I think this observation is spot on. Once you have a real reason to learn a language you can begin to see that the effort you put in is worthwhile on a variety of fronts. Doors which you didn’t realise existed begin to open or, if they don’t, you can push them until they do.
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Well, for me learning new things, shared intererests and passions have always been the main reason - at times, only - to go out and meet people, and the easiest way to socialize!
Most of my life-changing experiences towards becoming more outgoing are linked to music, travelling and…language learning (although learning English gave me a motivating extra pressure which unfortunately Welsh cannot have since it’s too easy to switch to a common language).
I guess chicken and egg situation but from a slightly different point of view.
At the same time, I agree with Margaret on the fact that their blank faces could be related to the events and not the language. I enthusiastically jumped in and participated to sgwrs grwps just months after I started learning Welsh.
But if you asked me to go to a concert of a choir or Noson Lawen evening, I would give you the weird looks myself @amandalaing ! 
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I have to thank the real generosity of staff involved in SSiW to get stuck into recognising us learners as individuals, but also their understanding that - while compartmentalising has its uses - it is instead the bigger picture i.e. the entire wealth of cultural (in the widest sense) effects & consequences that really matter in having language community/communication.
Nia sows seeds of interest in Cân i Gymru at least annually, if not more so, and she casts around ideas about volunteering as well as practical info about Eisteddfod arrangements, and Gareth yr Orangutan has lent her a huge hand as Hansh makes ever better use of Facebook, and Noson Llawen as a concept keeps signalling its presence… and the Slack communities & social media also facilitate meeting up in person & places… It has become a habit for me (living in England) to start sharing some of this cultural stuff/info/expression among people complaining about the drabness of their anglophone lives (perhaps, say, as they comment on Hidden which they’ve seen on BBC)…
So yes, I am talking about how fellow learners build on the (locally & experientially informed) input of @Deborah-SSi & @nia.llywelyn @beca-brown and, and, and of course @aran @Iestyn & teulux2.
Many of us here have witnessed language & community life start to look likely to shrink & fade away in our localities, but can remember healthier times yet…
…calculations about how available any of us are in terms of time & finances & energy are tricky… It is so easy to become overextended & simply crash out, or be in danger thereof… Hard to do family life, private life, keep track of public trends & events…
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Workplace/work-related business/trade-related activism has a benefit of bringing in an income of some sort perhaps perhaps…
It’s an interesting issue, and one that has implications for children in Welsh-medium education that come from English-speaking homes as well. It’s easy to see your Welsh as something you do in a particular place, with a small group of people, but harder to start using it out and about in your daily life if you’re not a naturally out-going person and you’re not aware of the opportunities.
The good thing with Welsh is that you can find it in a wide range of activities - if you live in Wales and you look for it. Organisations like Menter Iaith advertise a variety of opportunities through the medium of Welsh, from baby massage, to yoga, to flower arranging … and for less out-going people, if they have an interest in any of these, it can be a way of going along and immersing yourself in the language while showing intense concentration on what you’re doing if you feel a bit hesitant about talking to others initially.
Then there are the music events, which range from traditional folk music to heavy metal, so there is generally something for everyone. Yes, you may still get the blank looks when you suggest them, but you’re taking the first step by making sure people know they happen. It’s not uncommon for people to start learning Welsh and discover a whole parallel world happening around them that they weren’t aware of before.
But I’m not sure what the solution is. I remember when I first started learning Spanish at university. I heard the local Spanish Association had a film night on with a welcome to newcomers. I managed to persuade ONE person from my class to go along! People who go to a class once a week may feel that’s the time they dedicate to Welsh and the rest of their time is full already, but hopefully, if activities or events can be proposed that they would be interested in anyway if they were happening in English, then that’s a start.
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I agree with what others have said, although sometimes you can surprise yourself about what you DO like. I wouldn’t have dreamed of joining the Women’s Institute, but I have now found a really welcoming Merched y Wawr group, and it’s a hoot.
One of the big differences between SSiW and a lot of classes is that SSiW is passionate about encouraging people to speak and use the language, with any amount of grammatical errors and bits of Wenglish. I’ve met people living in Wales who have been to classes for years, but don’t use the language in their daily lives because they lack confidence and are afraid of making mistakes. And I was one of them until I came across SSiW and went, very unwillingly, to a bootcamp…
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There’s quite a lot of evidence that speaking another language can give you a slightly different personality. Maybe that’s what is happening to you, Bronwen 
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Spot on Marcus. My cousins in the valleys have made half hearted attempts at learning the Lingo and the courses are almost given away. I learned German for 5 years at school. I used it last year on holiday for the first time. I left school in 1978! I did a year of French and hated the teacher so I dropped it at the first opportunity. When I was in my 30s i travelled to France at least once almost every summer with my young family and spent a fortune on night classes to learn enough conversational french to get by. You don’t need to speak the local language most anywhere these days because English is pretty much a first or second language in so many countries. However, as we found in Caernarfon earlier this year and i continually find overseas, when i have a go in the local language, I get a much more favourable response for trying. I don’t ever expect to be as profficient yn Gymraeg as I am in English but I want to learn enough to hold some level of conversation with other speakers. Anyone who says, “there’s no point”, “it’s a dead language”, “No one speaks Welsh” etc is a victim of misinformation and adding to the problem. There’re plenty of studies out there showing that it’s good for our brains to study languages. And now we aren’t caught up learning lists of verbs and nouns and languages are taught to be conversational, they are so much more accessible than ever before. Everyone is very impressed when I tell them I’m learning Welsh. In fact I visited a friend in Cirencester and his wife said she thinks it’s great that I’m learning the original language of the British Isles and helping to keep it alive. Now there’s a thought worth savouring…
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Apologies if my points here have already been covered; this topic has got a rather hefty amount of content now!
Firstly I’d like to reiterate the helpfulness of knowing where the Welsh speakers are. As a frequent visitor to Wales I have it easier than many learners I know, but knowing what businesses have Welsh speaking staff or encourage the use of the language is not straight forward.
Shops, restaurants, pubs etc are all too happy to have stickers in their windows proclaiming their TripAdvisor scores, JustEat presences, Good Beer Guide inclusion as these are all potential boosters for their business. It seems hard to believe that there isn’t the equivalent for the Welsh language (unless i have missed it 
). It’s got to be a benefit for all surely?
I know there have been several goes at providing an online map/database of these, clearly it involves a lot of work and maintenance but the potential rewards and ease of access are large.
Similarly, there seem to be “speak Welsh” badges but no push to actually wear them.
To be fair I also agree with whoever said earlier that there’s also an obligation for me to lead with Welsh whenever possible and say shwmae.
Additionally, living outside of Wales (and maybe for some of those within Wales) the options for immersing myself in the language are somewhat limited. There are a few learning apps (but none as good as SSIW obviously! 
), and there’s S4C (if you can get it) Radio Cymru and podcasts which are all useful but mostly passive. I have looked in vain for a decent Android mobile game in Welsh, for learning that doesn’t feel like learning. It seems a massive area for growth and making the language cool is just not at all used. Again, I know I’ve picked an area that requires skills and knowledge (that I don’t have), hard work, and maintenance. It’s just after listening to Welsh radio and podcasts at work, doing SSIW or Duolingo for an hour when I get home theres a lack of things to do, and moreover a lack of fun things to do. Having fun is a great helper for learning new skills as it becomes addictive. I love SSIW and find it both fun and addictive (and frustrating when I can’t remember something 
) but I’d like more things and more casual activities. That makes learning seem easy.
I hope this is somewhat useful and I’m not just repeating what everyone else is saying!
Keep up the great work, and take care all
Charlie
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S’mae Charlie,
Late response I know but you can get S4C over the internet by using the S4C Clic app on a mobile device for sure. You need to sign up but it give access to all the content at no fee. I’m told the boxed sets are good to watch but like so many things I rarely get time for TV even now I am confined to the house.
Hwyl
Gareth
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Hi Gareth,
Thanks for that, thats a really good point. Fortunately I can get S4C through freesat but prior to that i was frustrated that I couldn’t access it (mainly coz I was missing out on rugby!). It never occurred to me to check out an app/streaming (doh) so I’m glad you pointed it out.
I will probably look into it at some point now anyway so i can binge on a boxset!
Diolch yn fawr am dy help di
Charlie
Llawer o rygbi to mis now. Mae gyda fy tochyn ihr gêm Cymru erbyn’r Alban. Dwi’n aros eto…
Hi Gareth,
Just realised, you’re the chap I’ve been talking to about rugby via postcards! Hope you are well
Charlie