Hello everyone! My name is preston and I am just starting the language course in ssiw. I can’t tell you enough about exciting it is to have found this website that is dedicated to helping people learn a celtic language like welsh. I’ve already finished the first lesson, and will move along to the second one soon. Anyone have any advice on how to do the lessons? North or south? Again I am a beginner and any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks!
2 Likes
Welcome to SSiW! My advice is make use of this forum as much as possible! You will find loads of advice here. If you are not in Wales it really doesn’t matter if you pick ‘North’ or ‘South’ as it’s all one language, it’s more a question perhaps of whether you like Aran’s voice or Iestyn’s voice more.
1 Like
Croeso (Welcome), Preston! You can read a post in the FAQ about North vs. South here: North or South? You might want to read the rest of the FAQ, there is useful stuff in there. One great thing about this course is that you can move at your own pace, and do the lessons in whatever way works for you - sitting quietly, while you are out walking, while you are doing chores, etc. It is encouraged that you don’t do any reading or writing in the beginning, so that you can develop a good accent - but this can depend on what familiarity you may already have with the written language.
Everyone here is very friendly, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have!
2 Likes
Welcome to the forum @preston. No advise from me as I needed them a lot when I began with learning, too. The only one I’ll give is that one both members before me did already: read the forum because there is a lot useful things written already and don’t hesitate to ask anything when the things are not sticking or you encounter problem however don’t hesitate to mark here your happy moments too. We’re happy to hear happy stories as much as we’re happy to help when help in needed.
Enjoy learning.
1 Like
Thanks to all who responded. The south lessons seem more relaxed but I think more people speak the north one? I am not sure. I live in the US but am a celtic freak/enthusiast/etc. lol no one where I live even knows what welsh is or where wales is even located. Which is sad.
1 Like
Shwmae Preston, a chroeso i’r fforwm SSiW!
The differences between the north and south dialects are very subtle, and many of the dialect specific words you learn in either course you are likely to hear right across Wales, so whichever course you do, you will be understood wherever in Wales you use your Welsh. So, go for the one you feel most comfortable learning from.
We have many SSiWers living all over America, so you may well be living near to another learner, or group of learners. And you may even be living near a venu where learners meet up to practice their Welsh too! If you drop @Sionned a message asking to include you on the SSiW learners map, it might give you some idea who else near to you is doing the course. And if it isn’t near enough, you can always use Skype to practice with other learners (when you’re ready to of course!). Also, if you check on the forum’s ‘Meetings’ category, people normally announce meet ups and Welsh-themed events happening all over the world there.
Good luck with the course, and remember to ask any questions about the course, the lessons, or anything here on the forum. There is usually someone here who will be able to answer them for you.
Gav
3 Likes
Welcome to the forum, Preston, and good luck with the lessons! I’ll look forward to hearing how it works out for you… 
2 Likes
Welcome to the forum!
Oh, hi from Vitebsk (Belarus)! Some people here actually know where Wales is located. I told them:) Well, maybe it’s not so sad, but I think apart from me there’s only one girl in Belarus who speaks Welsh.
By the way, I think there are several learners from the US here, maybe even somewhere from your area?
2 Likes
Don’t worry. There’s always Skype or google hangout comming to aid to practice. And … where I live (Slovenia) people know where Wales is but to my knowledge I’m the only one in the whole country who learns and speaks (a little) Cymraeg so here are quite some “lonely” people on this matter on this forum … 
1 Like
Croeso Preston.
You’ve probably heard about S4C, the Welsh language TV channel. Most of its output is restricted to the UK, but the following programmes are available everywhere:
http://www.s4c.cymru/en/international
(Dat Ati: Bore Da is aimed at learners).
There is also Radio Cymru, which does not seem to be restricted:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiocymru
You don’t have to listen live. Most programmes are available for about 28 days (some longer), and there are podcast versions of some programmes that you can download, including Pigeon, which is a sort of digest for learners, with some vocab help on the website. It will probably all sound like a blur at first, but just dip in, 5 minutes or so at a time, and gradually increase the time and/or frequency.
Get familiar with the sounds and rhythms of the language.
After a while, you will notice some words or phrases you learn in the challenges / lessons.
After a longer while, you will notice more and more.
Most important: paid poeni - don’t worry - paid becso.
And have fun - pob hwyl.
4 Likes
Whoa this forum is great! Alot of helpful people here and they all seem to be just as enthusiastic as I am. I live in the backwoods of South Georgia and we’re doing good to speak our southern English here lol. I have always wanted to learn a celtic language. I do hope I can find some people to speak Welsh with in the future. I am enjoying the first lesson still about to move on to lesson 2 in the south dialect.
7 Likes
Hi Preston, welcome! I’m new here, too, having just completed lesson 6.1. With SSiW, you learn quite quickly. It’s great! I started with the Northern course, but they say it doesn’t make much difference which one you start with as long as you keep at it. Enjoy !
2 Likes
Ohhh … I said this os many times and I’d say again: DON’T MISS OUT LESSON 6B (bonus lesson)! even if it’s not neccessary for it really to be done. A great (and useful) fun in deed!
Hwyl!
2 Likes
Yes, ma’am ! 
1 Like
Hi Preston, just wanted to say Croeso as well!
Many thanks to all who replied. It has bee great so far though it will be a slow go. I just graduated to the 2nd lesson and it has doubled in words for me to speak in the welsh language. The can or the to be able to verb is hard to say but so far that’s the only thing slowing me down. I’m still going to take my time with the lesson before moving onto the 3rd though of course it might be a while.
1 Like
@preston Don’t worry about pronouncing “to be able to” - it will come with time and practice. Don’t wait until you feel like you can say perfectly it before moving to the next lesson. Just keep going forward - you will discover that as you continue on, you will keep practicing the things you have already learned. (I would also sometimes practice saying the LL words in the shower or when driving, when no one else could hear me )
I’m in the US, too - Northeast, though, so not near you!
Pob lwc and dal ati! (Good luck and keep at it!)
3 Likes
This sounds a bit as though you might be repeating the lessons?
If so, it would be a very good idea to try going through say the first 10 lessons without any more repeating, and then revisiting 3 and seeing how you feel about it - the spaced repetition that is built into the lessons is designed to build your language memory gradually, so as long as you can accept not having perfect control, you’ll go faster if you don’t repeat…
3 Likes
Croeso Preston. I am in Scotland and not exactly surrounded by speakers of Cymraeg! Why do you think we all looked on line?? 
I am here to ask you to sign a petition for proper funding to continue for S4C which @mikeellwood mentioned above! The petition for people outside Wales to sign is
One thing occurs to me. I presume you likely have a Georgia accent. People from Gogledd Cymru (North Wales) tend to sound less like you than some people from the south. I guess, if you find some things really hard to say, try a lesson or two from the south and see if it’s easier. I suspect @Iestyn’s accent won’t help you though!!
@henddraig - Is there any way for us to tell if we have already signed the petition (so we don’t sign it twice, thereby making trouble for the people running it)?