Facebook popped up a post about the SSIW six months to fluency course and I promptly descended into a dispirited gloom about my own language learning adventure. I have come further than I ever dreamed possible when I started. I can say so many things. I use at least some Welsh with my 14 month old each day and can follow some plots of Sam Tân and Sali Mali. After a year of SSIW I started reading and writing which went well but now I realise I’ve stopped speaking to other people and the fear has come back. Living in Sheffield, England using Welsh in the street isn’t likely to start a conversation! Does anyone have any suggestions or challenges for ways I might get my Welsh back into the wild. I also have a week near Pothmadog planned this summer. It is with my whole English speaking family so if I want to use my Welsh and let my son hear any I will need to be really confident and probably plan ahead. Any ideas for that will also be very welcome. Diolch Hilary
Have you joined the Welsh Speaking Practice group on Slack yet Hilary? It would be ideal for you - there are people of all levels from all over the world to speak Welsh with 
Have a look at this thread for more info and how to join:
I’m guessing most shops would be ok? Someone will prob update us 
Hi Hilary,
I know there was an SSIW group meeting in Sheffield for Welsh practice but not sure if it still is - search for thread ‘Meetup in Sheffield’ top right.
You mention there not being too many folks in the street you can have a Welsh conversation with, it’s the same for me here on the Isle of Wight - but on the Slack website which Siaron mentions it’s possible to link up and have chats with a range of learners at all levels. There are hangouts you can join, but if you’re slow and need a lot of time to think like me, it’s possible to have a number of one-to-one chats. Hope to see you on there…
Alan.
What Siaron said - Welsh Speaking Practice. And don’t compare yourself to other people’s journeys (and also, don’t transmute ‘a genuine, conversational Welsh speaker’ into ‘fluent’ - they’re NOT the same thing!)…
Hi Alan, I don’t think the meet up happens anymore. it was me who tried starting one a few years ago but it trailed off and I stopped trying when I was pregnant. The slack stuff is interesting though. I’m signed up and will hopefully get to play tomorrow. Hope to see you there. Hilary
Sorry about being so out-of-date with the meetups. The great thing about Slack is that you can talk to people anywhere in the country, and indeed in the whole world! See you there.
Are the Sheffield meet ups still happening??
According to the weekly email, yes.
Sheffield - 2nd Sat of the month, 1pm, Hagglers Café, Queens Rd, S2 4DU (Contact hilary_coveney )