I’m on week 11 of level one now, and this week’s lesson says: “Have you been taking part in the Welsh practice part of the Q&A sessions? This is your last ‘official’ week to practise Welsh in the paddling pool environment of the Q&A before you dive into the open waters of the regular Welsh Group Chat sessions where you’ll extend your Welsh even more.”
I think I’m missing something here! How do I take part in the practice sessions, and where can I find them, and what’s involved? What’s the paddling pool environment? Am I supposed to have been doing something other than the weekly challenges?
The Q&A sessions are the initial online sessions that you can take part in through the 6/6 Support Slack group. Did you receive your invitation to join? I can send you another if it went astray somewhere.
The timetable for all the online sessions is in the #1-start-here channel, and it includes the Q&A sessions. Anyone can ask questions in the first part, then when there are no more questions, the second part is for practising the Welsh from the early level 1 Challenges, more or less up to Challenge 10. Once you get beyond that you’re generally ready to join the NEWYDD sessions run by Nia, or take part in the general Cymraeg chat sessions.
Ah, thank you Deborah! I did download Slack right at the beginning and joined the group, but struggled with understanding how to use Slack so had forgotten all about it until your response just now! I’ll have another go.
I’m doing the new Northern course and I’m on level 3 (I started in June). I’m not part of any email schedule, I’m just doing the challenges at my own pace (on average one a day). Obviously, I have a current monthly subscription.
I know that those on the daily / weekly email schedules have access to additional practice material and chats.
I’ve been meaning to ask for a while: is any of that additional material available to us who aren’t on the scheduled scheme? If it is, how do I find it?
If you aren’t on a structured course, e.g. the Deep End one for Level 3, then you don’t have access to the 6/6 Support Slack group and the online sessions through there, but you’re very welcome to join the open Welsh Speaking Practice Slack group. There are other speaking sessions held there.
I’ll have a look at the Slack channel - thanks for the link.
I’ve had a look round and it’s actually quite difficult to find out what’s available in the structured courses – if I click on the link at the top of the page under ‘Learn’ it just says I’m qualified to join straight away with no extra payment, but it doesn’t tell me anything about the structure course itself!
If I logout, then it tells me a bit more (Learn Welsh - SaySomethingin), but it doesn’t really say anything about what’s in each level, so I don’t know what the ‘Deep End’ course entails. Please forgive the extra questions!
Can I convert to a level 3 course or would I have to start again?
Is it worth converting when I’ve already reached level 3?
How long does it take to complete level 3, and can I hurry the process along if I want to move more quickly?
The Deep End is the name of the structured course that is based on Level 3. It takes you through at a rate of 2 Challenges per week, but it’s up to you if you wish to go faster or slower. The benefits of registering in the Deep End are that you are entitled to participate in the 6/6 Support Slack group, asking questions there, finding others to set up online chats with, and taking part in the online group sessions. At that level, you can ask questions in the first part of the Q&A, then join in the Tuesday Mawrth Mwy sessions for more advanced learners.
If you decided to join the Deep End and you’ve already started Level 3, that’s fine. We can just move you to the relevant Challenge. You’ll receive an email each Monday with extra tasks to extend your Welsh and the suggested Challenges for the week.
Level 3 comprises 25 Challenges. If you do 2 per week, then you’re through it in about 3 months, but as I said you can go faster or slower.
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