Are the chats written or spoken?
Is there a schedule for when chats take place or is it totally random and you just need to keep logging in to see if anyone’s online?
Within Slack, the communication is usually done through text. Slack also offers “huddles”, which are impromptu voice chats, but I’ve never been in one myself, so I can’t tell you more about that.
Group chats (or one-on-ones) normally take place in another app, mostly Zoom, but you can use any other app that your chat partner would be willing to use, for example Teams or Hangouts.
There are two Slack platforms, and the opportunities for chats differ between them: WSP (Welsh Speaking Practice) is open to anyone, but at the moment there are no scheduled group chats taking place. If you are (only) on there, your best bet is to announce your willingness to chat in #online-now and see if someone joins. (It would also be a good idea to set Slack up so that you get a notification on your phone when someone texts in that channel.)
The other platform is restricted to people with an active subscription for SaySomethingIn, but on there you get regular scheduled opportunities to join tutor-led group chats, partner chats and q&a sessions, which all take place on Zoom.
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@stuart_robertson_758 I see that you do have an active subscription through Dysgu Cymraeg, but you haven’t been sent an invitation to the SSiW Community Chat Slack group, so I’ve sent you one now.
Once you log into that, go to the #1-start-here channel, and you’ll find the timetable for the daily (Mon-Fri) partner and group chats there. There is also a Q&A session where you can ask questions about what you’re learning in English. Once the questions are finished, the rest of the session is taken up with chatting in Welsh.
Thanks. So just to double check, how do you know for certain which session is speaking and which is text if the former is your main priority?
There are no “texting sessions”. If you see a Zoom invite, it will be for a speaking session.
Thanks
That’s interesting! I have an active SSI subscription but don’t remember ever getting an invitation to Slack (tbh I don’t even know what it is but now you’ve explained it it sounds interesting!)
How can I join? Could you send me an invite?
The invitations used to go out automatically when people did the old 6 MInutes a Day audio-based course. Since then you need to request one, but anyone learning Welsh and with an active subscription (or membership through Dysgu Cymraeg) is eligible.
I’ve sent yours to you now, @hazel-jones-2, so check your spam/junkmail if you don’t see it in your Inbox.
And if anyone else is a subscriber and would like an invitation, just email admin@saysomethingin.com and request to join the SSiW Community Chat Slack group.
Diolch yn fawr Deborah!
One more question. When I’ve gone into the start here page and found a chat I want to join, how do I do that?
What do you mean, you found a chat in the start-here page? That page only gives general information, for example the time table for regular chats (at least in the Community Chat slack)
Announcements for actual chats taking place are posted in #group-video-sessions, and those announcements will contain a link, redirecting you to a Zoom session.
You could also use the channel #general-questions in the Slack itself to ask such Slack-related questions. That way you’d also practice using Slack at the same time 
@stuart_robertson_758 if you go into the #1-start-here channel in the SSiW Community Chat Slack workspace, and scroll back up to the top of the information there, you’ll find all the answers to your questions, and you’ll be able to join in any chat session you want.