Fantastic and really interesting progress report - really glad you’re finding the Sgyrsiau helpful. I hope I don’t shatter too many illusions tomorrow…! Nah, you’ll be fine. Belieeeeve!
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Haha! I’m sure radio presenters do get this sometimes! I have come across a few people who I find difficult to decifer, but not in an interview situation - yet!! The father of a friend of my daughter’s has a very strong south walian accent despite having lived up Gog for years and talks veeeery quickly - I have to really tune in to understand him!
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It seems very natural - and that is absolutely perfect.
I’ll confess that in full flow I find you difficult to understand!..it is a very curious thing - a combination of speed and accent ( and absolutely no offence intended!) …I am gradually getting better - it is now only when you are at full clip I struggle 
…but of course, that is perfect too - perfect practice!
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Haha! No offence taken! Do speed up and get over-excited!!! And I have a really annoying habit of starting a sentence and changing course half way through!
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Yes @Catriona, I think it’s a very similar feeling to the one you’re describing!
I think, in one more attempt to describe it in more detail (or understanding what’s going on) for me it’s actually about recognizing the sounds but not word by word…some kind of blocks or chunks that I would not be able to repeat, but allow me to follow what’s going on.
Something like that
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Wow…comprehensible input is a bit of a bigger subject than I was expecting!
I’m trying to work out how many of the principles we’ve got as saucers spinning on sticks - certainly i + 1 and acquisition versus learning - the trouble is I think I’m going have to give the others another read before I understand them!
Very interesting !
Rich 
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On the contrary - the more natural and difficult, the more helpful and valuable it is… 
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Definitely. @beca-brown I think all of these little things are what makes a natural conversation, a natural conversation. They are perfect.
Rich
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OMG! (Or, OMB! in Welsh - O Mam Bach!) - you actually are in Wales! I thought you were teasing!! Croeso mawr! 
:black_flag::black_flag:
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Diolch! Yeah, really in Wales even though just a few days. 
No Gogledd this time, though, sorry!
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So the stuff on comprehensible input is very interesting - I’m currently sat in doors wearing my anorak (metaphorically!). It is full of things which are counter intuitive…but seem to resonate.
I was particularly interested where it talks about taking on board material subconsciously - which naturally becomes available for use in creative speech - whilst consciously learned material is not by default ( doesn’t end up in the right bit of the brain).
It is funny because I was only saying to someone last week that I had a strange feeling that I had a pool of words which where somehow accessible to me for speech… but a much wider pool - some of which I had made an effort to learn…that didn’t seem to come to mind when speaking.
There is the danger of projection there.
Very interesting that it suggests that learners don’t advance their knowledge by speaking. I’d have to think about that one…I suppose they advance their speaking but perhaps not their knowledge…hmmm.
It is very interesting however - how widely is it accepted/ used?
Rich
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Have a great time!
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Ah great, Gisella. be careful with the weather. You would be most welcome to pop in for a coffee if you are anywhere near the Neath/Swansea area.
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I’d suggest that’s not so much a core hypothesis of comprehensible input - more part of a wider ecosystem of thought from some people who see comprehensible input as being their main theoretical angle… and you’ll be able to guess that it’s not a hypothesis we share… 
But being able to understand what you’re exposed to is definitely, definitely a very valuable step in improving comprehension skills…
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Yes. Actually what is said is very precise and in that context there is a real danger of a sound bite giving the wrong impression entirely …I think they are saying very clearly that listening to (and reading) things which are a bit ahead of the learner is, is very beneficial …,so I think it is very specifically talking about the speaking component of communication as opposed to the listening element of it…and therefore overall, spoken communication is one of the strong recommendations …which ties in with what you’d say completely, I’m sure.
(Tough subject for a forum!)
Rich
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I’m catching up slowly. Well, Manon Elis didn’t really take much interviewing, you just had to light the blue touchpaper and she was off. 
Her shop was already on my list of go-to places to visit over the party weekend.
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I know!!! I barely asked a question did I?! Her shop is amazing, you’ll love it.
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