So… I had a dream a few months ago in which I could speak fluently in Welsh. I’d just spent a weekend in Betws y Coed, so I guess it makes sense that the trip would turn up in a dream? When I woke up I decided to learn Welsh and I found SSIW. I’ve almost finished level 1 now, and I am enjoying it so much! I keep wondering why I hadn’t decided to learn Welsh years ago. I like very close to border and have had so many wonderful holidays and days out in Wales, so it makes complete sense to learn the language of a country I live so close too and visit all the time.
Learning that Welsh is one of the oldest languages in Europe, and the oldest indigenous language in the UK, has really fuelled my interest too!
@gordon-tucker-1 I see that you haven’t been sent an invitation to the join the SSiW Community Chat Slack group where you can try out your Welsh in a safe, supportive online environment with other SSiW learners and a tutor, so I’ve just sent you one now.
Jump into the Slack group, then look at the information and the timetable in the #1-start-here Channel. It would be great if you could join us in an online session
My son introduced me to Say Something in Welsh and, as a fun time to bond with my just out of college kid, I started learning Welsh with him. This was before the new course. Together, we got to lesson 9 or 10, then life got crazy and neither of us had time for anything extra for awhile. Why Welsh? My son is interested in things that are a little different, whether it be clothes, books, places to visit… Welsh fit in perfectly. No, we don’t have Welsh in our family background, unless you count one particular family tree site that takes us back and shows that we are supposedly related to Sir Rhys Griffith I, and going back further and further (not surprisingly short on documentation) to King Owain ap Caff. Anyway… learning Welsh… I came back to it recently because I needed something to distract me from the constant political news. Spanish would be more useful, but I haven’t yet found a Spanish language program that is half as much fun as this Welsh program! I will say, though, working on Welsh, I find I’m having an easier time remembering my Spanish when I need it, and I’m more confident speaking. Thank you for keeping the old course up so I can continue with this!
Yes! I’ve done a little bit with the SSiSpanish. Trying to find the right level for me is hard as I had quite a lot of Spanish is school, but I think I’ll look at it more!
That’s such a wonderful story! It’s great that learning Welsh became a special bonding experience with your son, even if life got busy for a while. Welsh is definitely a unique and fascinating language, and it’s amazing that you’ve found joy in it—even without a clear family connection (though those historical ties sound intriguing!). It’s interesting how working on Welsh has also helped with your Spanish recall. Language learning has a way of strengthening overall cognitive skills! Wishing you continued enjoyment on your Welsh journey—diolch for sharing!
Hi Catrin. I’m learning Cymraeg with SSiW and loving it. I started y Cwrs Ylpan in Bangor 30-odd years ago, but found it really hard to keep up and my Welsh stayed stuck at a few words. Now I’m living in Shrewsbury and suffering horribly from hiraeth! If we do move back to Wales, I definitely want to be able to use the language well. For me the language is as beautiful and important as the lovely landscapes of Wales, and I want to help to keep it alive, and feel more connected with the community. Anyway, after 5 weeks (I’m in challenge 7) I’m able to say more in Cymraeg than ever before and I’m frankly amazed at how quickly this is happening. A brilliant course, delivered in a friendly, encouraging way. Diolch yn fawr iawn!
I just started and I’m very excited! I’ve been interested in Wales for a bit now. I love folk tales and land with rich stories. I love poetry, storytelling, and music. I’ve been learning the harp and I did not realize until recently the deep history that Wales has of this. I recently traced my Evans name down to ancestors that came from Gwynedd, and I just kind of feel like my soul is calling me there. I hope to go next summer! I’m in America. I would really love to learn the language so I can delve more into the poetry and stories and understand them in the manner they are spoken. I would love to be able to communicate with anyone speaking Welsh when I visit. I’ve only just started here, but I really enjoy the forums and sense of community.
English born, but with a Welsh name and north Welsh ancestry. When I first left school I went to work with the Forestry Commission in Gwydir Forest, in the Conway Valley for a year, living with a Welsh speaking family and working with nearly all Welsh speakers. I went to night school and picked up enough Welsh to understand most of what was going on, and to participate a little bit in the conversations. Sadly, that is a long time ago and I’ve forgotten much of what I did know, but I always get a buzz out of hearing Welsh spoken. I’ve just made a return visit to Llanrwst and Betws-y Coed and have come away determined to learn Welsh properly - so here I am!
@brandi did you know there is a group of Welsh learners living in the US and Canada who meet online twice a week to practise their Welsh? They post the link in the open Welsh Speaking Practice Slack group. If you’d like an invitation, send an email to admin@saysomethingin.com with WSP as the subject.
I’ve been learning Welsh with DysguCymraeg and Duolingo for about 18 months. I live in England but love Wales, especially North Wales where we spent every holiday as a child, and to where I feel a strong connection. We recently bought a holiday home and I wanted to learn the language because I think it’s important to respect the language and culture of a place and to allow us to integrate a bit more. I have little opportunity to practise outside of the weekly Zoom sessions with my DysguCymraeg class but I’ve been doing SSIW for just over a month and it’s been absolutely transformational for my confidence and ability to speak. Welsh is my 5th language, of which 2 are at degree level and I think the SSI method is the best way of getting to grips with speaking a language I’ve encountered
