Hi All, I just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying the saysomethinginwelsh course. I’m working my way through course 1 and after reading some comments on the forum I’ve started some sessions in Level One as well.
I started trying to learn Welsh last October by buying a Teach Yourself book. It was okay but limited in that I was given the Welsh and had to work out the English translation most of the time. I enjoyed it but was really missing leaning how to speak rather than write Welsh.
Living in Weston-Super-Mare going to Welsh classes wasn’t really an option. Finding Saysomethinginwelsh online was an absolute godsend. I have other strategies such as programmes on S4C and I have my North Welsh daughter-in-law staying with us at the moment but saysomethinginwelsh is exactly what I needed and, as I say, I’m enjoying it immensely.
I’ve started to learn (or better I first bought) with “Welcome to Welsh” but as I wasn’t satisfied with that program of learning I also purchase “Teach yourself Welsh”. I found translations quite good and I was happy since exercises and keys to them are in the book, but I strongly agree on one thing: It lacks audio (at least I’ve got so old book there was no audio to find) and yes, SSiW is like blessing from the heaven!
So Welcome here once more and if you stumble upon obstacle in learning, we’re all here to help so don’t hesitate to ask.
Oh, yes, and, don’t forget report back some more happy moments! We love to hear them in particular!
Thank you so much for your extremely kind words, Chris - it’s great that the course is helping you so far, and I bet you’ll be able to surprise your daughter-in-law before too long - keep us posted!
Hi Chris, Croeso! One of the most important resources available to you when you are learning with SSIW is the forum! You will find loads of support and encouragement here, plus it is a place to ask all those niggling questions that crop up from time to time.
Hi Chris, glad you’re enjoying SSiW. It’s great, isn’t it! Like you, I had a stab at learning Welsh through the Teach Yourself book first - OK as far as it goes, but I made very little progress.
Then I discovered SSiW, and I can now see that trying to learn through the written word before mastering how to speak, is like putting the proverbial cart before the horse!
I wish you pob lwc, and rapid progress.I myself completed Course 1 (Southern) - most enjoyable - am having a “pause” at the moment, but intend tackling Level One when I resume.
croeso @ChrisLeaman
I agree with everything everyone has written. You will have lots of chances to practice with your daughter-in-law!!
I am now mounting a soap box!: If you haven’t signed the petition for those of us outside Wales to ask for proper funding of S4C, please do and fill in that you are in Weston-super-Mare!
As far as I’m concerned, SSiW is THE place to learn Welsh. I was lucky to stumble on SSiW almost at once when I was looking to learn the language (about a month ago). Glad I did, it’s saved me an enormous amount of time and effort. So dig in, there’s a wealth of knowledge and experience here.
Petition signed. I added how important S4C is as support to my learning, how brilliant most of its programmes are and how S4C is now my favourite channel out of all the hundreds out there these days.