Just started learning Welsh, only today. It is not my first foreign language, as I speak 7 and have learned and forgotten another 4 on top of that. I have my own study methods and they get quick results, but I am based in Kazakhstan and essentially don’t have ANYBODY who I can speak Welsh with, which is a shame because my usual approach to language study is to cram in as much as I can in a few weeks and then just jump in the deep end, full immersion style.
The only Welsh ex-pats here don’t speak it, so far anyway. Although we are English, my mum lives in Llandudno, I get over every year to see her, but this year I would like to combine this with doing some kind of summer school. I have taught on summer schools, I know they can be very effective. Are there any options in Wales in summer for adults?
Welcome to the forum first @Jethrotullburgers. Well done to you with starting learning Cymraeg. I just have to say WOW! as I speak about 5 languages, some more soem less fluently though and I’d be really interested in which are those 7+4 you speak+forgot.
Well, I wanted only to greet you but I’m sure someone would be able to answer your question later on.
As a suggestion, you might try to have some chat via Skype later in the process to get at least a bit speaking practice if even with lerners. Just a thought though, the deceision is yours of course.
I speak Italian, French, Russian, Kazakh and of course English. Also OK Mongolian and now a little Welsh. I have also learned and forgotten German, Kyrgyz, Arabic and Japanese. Also maybe Latin if you want, but I don’t usually include it.
I think I owe you an apology for the 7, I meant 6, as I have recently relegated Kyrgyz to a language now forgotten, although pride had me leave it on the speak list.
Skype would be good, sadly though I only have www in the internet cafe, which is noisy as anything. I cut a lot of online stuff out last year. Used to be an internet junkie, decided to take my WiFi card out and ditch the smartphone, now I log on once a day for 20 minutes
We have lots of languages in common. I’m a native Russian speaker, and I speak and teach English and Italian, and translate from French:) And, well, from Latin too, but I don’t usually include it either.
Kazakh must be quite interesting, from what I remember from linguistics course at University. If I remember correctly it was one of those agglutinative languages where suffixes are “glued” together to make new forms of words - which results in very long words sometimes. But I might be wrong and confusing it with some other language:)
Oh, I know that part. For now I still manage to refrain from being on all the time despite my PC is switched on all day when I’m at home and my tablet is on mobile data all the time. However, at least I’m not playing games and chat but do quite some other stuff learning languages included despite not so passionately as some other learners here, which makes me feel a bit guilty.
Applogy not needed. I’ve included Italian into the list of 5 too, despite I almost forgot everything but still it is sitting somewhere in the rear of my brains though. German I know quite OK (deliberately won’t say well), too.
Well, I was hoping to see Slovene (my native language), but if not, then at least Croatian or Serbian in your list though.
Nice to meet you too. I’m happy when new learners come and head strait to the forum. This is great place with a lot of resources and friendly people.
If you’re on the way to Llandudno, you won’t be that far away from Nant Gwrtheyrn (http://www.nantgwrtheyrn.org), which runs courses throughout the year (including the summer). I haven’t been myself yet, but I’m off there in March for a 3-day course.
Or if you wanted to see a different part of the country, I think there are courses in Aberystwyth and perhaps also Trinity Saint David in Lampeter - a quick google should confirm. There are also summer courses in Cardiff, but I’m not sure you’d get as much of an immersion experience here.
As Sara has said, several of the universities offer summer courses. Might be worth looking to see if Bangor does one, since that’s not all that far from Llandudno (and connected by a fast road and also rail). And there are also of course SSiW’s own Bootcamps. I think the northern one is now all spoken for, but there are 4 “southern” ones, in Tresaith, Ceredigion (not especially near Llandudno I’m afraid, but might still be ok for you).
Have a look at the Bootcamp 2016 threads on this forum.
You might possibly be able to combine a Bootcamp week with a course elsewhere if the timing is right.
And yes, definitely check out Nant Gwrtheyrn http://www.nantgwrtheyrn.org/
(I got an email from them recently talking about a discount offer if you booked soon. The website says to look on their Facebook page for offers, so you might look there).
There is one other place I can think of but can’t remember the name of(!), but it’s in Ceredigion, in the Llandysul area… @Deborah-SSi if you happen to read this, I remember you posting a link to it once for a specific event, but I got the impression they ran regular events and it looked quite interesting (and fun). Diolch!
Hi, I think you are right, but I learned Kazakh with friends, and I could speak it fluently before I even knew there were 7 cases. I don’t really think there are such long words in Kazakh, but the endings do change, like in Russian
Had to laugh, thanks, I went to Budva a few years ago and had the ambition of learning the language in the week I was going to be there. But when it came down to it, although I do think I could learn a language in a week (provided I can devote myself to it 24/7) to about Intermediate level, I just wanted a break from grammar etc, as it is my day job. So I didn’t get past learning the word for thank you, which I think by now I don’t even remember. Hvati?
I think the posting from @Deborah-SSi that I was thinking of was this:
However, looking at the Llangrannog website, it seems it’s mainy aimed at children/families.
There do seem to be some courses for adults, but not language courses that I can see. (I thought I had seen some last year, but I could have been mistaken). So this is probably not what you want.
However, there seem to be other possibilities, especially SSiW’s own Bootcamp!
(No “yomping” involved, unless self-inflicted! ).
No, I think you’re right Mike and there is another place in Ceredigion, that I heard of when they first started up but I haven’t heard much lately. I’ll look back through old weekly emails and see if I can find it.
Hvala. Every Ex-Yugoslavia citizen will understad this from Slovenia to the Republic of Macedonia.
Oh, and, you still have time to learn, so it might come one day eventually. Were you ever to Slovenia? Bled, Bohinj or something similar - Ljubljana maybe?
Every year different universities and Welsh for Adults centres across Wales offer a variety of intensive summer courses. I’ve posted some information for this year all together here for those that are interested, but if anyone knows of anything else, feel free to add it.
Welsh for Adults Bangor - Beginners 18 June to 6 July; Other levels 25 June to 6 July
