Should S4C have a permanent learners section?

As the main Welsh language broadcaster, should S4C have a permanent learners section on their website/iplayer? There have been various learners series produced down the years by different companies such as Now You’re Talking and Talk About Welsh. I know some S4C content is aimed at learners but wouldn’t a beginners programme help draw more people in?

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It would definitely be great if they did. For budgeting purposes it could be strongly argued that it supports the Million Speakers Initiative as well as showing an impact upon the availability/fluency of the employment pool.
PaodHWsZ_400x400

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Well…someone in the Forum had linked “Now you’re talking” videos on YouTube, so I had a chance to see how they looked.
I have to admit there’s an entertaining factor for the 80s-90s hairdos, background music and clothes style, that I appreciate. :rofl:

But for the content, now that the web offers hundreds of free resources to learn that kind of classic basics - including the old series mentioned above, does it really make sense to invest into something in the same style for the TV - I wonder?

p.s. I admit I am biased because the way Italian school system was organized caused me start English three times from things like “good morning”, “how are you?”, “where’s Mr Freeman? He’s over there!” “where’s the cat? The cat is on the table”. :angry:
So now I stay away from any language lesson reminding me of that boredom and frustration. :weary:
(and we happened to talk about this recently with @Deborah-SSi by the way…who seems to have experienced a similar enjoyment learning a second language at school too :wink: )

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I have definitely mentioned them…and I enjoyed them too. It is fun watching them now and seeing overalls and parachute-silk track-suits (high-waisted pants are back now) along with blow-wave hair!
The conversational elements were really very helpful, and they gave you everyday phrases and short-cuts much like SSiW does. They also differentiated between Northern and Southern and, looking back on them now, it is also particularly interesting to see how much English has passed into everyday Cymraeg as it is now vs then. Aros, peidio, ceisio (these were also taught in the old SSiW too).
Yesterday on Clic we watched a few episodes of Adre and in this one peidio was used by Brynmor
Adre - Brynmor Williams
My high-school Italian was very much il gatto sopra/sulla la tavola too :cat:
A beginners program/focus would help to draw more people I believe. That is why I pointed out the dual foci of speakers and workers. It generally comes down to funding and what has the highest perceived return on investment of public monies :no_mouth:

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I think a new up-to-date beginners programme would draw people in. There are a lot of resources around online but you have to want to go looking for them. A new TV programme, well publicised might grab the attention of those who haven’t thought about learning before.

Looking at previous programmes like Now You’re Talking, it’s difficult to believe it would be a very expensive project for S4C to commit to either.

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Something brilliant and already consistently producing Cymraeg speaking individuals would be just the thing. Now where would one find such a program (looks under the table for Mr(s)’ SSIW)

I have no extra comments on the actual topic, but I can’t help asking mylsef:
would cats on tables still appear in a new series, or they’ve gone out of style? :cat2: :smile:

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Oh goodness - beginner fatigue. I recognise this. It happens in evening classes for adults as well. (I’m not speaking about Welsh, since I’ve not done Welsh evening classes, but language classes in general).

SSiW seems to avoid this somehow.

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However no new series will ever beat a presenter with this outfit, and a Fiat Ritmo in the background. :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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p.s. still OT but also keeping the thread up, cause I’d be curious to hear more opinions on the actual topic!

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Just before Christmas I was asked to join a team of writers that would’ve eventually created a new S4C programme aimed at learners that was going to be quite fun, fresh and entertaining, we had stuff written that would’ve been awesome and unlike anything Welsh learners have endured over the years - but unfortunately Welsh for Adults/Cymraeg i Oedolion who were working with S4C on a similar programme caught wind of this and immediately asked for it to be pulled! We were a day away from starting filming!

So, unfortunately in terms of Welsh learners materials on S4C, we now have what is essentially a single half hour news programme :frowning: Not even “Bore Da” any more!

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I must ask…were there contractual arrangements in place? A day away from filming…tsk

Unfortunately no! Must say that the production company were very nice.

As a spoiler, the first thing we were going to film was going to be a mock QVC shopping channel kind of thing, filled with potential christmas gifts for the learner in your life! It would’ve had trumpet sounds, mutation jokes and everything!!

But no… let’s just all watch a news programme!

I’m not bitter… I’ll be in my trailer :stuck_out_tongue:

:smiley:

I’m not sure that this will be a popular opinion, but I’m absolutely against ghettoising learners into their own comfortable little area. Yes, S4C and Radio Cymru (and Radio Wales and BBC Wales) should provide programmes for those less confident in their Welsh, but the aim is always to integrate learners, sooner rather than later, into mainstream Welsh-speaking society and communities. Otherwise, what’s the point?

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THIS, exactly!

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I’ve seen some fantastic short videos on social media made by/for young people, which would be great material for people learning (especially as they do that social media thing of adding subtitles for those scrolling with the sound off). “Hansh” is one - there might be others, but I don’t remember off the top of my head.

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Diolch. Subscribed lol

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Now You’re Talking may look incredibly dated but the entire series is on YouTube so is a useful resource for beginners.

There’s a scene in one episode where the presenter buys a round in a pub for a massive group of people, pints everywhere, half pints everywhere, a few glasses of wine and it comes to about £5.30! :smiley:

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Those were the days… and I used to think £1.30 for a pint of Guinness in Merthyr was cheap.

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It was 45p a pint down the social when I was thirteen and my pocket money was good enough for a small round, even though at 5’1" I could only just see over the bar.

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