I’m nowhere near intermediate yet but thought this article might be useful. The advice makes a great deal of sense. Coincidentally, a few days after telling my wife that I wasn’t interested in learning to read Welsh, I read a few posts on here and started thinking “Hmm, maybe I should give it a go.”
In summary, the author recommends devoting 25% of learning time to each of these four areas:
Meaning-focused Input
Watching movies, listening to music, or reading books in the target language.
Meaning-focused Output
Speaking and writing in the language.
Language-focused learning
Flashcards, grammar and vocabulary exercises, language games and apps
Fluency Practice
Timed sessions of conversation practice, speed-reading exercises, or impromptu speech drills.
I’d be interested to hear what you think of this approach and whether anyone has found it helpful in moving their learning forward.
Interesting article. I agree that the more you can use a new language in different ways, the more progress you will make. I tend to focus on the areas of a language that I feel I’m lagging behind in and do a little more of those to boost those skills.
E.g. if I feel I’m not understanding when people speak, I increase the time I have the radio on in the background, so that I’m boosting my comprehension of the spoken language.
If I struggle to say what I want to say in a conversational setting, then I increase the amount of “talking to myself” that I do in the language, so that words and phrases come more quickly and speaking becomes more fluent for me.
But I definitely agree that varying your exposure to a new language helps. Each time you come across words or phrases in a different setting, it reinforces what you’ve learnt elsewhere.
I came onto the forum today to share this article too!
Can anyone suggest a (pref parsnip-free) source of games etc to strengthen my understanding of Welsh grammar?
Like when to use “bod” & when it’s “fod”? My guesses are getting better, I think, but I’m not sure why.
I love the flexibility & variability of Welsh grammar, but it’s often not easy to see the underlying principles, whether from Automagic, reading/listening or whatever.
“Parsnip-free” it is sad that I understand your meaning.
I think the parsnips are meant to be funny. Just not really my sense of humour.
Maybe see what there might be on the kids / Cyw section of S4C’s website?
Interesting article and reflections! I’ll write more about it, in the meantime, a few links to more resources:
@jacky-8 Wordwall platform has quite a few games created by tutors, to help learners practise various topics in their courses.
I know there’s more, but can’t remember links. Here those from my tutors. There’s no explanations because they’re meant for those doing the course, though so you may need to read the rules on Gareth King’s books and/or Duolingo’s official notes.
I can’t guarantee 100% pannas-free (which is a humour I did enjoy by the way) but I can assure you there’s a whole lot more in the links including a few Memrise courses which now can’t be easily be found on the platform any more)
Just not really my sense of humour.