na Meg, na! Na!
Merch dda Meg!
Meg’s a spaniel.
Bear in mind that even though it’s terrific that so many SSiWers want to jump in at the deep end, using your Welsh with strangers in the wild is much easier if you’ve gone through the process of finding a practice partner and having gradually longer practice sessions
Having said that, if you see Catrin and me looking outnumbered by children in the Eisteddfod on Monday, do come and say ‘bore da’…
Tom’s working so I’ll be on my own most of the time. If I look lost and confused it’s because I probably am! Anyone feel free to come say hi, I look like this <- but in a flowery shirt and rather fetching pink wellies