I received one of those "pick-me-up letters from Iestyn (thank you Iestyn) after I lifted my ‘pause’. Although I’ve been reading simple Welsh novels I haven’t done much else since July. I’ve dropped back from Challenge 23 and am currently stuck on 15.
I enjoy the live hangouts with Nia so get some speaking practice and have set up a small group locally to learn/practice Welsh - with mixed success. It’s a great little group but not much Welsh happens.
I keep putting off the homework (making and practicing sentences) . I think this is what I need to to do and I resist it like crazy.
I have many excuses!!! But don’t we all!!! Living in Perth Western Australia I feel a long way from home sometimes
Hi @dianne-1. You’re talking regularly on the hangouts, so you’re talking Welsh regularly. You’re great already! Don’t beat yourself up.
It looks like you really like the social side of your language learning. Perhaps you could make a pact with another learner to do the work you feel that you are avoiding one evening a week? Accountability can be a great help.
But whatever you choose to do, you are already doing well. As I said, don’t beat yourself up.
I restarted by doing the listening Challenge no 3 which presented no problems when I did it in July. I couldn’t get it at all. I know it’s not necessary to understand it but because I did so before I was disappointed to have lost my ear So I took my learning back to Listening Practice 2 which I understand okay - probably because I grew up in a Welsh speaking environment.
So I worked through the Challenges from 11, but in Challenge 15 I have become very frustrated at when to use “Gwneud” or “Bod” to form the past tense, and not remembering the forms of those verbs to use. I can’t get my words out before Catrin. I
Then I get stuck in trying to work it out using the grammar. But the books and sites spell all the words differently, and it is overload.
Then I think I should go back and learn the past tense again as it comes up in the Challenges.
I’ve just skipped up to 23 (last done in July) and it is actually quit do-able. But I want to get the ‘gwneud’ "bod’ thing sorted out.
I’ve been a spectator on Youtube recordings of the group calls a few times and haven’t had the confidence to join in on hangouts. It’s a habit I need to get out of as I’m heading to Caernarfon in January on one of the SSiW get togethers and I don’t want to sit in the corner looking stupid. I’d say if you’re speaking welsh regularly you’re getting better practice than I am. I agree with what Aran said; it’s all too easy to try to understand every word of every challenge. But in real life, in our first language, we don’t do that, so why do we expect to do that in other tongues? Go easy on yourself and see how much you can do rather than what you struggle with. Languages are all about communicating and it sounds like you’re doing that yn Gymraeg already.
Keep your chin up.
Hwyl,
Gareth
My guess would be that you just need to push ahead into Level 2 - but I’m happy to help drill down a bit if you’d like to tell me about your experiences with 23 and 15…
Thank you Aran I’ve come to the same conclusion, thank you for asking exactly the right questions. I’m on Level 2, and my ‘nes’ and ‘on’ problem has disappeared and so has my ‘angen’ and ‘isio’ problem which has bugged me all through Level 1.
Thank you for this wonderful resource and for the happy friendly atmosphere you (and we ) all create here (((hugs)))
Hi Dianne, I have really enjoyed talking to you on the Hangouts. Your Welsh is great, and it is clear to me that you are doing really well. The only advice I would offer is to keep at it! Hope you see you online again soon!
I am not sure about Monday morning because my son will still be off school, so I might take him swimming. Monday afternoon is more likely. Than I am on a work trip Tuesday and Wednesday, so probably next on a Hangout on Thursday. In any case, I look forward to seeing you soon!
Okay, look forward to seeing you when you can make it. We have an overseas student staying with us, so life is interestingly unpredictable again for us Hwyl am y tro
star struck here!
Blwyddyn Newydd dda ichi gyd 
Enjoy the feeling while it lasts