My understanding of spoken Welsh is definitely improving now very slowly . When driving to work this morning I was able to follow the conversation on radio Cymru and although there are still times when I hardly understand much at all the times that I do are definitely becoming more frequent .
Not long after I got to work I saw I guy that I bump in to on a semi regular basis. I’ve been chatting in Welsh with him for nearly a year now and I still don’t understand a single word he says . It’s really frustrating as I want to have a conversation with him but I just can’t . Today seemed worse than ever . He may aswell have been speaking Russian to me !
After that I loaded up my van and went up the Conwy valley where I managed to have a few half decent conversations in Welsh , the best one being with a lady in Rowen who I have been speaking Welsh with for a few months now . She explained that she still owes money from last week’s order but would it be ok if she paid me just for today’s order and she will pay the rest next week . We then talked about a lorry that had crashed , the weather and what she is doing on the weekend. I understood her with hardly any problem at all . I explained before I left that I was learning Welsh and she was shocked and said that she had always thought that I was a Cymru Cymraeg . It got me thinking afterwards that the only reason I can have a conversation with her and not the other guy is the fact that I can understand her and that enables me to relply back to her . Has anyone else had this problem speaking to a particular person and if so did you manage to overcome it , and how ? It’s not just this one guy I have this problem with , there are a few people . I feel that no matter how long I learn Welsh for , there are some people I will never be able to understand !
Hi Sam,
I’m sort of the other way round at the moment - every now and again I’m astonished to find somebody whom I understand, but generally I pick up very little. I think of it as just a matter of getting our brains used to recognising something and that when it finally happens you won’t be able to understand why you couldn’t hear it before. I’ve noticed the same thing in listening to SSIW lessons where it can take a while to get the word, but then it clicks. Even in English in films where strong accents are sometimes incomprehensible to me the first time I hear them, but if it’s a good film and I watch again, I’ll suddenly realise that I can hear every word. Maybe it’s the auditory version of the magic eye picture! 
It sounds like you’re doing absolutely brilliantly, judging by the good experiences! It must just be a case of the annoyingly huge amount of variation in Welsh, that takes time to get your head round.
I wonder where the guy at work comes from? It’s probably a completely different area to the language you’ve experienced so far. Also, some people are just naturally harder to understand in any language for various reasons, so it may be a combination of things. If he’s friendly and willing I wonder if you could ask him to help you a little bit - it might be interesting to identify some of the differences. It is of course a “don’t worry” situation, which will probably just sort itself out when you continue to listen to more people - annoying though it is!
Genuine question, Sam:
Can you understand him when he speaks English? If the answer is “yes, just about”, then you have solved your quandary. Is there any chance that he is talking in a broad accent or using some local dialect words?
Diolch pawb for your replies . He is from Llanberis originally . He speaks in what I would describe as a very strong but clear and concise Welsh accent . I understand him perfectly when he speaks English although his accent is such that if you weren’t listening properly you would think he was speaking Welsh as his voice has a certain melody Cymraeg to it . He never actually speaks English with me at all . He seemed really pleased when he found out I was learning Welsh and has not spoken a word of English with me since .
I often have trouble understanding people from my own village and the neighbouring village too , especially the old boys who sit in the village centre chewing the fat. They are unbelievably difficult to understand and I’m not sure they understand me sometimes either. They all speak in quite a mumbly way which doesn’t help.
It is very strange I can understand some people fairly well and others not at all . I’ve had a day of not understanding a lot on radio Cymru today and unfortunately I’ve not come across anyone to have a conversation with in Cymraeg as of yet . I kind of feel like I want to be in a room full of people speaking Welsh and try and join in 
I struggle with my fiancée’s Taid (Llanelwy). I wonder if partly it’s because I don’t expect to understand so try to understand…then fog my ears?
This isn’t helpful really, but I used to say I could never speak Gogledd Cymraeg because it involved swallowing one’s epiglottis! (At least that is how it sounded to me!) 
But I understand Aran and Catrin just fine, and Catrin is Gog born, so I understand! It was the accent I heard that I presumed covered all the north! And guess where I mainly heard it? Well, certainly in Llanberis. and a lot of places around there and between there and Bangor. Also, my ‘Auntie’ was born in 1906 and her friends tended to be of that era. A neighbour I got to know well, about my age (now 75) was much more llike parts of northern England when she spoke English!
Oh, and there was a film ‘Kes’ about a little boy and a kestrel, which sparked a lot of controvercy because a lot of southern English folk couldn’t understand it! (it was all in English, just the northern variety! [Barnsley, Yorks!])
Yws Gwynedd, the musician. I understand hardly anything he says. Seriously. It’s easier face-to-face, but when he’s on the radio, I get virtually nothing.
I think mumbly old men in small villages who aren’t related to you are basically incomprehensible in any language (possibly even in your own first language), pretty much regardless of accent or dialect.
I think that Yws Gwynedd are from Blaenau Ffestiniog . I remember @siaronjames saying that she found the Blaenau Ffestiniog dialect hard to understand
I may be wrong, but I think Yws is from Llan Ffestiniog, just down the valley, but, yes, that general area.
Well at least you don’t have the problem that some learners encounter which is that Welsh first language speakers immediately switch to English at the first sign that you are not understanding them. He’s obviously a nice, patient person, so treasure him, and dal ati!
Yes, heavy Blaenau Ff. can take a bit of tuning into - then again, most of my friends from there are/were in bands so there was usually loud music (and alcohol!) to contend with too!
It took me a good four or five times of this interview without subtitles to get anything! Love Yws, he’s a great guy.
Are you referring to me, Richard? 
How strange. Keep in mind that many people are rubbish when it comes to speaking to a person who is learning or doesn’t speak that language fluently. I used to speak to many foreigners in the tourist office. Some of them had good English, more than good enough to be able to move around, have a conversation and handle most situations, yet they said they simply couldn’t understand some people, but understood me perfectly.
Some people have poor diction and mumble their way through words. They don’t slow down their pace enough for a learner, and this combined with mumbling can make them incomprehensible! I’ve met many people from all over the world, and across cultures this seems to be more common amongst older men of around 60 years old and over. It’s very common. I’ve seen this myself as a learner of French and Russian as well.
It’s true! It’s across languages!
Elsewhere on the Forum, I have mentioned the Israeli scientist at a Symposium, of which I was Secretary of the organising Committee. He complimented ed me on my English. When I pointed out that it is my mother tongue, he said that was why he was so impressed by how clearly I spoke! I automatically spoke slowly and carefully to folk who did not normally use English. I tended to say ‘did not’ instead of ‘didn’t’ etc… I had worked with folk from everywhere from the People’s Republic of China to Mexico, from Finland to Venezuela…most people do not have that experience.
Where in the world did you find that - he may talk a bit quick but he’s the most infectious giggle, I was crying laughing! (With Welsh subtitles on!)
I’m subscribed to the Hansh channel on YouTube. They put a lot of fun videos on a regular basis