Where is the best accepted place to practice southern welsh in Wales.
I have been led to believe that although some people’s first language may be welsh, they are not interested in talking to welsh learners.
Hi Rob
I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily the case. I guess it depends on the person you’re speaking to. Where abouts in S Wales are you? There are often specific events (eg Paned a Sgwrs sessions) where you can meet up with other learners to speak Welsh. There are also specific shops, cafes etc where Welsh is spoken eg for me living in Merthyr that would be Canolfan Soar and working in Cardiff would be Yr Hen Lyfrgell and various others. You can do a search for places close to you here:
Kim
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If you mean in the street, etc:
Some first language speakers might be wrongly nervous that their dialect could be seen as not real Welsh, rather than being anti-learner.
I have found that I usually need to ask a new person in English, if it’s ok to speak Welsh with them. Obviously that will only work if they do speak Welsh. Then, they are usually great and will even tell you how they say certain stuff in their normal speech. Perhaps it’s just me, though 
After the first time, there is usually no need to use English first, and the person will probably start the conversation in Welsh, anyway. .
In Welsh language shops, centres etc, it’s ok just to go straight into Welsh.
Here is an extract from the SSiW email regarding the meet-up venues where the Southern dialect will be present.
Weekly meetings
Abertawe - Not SSiW, but chat with others in Tŷ Tawe, Sat, 10.00 to 12.00 (Contact leiafee)
Aberystwyth - CYD Clwb C Chat group, Thurs, 11.00 to 12.00, Home Café, Pier St, Aberystwyth (Contact Diana)
Aberystwyth – Weds, 11.30 to 12.30, Siop y Pethe, Sgwâr Owain Glyndŵr, Aberystwyth (Contact Nicky)
Caerdydd (Mynydd Bychan) - Weds, 1pm to 2.30, Cant a Mil Vintage, 100 Whitchurch Rd, CF14 3LY (Contact jo-7)
Caerdydd (Y Rhath) – (Not SSiW) Tues, 7.30, Andrew Buchan Bar, 29 Albany Rd, Roath, CF24 3LH (Contact Y_Ddraig_Las)
Coed Duon (Blackwood) – Thurs, 10.30 am to 12 noon, Wetherspoons, Blackwood, Gwent (Contact janetliddington)
Cilgeti (Kilgetty) – Mon, 6 to 8pm, Begelly Arms, New Rd, Begelly, Kilgetty SA68 0YF (Contact grettaem)
Cydweli (Kidwelly) – Weds, 6.30 to 7.30, Fishermans Arms, Bridge St, Cydweli/Kidwelly (Contact byron)
Deganwy - Mon, 12.00 to 2pm, SEPTEMBER, Castle View Bar & Restaurant, Pentywyn Rd, LL31 9TH (Contact harvey-fudge)
Hirwaun - Thurs, 10.00 to 11.30, Hirwaun Library (Contact chrisdunn)
Llandrindod - Weds, 8pm, Arfon Ales, Temple St, Llandrindod (Contact robbruce)
Llanelli – Mon, 7pm, The Colliers Arms, 12 Luton Tce, Furnace, SA15 4HR (Contact ant)
Pontypridd - Weds, 7pm to 9pm, Clwb y Bont, Taff St, Pontypridd (Contact jonthomas)
Porth Tywyn (Burry Port) - Fri, 12.00, Caffi Lolfa, Burry Port (Contact carallywelyndavies)
Torfaen - Tues, 7.00 to 9pm, The Upper Cock, The Highway, Croesyceiliog, Cwmbrân, Gwent, NP44 2HE (Contact ji_1)
Fortnightly / Monthly Meetups
Aberdaugleddau (Milford Haven) - 1st Sat of the month, 10am, Phoenix Bowl, The Docks, Milford Haven, SA73 3AF (Contact conrad-neyland)
Aberystwyth – 1st Sat of the month, 11am, Caffi y Crimson Rhino, Northgate St (Contact Diana)
Caerdydd - 1st Mon of the month, 7pm, Bragdy a Chegin, Caerdydd (Contact ali)
Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) - Tues, 17 July, 7pm, Ivy Bush Hotel, Spilman St, Carmarthen SA31 1LG (Contact margaretnock)
Cas-Gwent (Chepstow) - 4th Sat of the month, 10.30 to 12.00, The Lime Tree, Chepstow (contact nic)
Casnewydd - 2nd Sat of the month, 10ish to 12.00, top floor of the library, John Forrest Square (contact cuckoo)
Ceredigion (travelling meetup) - Sat, 28 July, 11.00, Huw’s house (contact Nicky)
Llandysul - CYD group, 3rd Thurs of the month, 7.45pm, The Porth, Llandysul (Contact dee)
Llanidloes – 3rd Fri of the month, 7 to 8pm, Old Mill Bar, High St, Llanidloes SY18 6BZ (Contact andylecap)
Machynlleth – 2nd Sat of the month, 10.30, Caffi Alys, Maengywn St, Machynlleth (Contact helenlindsay)
Penybont - 1st Sat of the month, 10.30am, Thomas Shop, Penybont, Radnorshire (Contact robbruce)
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr (Bridgend) – 2nd Sat of the month, upstairs at Il Panino, 1 Market St, CF31 1LL (Contact dryw bach)
Y Barri (Barry) – 3rd Thurs of the month, 10.30 to 11.30, Sir Samuel Romilly (Weatherspoons), Broad St in Barry (Contact Arianrhod)
Ystradgynlais – 2nd Thurs of the month, 8pm to 9pm, Gough Arms (Café Chameleon), Ystradgynlais, SA9 1ES (Contact geraintwynroberts)
I hope that this helps.
John.
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I sneak into this conversation because I have to start planning a trip to Wales in order to keep my motivation high. 
I’m thinking south-southwest because:
- I did sswi south
- flying to London is unbelievably cheaper (and bus/coach/train shorter)
- the only time I’ve quickly been through Wales it was along the northern coast so I’d like to see a bit of the south too.
it might be just a fairly quick ‘mission’ (a few days) so it better be some place where there’s more chances to be able (or forced!) To speak Welsh and not English.
Thanks!
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I am amazed that no-one has yet mentioned Y Barri.
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OK, for scenic coast AND Cymraeg, you need to be thinking West Carmarthenshire, North Pembrokeshire or Ceredigion.
Or aim for one of the meetings mentioned above. They will love it if you let them know that you have popped over specially. Or perhaps if you let them know you intend to visit.
Alternatively how about planning for a South West Wales SSiW Bootcamp?
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Thanks!
Planning a stop at one of those groups sounds like very good idea.
I’m going to take some time to figure out where all those places are, first, because I’m not so familiar with geography of Wales, sorry!
(and checking out also the list that @Kimberley posted is going to take even more time!)
I’m sure bootcamp is very interesting but I have a small selection of dates and a low budget at the moment, so…maybe later.
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I live in Llandysul, Ceredigion where loads of people speak Welsh and I have a spare room on AirBnB - Nyth y Kiwi - depending on when you were thinking of visiting, you’d be very welcome.
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This sounds great, @Deborah-SSi! Thanks! 
I still don’t know when I’m going to visit, but I’m sure it won’t be before November and at least a couple of weeks away from Xmas holidays (maybe not really high season for Wales I guess? so hopefully your room is going to be free).
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Bookings do tend to quieten down a lot towards the end of the year, but if you decide on dates let me know so I can keep them for you. I can block them in the AirBnB calendar until you’re ready to book.
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Also ABERAERON at The Castle each Tuesday … 10.30 'til 12.00 starting with school terms. Very interesting indeed.
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