Helo Shwmae, Starting Again

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Noswaith Dda pawb

This is my second time of using SSIW.
I started this a few years ago and got as far as lesson 4 on the old course,(south) and just faded away.
A little introduction about myself.

Living in Carmarthenshire, proud Cymro, proud of our heritage, our history, and that we still have a language in use from over 1500 years or so.
The more I read and read about our history the more I’m interested in getting back on track with learning the language.

I think I am a perfectionist and often panic about not getting things perfectly right. Which is probably what has been putting me off in the past.
However I understand one of the main bits of advice offered on here is to forget perfection, and that is how I am going to go about starting this over again.
I have picked up a few welsh words and phrases over the last year or two just by watching the football on S4C, listening to Radio Cymru in work, and by reading welsh tweets on twitter.
So this is what I’m going to do.
Start on the old welsh course (south), and slowly taking my time to complete each lesson.
Whilst giving myself total immersion to the welsh language surroundings that I usually have on in the background, S4C at home, and radio cymru in the works van because that’s the popular station with my colleagues.
Also using as much welsh as I pick up on the course with my colleagues in work.

I will frequent the forum as much as I can, ( I have been reading this forum most evenings in bed when I cannot sleep for the last year, but only now finding time to get this written down.)
Its a great forum full of friendly people so it seems, and everyone happy to help.

This is more than about just learning a language for me, this is my heritage, and a thirst for understanding, a sense of belonging, a challenge.
To get strongly grounded with the country I was born in.

Hello to everyone,
I look forward to engaging with you.

Nos da pawb

Ps …why Tywysog Rhys you may ask? Well
I may have read of a welsh prince named Rhys once.
Cannot remember.
However I have just named my son Rhys as his middle name.
Tywysog Rhys he is.
Also Rhys was first heard in Carmarthenshire I read somewhere, can anyone confirm this?

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#2

Rhys ap Gruffydd? Lord of Deheubarth? I do not know much about him. Oh, Croeso to the Forum after all that lurking and reading, you must know us pretty well! Have you always lived near Carmarthen or have you just returned from exile? Definitely perfection is impossible and not to be aimed for! Do you always speak perfect English? Does anyone? :wink:

#3

Personally, I’d go for the newer “Levels” for a more modern and easier approach.

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#4

Hi @Tywysog-Rhys. When I get home to the Gwendraeth Valley, not until the end of the year, we’ll have to meet up! And if radio Cymru is the default channel in the van you have colleagues who speak Cymraeg as well. Pob Lwc.

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#5

Hello and welcome back. Glad you are enjoying the forum.

I’m another on-and-off-again learner. I have learned bits and pieces before including some of the old course, but since January this year have found where listening to the Challenges fits into my daily life (for me it’s whilst working in the kitchen as I make most of the family’s food from scratch). So since Jan I have managed Challenges 1-25 (South) and just started Level two, very exciting. Also have recently been to my first few meet-ups.

So just wanting to cheer you on your way really, the listening via radio and teledi and practice with work colleagues sounds ideal to me, and I am sure you will work out where you can fit the lesson/challenge practice in as well.

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#6

Welcome back! Definitely go for the levels this time and congratulations on the birth of your son! :slight_smile:

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#7

Welcome back - and good luck embracing the mistakes and getting rid of your perfectionism - it will work much, much better for you that way… :slight_smile:

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#8

Welcome back. I am so pleased to have a Lord of Deheubarth on the forum and learning Welsh. Forgetting about perfection is probably the most vital aspect of the SSiW method, revel in your mistakes as that is how you learn. If you need encouragement just write nonsense here on the forums, it worked for me!

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#9

S’mae @Tywysog-Rhys,
I have just come back from a week’s visit to your wonderful country (I stayed near Betws-y-Coed). I was able to see at close-hand a few glimpses of your wonderful country, language and heritage. Yes, you have a language wit very old roots. Be proud of it!
Best of luck in your new attempt. The only advice I would give is what you have mentioned - don’t aim for perfection! Just have fun.

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#10

Diolch fy Ffrindiau

I was going to reply individually to each person on this thread because you all give me a good welcome.

To @henddraig, diolch for the croeso. yes I have got to know the regular posters on this forum after lurking and reading for the last year or so, I guess it is just time to get stuck in and start engaging with you helpful people. I have only lived in South East Carmarthenshire since 2011, before that I lived and born in Swansea,

To @JohnYoung, I am going to start the old course’s again, as that was where I left off and I feel that its unfinished business, I aim to get the 3 old courses completed by end of the year. I will then move on to the levels.

To @margaretnock, dwi’n gwybod Cwm Gwendraeth. I often go on nice Sunday afternoon drives around gwendraeth valley, over to Kidwelly and back home again. Yes a meet up in the future to practise our Cymraeg sounds great, And yes I had Radio Cymru on in the van today, I’m at the level where I can pick out 3 words in 500, :slight_smile: but its getting better.

To @alice9 , I too have a hectic busy life with work and family, and I will have to find a routine where I can fit these lessons in the day time. I may have to break it down to 3 ten minute sessions, as I found out yesterday on lesson 1 course 1, even though I pretty much know that lesson back to front, I still wanted to start again from beginning, however my son had other plans with needing my attention, and thus forcing me to switch it off and come back later in the day.

To @a_jay , Diolch for the Croeso back. I aim to conquer these old 3 courses first, as that is where I left off and I enjoyed the lay out, even though I only got to about lesson 4 I think. And diolch for the congratulations, life certainly is more hectic with my little addition to the family dictating when I sleep and when I don’t.

To @aran Diolch for the Croeso, great to see this forum and course still going strong and diolch in advance for answers to the many many many questions I will bound to have. And yes I have lost this OCD with perfection that I once had. I’m enjoying this feeling that the pressure is off.

To @Y_Ddraig_Las , excuse my wacky username Tywysog Rhys, I’m a welsh history buff and that was all I could think of for my username. :slight_smile:
Yes indeed, I keep reading on here that forgetting perfection is the way forward, I suppose we can all be guilty of lumping lots of pressure on oneself to get things 100% right, you may feel disheartened or put off if you fail to be perfect at any one stage, its best to knock those walls of pressure around you down and take it from a different angle, an angle of enjoyment, easy pace, and gradual understanding and satisfaction with level of progress being made. I’m chuffed to bits when I read a welsh road sign and understand it first off, or hearing a few words on the radio that I understood. A level of enjoyment.

To @Baruch Shwmae , Yes I have recently read your article on your visit to Betws y Coed, and enjoyed reading about your adventure and little conversation to the farmer in Cymraeg. Great stuff.
I’m proud of my heritage and this has made me more determined to get this going again and commit myself properly this time.

there you go folks, excuse my long reply, I just thought id take the time out to say hello back.
I read this forum most evenings and now I have made your aquaintace on here I can now engage with a little conversation from time to time.

Tomorrow I move on to lesson 2 Course 1. And aim to get these 3 courses done by new year.

Nos Dda Pawb

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#11

Hi again Rhys. Good luck with Lesson 2! Enjoy.

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#12

Diolch Alice

Lessons 1&2 complete

Back Into the swing of things,
Enjoying it.

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#13

Great, well done Rhys. Lesson 3 today?

#14

Croeso, @Tywysog-Rhys! I named my son Rhys, and he turned out well; so, you’ve picked a good name. :wink:

Best of luck with your return to the fold. :slight_smile:

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#15

Have you seen Mamwlad gyda Ffion Hague on S4C about Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd who was Lord Rhys’s Mam? Should be available on line or maybe repeated again, but I think this was already a repeat!

#16

Hi Henddraig
No I haven’t seen that, but I shall most definitely do a google search for it.
diolch

#17

hi @alice9
onto lesson 6 now, and enjoying it

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#18

Well done Rhys, glad it’s going well.

I’m working on Level 2 Challenge 3.

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