I first came across SSIW about 3 years ago.
I have now settled down with work and bought a house and think it is time I improve on my cymraeg.
I have also noticed the forum layout has completely changed. Is there anything ‘new’ with the course I should know about?
So I take it I download the course 1 and start from there?
Diolch,
Shwmae, a chroeso i’r fforwm newydd!
I’ve only been here just over 2 years and, yes, it has changed quite a lot over the last 2 years at least.
You can start with Course 1, or, you can start with Level 1 - which is the new version of the Welsh course which will eventually replace the old course.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you could follow both!
The old course (which is complete, in both dialects) is still as good as the new Levels being recorded as we speak, but the new levels will contain more new words not previously introduced in the old course.
In addition to the old and new course, you also have the choice of which dialect you want to learn - North Wales, or South Wales!
The choice is yours!
Pob lwc, a joiwch y cwrs!
Welcome back, and good luck getting up and running again!
How far did you get last time?
Hi Aran
So I have decided to join back this again. I have visited this site twice and used your course ( old version, southern) before. I think the first time was 2011 and the second time was 2015. Well here I am again. I got as far as lesson 3 if I remember correctly.
I have been busy with life, new career, and baby on the way. But I have always tried picking up a little Welsh whenever I read it. But been too busy to commit.
The baby on the way has made me come back to this site and have another bash. Me and my partner don’t speak Welsh but will 100% be putting our child through a Welsh speaking school in our area. So what better time than now to have a good go at this and see how it goes? The more Welsh being spoken around the house can only benefit the situation.
I hope you are all still doing ok, and I have noticed how much this forum and course has grown. Absolutely great.
I look forward to engaging with you all in the future.
Diolch
And thanks for your reply faithless. And great to see that you still come on here.
Croeso nol.
If the name from twitter corresponds to this one here then I believe you’re the one who “dragged” me on here in the first place (for what I’m eternally thankful) and if so I’m happy you came back aswell.
@faithless78 has said it all but since forum software is a bit changed though not new to you I believe I’d like to direct you to this thread where you can find many “how to” bits and pices about this forum and some other useful stuff as well.
All the rest you know …
Welcome back! 
Hwyl
Tatjana
Shwmae, a chroeso nôl…eto!
Yes, I’m still here! But I also lead a very busy life ferrying the good people of Cardiff around in large multi-seated (and these days articulated) orange/green metal boxes with windows, so I also struggle to keep up with things on here unless I get tagged in something (diolch @tatjana!).
Congratulations (neu, Llongyfarchiadau) on your new addition coming to your family. So pleased to hear you wish to raise your new baby in the medium of Welsh - something I hope to do with my children when I eventually have them!
Once you have completed a few lessons, why not find out if there is a ‘sgwrs Cymraeg’ meet near you to practice your newly acquired language? Have a look in the Meetups/Events section on this forum, or sign up for the weekly email (if you haven’t done so already) which should give you information on your nearest meet.
Pob lwc gyda’r cwrs!
Gav
Welcome back again! As Iestyn is fond of saying, it doesn’t matter how many times you get interrupted, as long as you keep coming back you’ll get there in the end…
Sounds as though you’ve got a brilliant incentive going on there - huge congratulations, and good luck!
Hi all, and diolch for the croeso.
Yes having a child is a great incentive I would agree.
I would be interested to hear how children pick up speaking Welsh fluently in a Welsh school when they have just English speaking parents.
I aim to learn as much as I can so I can be extra more helpful and supportive when our child goes to a Welsh school.
Diolch eto
The immersion for about six hours a day is pretty much like a magic wand - stick any kids into a school run in a different language, anywhere in the world, and they’ll have it cracked in no time…
When I was just past 3, my dad came back from WW2 before it ended and was sent to llook after a POW camp. They were nice young men who had been made to join the German army, not Nazis, so he was happy for my Mam and I to get digs nearby and visit the camp! I learned German! No formal lessons. Neither parent knew a word. My dad had a batman who spoke some English, but I wandered everywhere and I suppose all these lads missing daughters, sisters, nieces… wanted to talk to me and ‘show’ and gestures helped! So I am sure that kind helpful trained teachers can get children fluent very fast! Warning! I have forgotten it all. I forgot it very fast because I never heard it or used it! So you need to keep your children using Cymraeg!
Welcome back @Dysgu-Cymraeg! Abd if it was you who “dragged” Tatjana to us, diolch yn fawr!
The kids will have absolutely no problem picking up Welsh in school.
In my experience, the problem comes later in school life when the kids start to understand that this Welsh stuff only happens in school, and doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere in the real world. It’s a common problem in areas where Welsh isn’t widely spoken, and is even a problem in south west Wales where Welsh is still common, but not essential.
By learning Welsh yourself, you will achieve two things. One, the unborn child is already learning a “mother tongue”, so hearing you speaking Welsh (yes, even ‘poor’ Welsh with lots of "Oh shut up Cat I’m not ready yet"s stuck in) will reinforce Welsh as part of the mother tongue before you ever get close to school.
Secondly, you will create a habitat where Welsh can exist outside of school. If you insist on speaking some Welsh (and especially if you make Welsh a part of your daily life), then your child will understand that there is more to this Welsh thing than just school, giving them a better chance of valuing the language, improving their language skills, and improving their enjoyment of school activities.
Schools in less Welsh-speaking areas are set up to deal with second language speakers whose home language is English, so your child would have no problems even if you never uttered a word of Welsh. But show them that Welsh is valuable by making the effort of learning / using / enjoying Welsh, and you’ll set them up for an even better experience.
Good luck!
This weekend i met natasha, @Sam84ms daughter. Neither are first language speakers but natasha who is now 10 goes to a welsh medium school, and chwarae teg, she only spoke in welsh with all of us for six hours. A lovely experience.
Could you get story books yn Gymraeg to read from. If you can sing, lullabies yn Gymraeg, if not softly read stories may act the same way. If she literally hears yr hên iaith at her Mam’s knee, she will not see it as just for school!