In work today a customer started asking me something in Welsh. Her long query went on before I managed to say ‘dw I ddim yn siariad cymraeg yn dda iawn’ and then nothing else except ‘diolch’ afterwards. It was great that she spoke to me. My hands shook afterwards.
I think I need to learn some handy phrases for the moments my brain freezes so at least I say something. Any ideas?
The day I’ll understand seems so far off at the moment. Very slow learning and no practice.
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Saying anything at all in that situation is a huge step forward - well done! The hands shaking thing is the adrenalin rush - embrace it!
Maybe you could try things like:
“Yn araf, os gwelwch yn dda, dwi’n dysgu” (Slowly please, I’m learning)
or if you need them to repeat something, maybe:
“Eto, ond yn araf, os gwelwch yn dda” (Again, but slowly, please)
and then afterwards, maybe:
“Diolch am eich amynedd” (Thanks for your patience)
You say no practice, but this is practice - ok, so it’s seriously in-at-the-deep-end practice, but it still counts, and the more it happens, the more comfortable you’ll feel about it, I promise 
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I get an adrenalin rush from just reading about your experience! 
I too think that you’ve done brilliantly and the phrases suggested above look very handy.
I had to repeat this one really often while speaking 1 to 1 with another learner (way more advanced than myself):
Mae’n ddrwg gen i, dwi ddim yn deallt be ddudest ti. Fedri di ddwed o eto bach yn arafach, plis?
(Sorry, I don’t understand what you said, could you say it again a little more slowly, please?)
I had to repeat it really often. So now I’ll go and learn “Diolch am eich amynedd” (Thanks for your patience)! 
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Some more useful phrases here resulting from a quick brain-storming session by a couple of tutors at Nant Gwrtheyrn after a plea for help on just this topic (the translation and any mistakes are mine)
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Thanks everyone as always amazing support and useful phrases
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