Ok - I’m on day three of the level 1 north course - and have progressed to lesson 8 - I am usuallly ok with most of the content though every now and again I get a complete brain freeze and just can’t remember. I just repeat the lesson.
I make mistakes such as missing words out etc.
My question is should I just persevere? I’m finding a lot of the content ok (I did do some welsh (southern) in school a long time a ago) and I learnt a little bit 25 years ago too (I’m nearly 50).
I’m guessing the next thing I really need to do is to speak it with other people? Any suggestions gratefully received. I live in Deeside in North Wales.
I would definitely persevere - I get the same thing at only a little shy of 30 (especially with longer sentences), and everything is repeated often enough that it’ll eventually stick without necessarily repeating the lessons. Mistakes will happen - they do with everybody. The trick is to notice the mistake, but not to beat yourself up over it.
As for talking to other people, a trip to the pub with a Welsh speaking friend is one possibility; or alternatively there may be a local group of learners who meet up for coffee and a chat.
Sounds like you are doing great, stick at it! you are supposed to make mistakes and have brain freezes, its’ all part of the process. Like you, I did some Welsh at school, so already had most of the pronunciation. The SSiW method does really work, you will notice the benefit by the time you get to the end of Level 1.
If you look hard enough you can find Welsh speakers/ Learners in Deeside. I live in Powys and there are several coffee/beer and chat groups. some people practice speaking on Skype, which you are welcome to join.
Yes, keep on going! As Aran would say (and probably will shortly…), just don’t worry. There will be days when nothing seems to stick and other days when the Welsh will come to you seemingly effortlessly. This is all completely normal. Speaking with others is also going to be very helpful. Pob lwc a dal ati!
Croeso yma @petermescall! This is first thing I’ll say.
Secondly: you’re obviously doing great. Forgetting things, having brain freezes, seaming like nothing sticks … everything of this is part of the process. So, keep going on! You’re doing just fine.
You’re off to a great start, Peter - that’s a cracking pace you’re going at, so it’s no surprise you’re getting occasional blanks - they’re a great sign that you’re pushing yourself hard, and are going to be successful.
I’d suggest that you keep on pushing - don’t even repeat the lessons where you hiccup, because the system will bring all those words back for you to revisit later. If you still feel that you need to repeat some lessons after you finish level 1, they’ll still be there - although you’ll probably find that they’ve become mysteriously easier…
Thank you everyone. I’m really enjoying it. Lesson 11 today. I have tried learning before but just couldnt get into it. This time i feel much more confident.
Dwi 'n mynd i ddrio siarad hi y prynhawn 'ma. Rhaid i mi cofio dwued "bach yn arafach "! Ond dwi isio trio ymarfer mwy.
If you are able to get to Wrecsam on a Monday evening, there is a regular open weekly group session in the bar from about 7pm onwards at the Saith Seren on Stryt Gaer (Chester Street), Nothing formal, just a group of us meeting to chat yn Gymraeg for a couple of hours, all levels welcome.
I try to go most weeks and I live in Greater Manchester (Bolton). Though it may be a little harder now my car has stopped working. Bike and Train, I think.
Well worth trying if you can get there. Ymarfer Siarad is good, of course, but equally useful is some Ymarfer Gwrando! You can chill with a drink and let the words of your new companions wash over you like a refreshing breeze. And join in (or not) as and when you feel inclined to.
Diolch Bob. Dwi 'n meddwl bo fi 'n mynd I drio mynd yfory . Ond ar ol tua wythnos dwi 'n meddwl bo fi’n mynd I wrando! Dwi’n siarad yn araf iawn ar hyn o bryd.
Thanks Aran - I’ve made it through to lesson 20 in a week - everything seems to be falling into place - I still have a few problems getting things wrong - missing out a word or having a complete brain freeze but overall I feel its all going very well.
Dwi 'di mwynhau dysgu cymraeg llawer. Ar hyn o bryd dwi’n teimlo’n dda iawn at faint dwi ’ di dydsgu ar ol un wythnos a dwi’n gwybod bo fi’n mynd i wella mwy. Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae’r gwersau’n bendigedig.
That is a genuinely impressive rate of progress - huge congratulations!
The mistakes are absolutely normal/desirable/good - and if you’re having as few as it sounds like, then you probably have a very strong working memory, which means all our material will feel comparatively easy for you…
I’ve found what works for me is if I find I’m lost in a lesson in the evening, I just let it play through and listen - not necessarily concentrating on it. Then try it again in the morning in the car on the way into work. Last night I was finding lesson 21 impossible. This morning I felt I was getting there. Still lots of mistakes but now I’ve decided not to beat myself up about my mistakes I’m finding the earlier stuff really easy in the main and I know the new stuff will follow as its repeated in later lessons.
Another thing I do is if I make a mistake I listen to Caitrin and then join in when it is repeated. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to to this but I find it works.
It helps that I know a Welsh speaker and whilst she speaks far too quickly for me I can say the odd thing to her and if I hear her speaking Welsh to someone else I can pick the odd thing out. One thing she laughed at was the use of “liciwn” - she said she’d pronounce it more like “leciwn” - I’m sure you can guess why which was my first embarrassing moment trying to speak Welsh!!!
Based on your previous post, I think you are taking the right approach. Yes, this is completely normal, and after a while you will not feel quite so hopeless and confused! I felt much the same way the first time I went through Course 3. I am now on my third time going through, and things are finally starting to fall into place and flow much more naturally. These things take time (always more time than we want them to), and you just need to remember that you are planting the seeds in your brain. Sooner or later they are going to pop up, bloom, and bear fruit - sometimes when you least expect it!
I did lesson 3 on the way into work this morning - and nothing felt like it was working - I had another go this afternoon and it was better.
As I drove home I thought why not try lessons 4 and 5. Miraculously some of it fell into place.
I think this is what I like about this course - the fact that even when trying new challenges some of the older stuff comes back up and its as if it’s now implanted somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain!
Some phrases just don’t stick - I’m struggling with twenties and thirties for example and the youngest seems a particular word I keep forgetting as does yn wahanol o gwbl. But llond llaw go iawn, syniad, athro/athrawes all seem instantly recognisable. I’m going to persevere with the next challenge. I really am enjoying it and may try it out in the wild tomorrow night…after three “fedri di ddeud o eto bach yn arafach.”
Ok am now up to lesson 8 - its a real rollercoaster isn;t it. With each new lesson I feel I’m not getting any further - the sentences keep getting longer and longer with less and less time to say it!!
But, and here is the thing - every now and again - bang - it works and I feel I’ve come on in leaps and bounds - I even summoned up the courage to say something in welsh to a welsh speaker today - nothing major - just “dwi’n edrych fel athro y bore 'ma”. Quite approrpiate really as I am one!
