'I want to be a Welsh speaker because...'

[glenys-hughes]

I want to be a Welsh speaker because my father would be so proud of me.

[sara-peacock-1]

I’m slightly biased here, because it’s so close to where I live, but I think Tafwyl is my favourite of the festivals. It’s got a lot going on but it’s not too big. There’s a lovely vibe, and you’ve got a lot of Welsh there but also a lot of people who have just randomly wandered in (because it’s free) to find out what all the flags and noise are about, and perhaps are discovering Welsh for the first time.

[vicki-neal]

Sounds great Sara - thanks, am I right in thinking there’s a learners area?
Have put in holiday request and better get cracking learning some more songs! Fleur De Lys and Yws Gwynedd are amongst my faves at the mo.
I’m happily surprised there are so many playing that I like. Gutted no Morgan Elwy this year though.
Right time to step up a gear, I’m going to take off the subtitles - I rely heavily on reading along in Welsh but won’t have that luxury in Bute Park, shame we don’t come with pause and rewind functions just to give us newbies time to catch up and spare the cringe…
With any luck listening at double speed will have worked it’s magic, have you tried that yet?

[sara-peacock-1]

Yws Gwynedd is ffab! You might also like Dadleoli, who have a similar sort of sound (they’re a really young band from Caerdydd and I was really impressed with them last year.) I’m also really looking forward to Rio 18 and to Lily Beau - both great live. If it’s Morgan Elwy you want, you’ll have to go to the Eisteddfod in August

I never tried the double speed thing, because it was introduced after I had finished the course, but I’ve heard it’s amazing. My own personal version was listening to Tudur Owen’s programme on Radio Cymru every Friday afternoon - that man talks fast!

And don’t worry about pause and rewind: “sori, allech chi ddweud hwn eto? Dwi’n dysgu Cymraeg”

I don’t know if there’s a specific learners’ area, but Dysgu Cymraeg usually have a stand/tent I think, and of course the whole thing’s arranged by Menter Caerdydd who do a lot to support learners in the area.

[vicki-neal]

Thanks for the heads up will look into the bands and Eisteddfod.
I’ll give Tudur a go later, another good shout ta. Liked his stand up show go brin - he is fast but hopefully one day he’ll sound like Iolo on his nature programmes…

[annedavies]

I’ve always wanted to speak my dad’s first language and have never quite managed

[suzanne]

I want to be able to converse with the Welsh people who live in and around my village.

[davidwilliams-2]

Hello my name is Dave williams .
I want to be a welsh speaker because…
Iam Welsh , born in Ruthin N.wales went to Borthyn primary school then Brynhyfryd was taught welsh by some great teachers
Gryf Hughes in Borthyn and pop hughes in Brynhyfryd
Eventualy left wales in the nineties to work in london , met my wife aine there and moved back to Ireland to start a family
stiill have family in wales and visit often , as im 60 now i realy want to become fleunt speaker
Really enjoying this course ,Thanks very much for the opportunity.

[daniel-45]

I want to speak Welsh because my son will be going to a Welsh school and I’d like to be able to help him learn.

I hope that this will also encourage him to learn more languages in the future.

[andrew-morgan-3]

I want to speak Welsh because I am proud of my heritage and I want to
keep it alive.

[maria-foulkes]

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I don’t want Welsh speakers to have to switch to English to accommodate me

[cheryl-14]

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I have lived in Wales nearly all of my life and am ashamed to say I don’t speak any Welsh! Also I need it for my job.

[keithpaddock]

I want to be a Welsh speaker because when I was a child staying with my grandmother I was unable to talk to my Welsh speaking relatives when they visited. So I would like to be able to learn and speak the language that my Welsh family spoke. I have tried for many years to learn Welsh but have made little progress. I am hoping that SaySomething will be able to guide me.

[kate-88]

because I want to move to live and work in south Wales and knowing the language will be a huge advantage and it might be a little bit of a shock factor for locals when a polish person starts speaking Welsh

[kate-74]

I want to be a welsh speaker because my husband’s family are from north wales and i would like to converse with them in their 1st language. I am from south wales, and would like to continue the use of the welsh language

[jane-young]

I want to be a welsh speaker because although I grew up in wales I never learnt welsh but now I have retired to Ynys Mon after living and working in England for most of my life I want to reconnect with the language so that I can fully engage with the whole wonderful community here.

[john-blaney-1]

I’ve wanted to speak a second language for a very long time. Wales is right on my doorstep, so if I want to use it I don’t have to fly half way around the world to do so. Also, I like a challenge and I want to keep the little grey cells ticking over.

[iuanto]

I want to be a Welsh speaker because it’s my native tongue and I want to be able to fully experience the language and culture of my own country.

I’m not a Welsh speaker yet but, on a recent holiday to Wales, I spoke Welsh “in the wild” for the first time. It was an amazing feeling, speaking Welsh to someone, especially in a part of Wales where it’s not widely spoken.

[kate-edwards-price]

Dw i eisiau siarad Cymraeg achos … the two generations of Welsh ancestors before me did not get to. It is my heritage and this helps to heal intergenerational wounds of loss of language and culture. Revived!

[beatrice]

I want to be a Welsh speaker because:

We (me, my husband, our two beautiful girls and our dog & chickens) are moving to North Wales sometime in the next year or so. We will be bringing our stonecarving business with us. I’d love to be able at the very least show that I am trying to learn the language and become part of our local community.

As for what it would change for me, I think I would feel much more confident about what is a really big move for us, away from all of our friends and family, if I were comfortable in my ability to make friends and build relationships both in Welsh and English.