Su’mae bawb!
I’ve just completed challenge 9 (level 1), but this is my first post in the forum. I’m trying to use the listening practice but to understand a phrase I first need to translate the welsh phrase into english which I know I shouldn’t do. I can’t just understand welsh without translating every word in my head and it’s quite frustrating.
Does anyone have the same problem? I’m not sure how am I supposed to practice listening welsh without translating it to english. How can you use the listening practice effectively?
I’ll appreciate ANY help, Diolch! 
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I can assure you that everyone has the same problem initially! 
The trick is to let go of the urge to try and understand every single word, and to let go of the urge to try and translate the Welsh into English. The best way to do that is just to let the Welsh words “wash over you”, and if you just let it happen, you’ll notice words “jumping out” at you. And you’ll notice that you just know what that word means, without a conscious effort to translate single words. This re-routing of your brain takes time, so please be patient with yourself. Celebrate each and every word as a victory, and with time you’ll find that words have grown into phrases, and phrases into sentences.
Pob lwc!
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DIOLCH YN FAWR Hendrik! It’s definitely tricky for me to let go the urge of translating, put I definitely see that I’m not being too patient with myself
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You (and others) may be encouraged by this email that we received recently from @richard-bolton who has just completed the exercise where you’re asked to listen to 5 of the Listening Practices in reverse order, and he’s happy for me to post it for him on the forum:
Dwi newydd neud yr ymarfer hon. Mae hi’n rhyfeddol! Mi fedra i ddallt bron y cyfan o ymarfer 2.
I’m impressed. Who’d have thought that just listening passively to Cymraeg at 90 mph would enable you to understand the bulk of the language at normal speed.
Richard.
So he wants you to know that it’s worth persevering, that it does work, and in the end it’s a huge benefit helping you to understand conversational speed Welsh.
You’ll be able to do that WITHOUT translating, which is key to being able to speak any language with others.
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