How to improve (sut i wella)

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Well there is a desire to improve and as i have been around here for four years and have not completed course 3 i feel i’m in the slow lane. (those short forms will integrate when they are ready i guess). That’s my excuse but of course it’s also true to say i keep getting side tracked.

There have been a few people over the years that have mentioned reading and writing by the end of course 2 and yes i got a wildlife book and that was me off on a tangent.

So what am i doing to try and progress, Early in the month i was in pwllheli and went in a book shop and came out with four books, one has been mentioned in the whats outside and here are the other three.

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Not huge, about 65 pages each but oh so interesting to me.

So right or wrong i have started translation of said books. that is i am half way through one.
I copy a page handwriting then pin the paper in front of the computer, Then type the welsh into one column of a two column spread sheet.
I can then use copy and paste to put this into G translate and check for spelling mistakes (mine) and words i don’t know. now i can copy the English translation and paste it into the second column of spread sheet. Repeat process for next page of book.

Sure it takes time, and i will be lucky if i have all three books copied by the new year, but i’m hoping by then i will be able to return to first book and read with a lot more understanding using my translation as little as possible.

I’m not for one minute suggesting anyone should copy what i am doing, but just maybe those who think they are slow will take some comfort from my speed.
One problem i can see is my lack of conversational practice especially in subjects like pel droed a hywlio ar y mor will still be a hurdle, i guess i can make jokes about pysgod yn yr cysgod for the benefit of fishermen. Oh well, way to go yet.

What i should add is that i am learning new words, but as much as that is good i’m also coming across a lot of word modifications (mutations and variable endings ), i’m finding that SSIW is so good that these are not a worry, just oh that’s how it is and try to remember a bit more.
Cheers J.P.

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#2

I saw those books on GWales.com and was thinking of getting them. Not sure I’m ready for them either. I’ve been a bit stuck on progress lately myself. Life can get in the way at times.

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#3

The books are not hugely technical, i suppose they are aimed at young teens upwards.
Just a gentle description of various environments and then a bit about several species that
can be found there.
I am noticing occasional words which when mutated sound and look like a different word.
Mel (honey) -> Fel (so, thus), and Gtranslate will go for the latter.
and yes i will find a way of putting the little symbols over letters.

Cheers J.P.

#4

If you’re a bit stuck on Course 3, I wonder if it might be a good idea for you to switch tracks to Level 1 - it’ll feel nice and easy at first for you, but it will still start to give you some of the short forms (perhaps in a more digestible way!)… :sunny:

#5

I started course 3 but found it very hard going and have switched to level 1. I am enjoying it much more and still find it challenging without it being overwhelmingly so (unlike course 3). I have done a lot of reading/tv watching etc in between times as well, and I find it all helps.
I have been here over four years, but there’s no rush. You get a better view from the slow lane!

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#6

Thanks for your time Aran, i went through those and definitely enjoyed, i will revisit some later ones as a refresher and the end of course 2 during the winter, as i am bound to have forgotten some.
Course 3 needs me to spend some quality time on it but as i say i keep getting sidetracked by other things so it’s me at fault not the course. Many thanks and look forward to new material.

All that interesting wildlife.

Cheers J.P.

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#7

We’ll have some new ones ready for you in the not-too-distant future :sunny:

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