Shw mae i gyd. I’m new to the SSiW Web site and Forum. I completed Cwrs Mynyddiad Un last year as an adult learner and thoroughly enjoyed it. I cannot commit to the 1hr / week this year so I started self learning using the SSiW audio course which I find enjoyable - but I miss the social aspects of the ‘tutor driven’ course. I have now completed level 3, moving onto Level 4. Presumably, from the foregoing posts is this still a good strategy for me. Advice welcomed. Mike
Welcome to the forum, Mike 
When you say 4, are you talking about Mynediad material or perhaps our Level 1? If you’ve done our old Course 3, you’re going great guns!
Whereabouts are you? It’s a shame to have to miss out on the social side of things, but maybe there’s a group somewhere near you that you could meet from time to time
Hi Aran. Thanks for your reply. I live in Newport. I am moving on to ‘Lesson 4’ (sorry) in the ‘old’ SSiW course. I completed Cwrs Mynydiad 1 as an adult learner; this was great fun - 3 hours a week over last academic year.
I think there are (or certainly have been) some socials in or around the 'Port - @cuckoo or @theblacksparrow might know 
Good luck, and don’t hesitate to come on here and ask for help when you hit any of the brick walls we’ve cleverly hidden in the course…
Hi Mike, as Aran said there’s a bit going on locally if you know where to look, Saturday mornings seem to be favourite unless like me you’re retired. The next SSIW meeting in
the 'port is in March, look for a post on the forum. There lot’s of midweek meetings in and
around Newport if you’ve got time off.
Again as Aran said feel free to pm James or myself.
Hwyl am y tro.
Dave ( cuckoo )
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Hi @michaelharries - @cuckoo is definitely the man to speak to about local Casnewydd meetups since he goes to far more of them than I do!
There’s also a great Tuesday evening meeting in Croesyceiliog. There’s a good mix of learners and first language speakers to talk to.
The next one’s tomorrow - Torfaen Meetup - Tuesdays @ 1900 - The Upper Cock Inn, Croesyceiliog
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I have recently completed course 1 (southern version) 26 main sessions and 10 vol cab session. I am now ready to move on to the next course but I am unsure how to do it I would be grateful for any advice.
many thanks
Sian Morris
Hi Sian,
Either option of going on to the old course 2, or starting with the new level 1 is a good choice. I’d consider how quickly you’re going through material.
But my opinion, which is entirely worthless as advice, is that there are 20-odd lessons in the new level1 Southern at the moment - if you think you’re likely to still be working through those when the remaining 5 lessons are available (I’d guess a couple of months given the rate of progress, but I have no insider knowledge), I’d do Level 1 now and forget about Course 2 for the moment. On the other hand, if you’re going to tear through Level 1 more quickly than the new lessons can be produced, maybe look at doing Course 2 and coming back to Level1 afterwards.
Either option’s good.
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Help! I have slowly worked up to Lesson 6 of Course 1 but am now totally stumped by the speed of the Welsh being spoken. What should I do? Do I need to keep going over the previous lessons until I become more familiar with the patterns…should I switch to the Level 1 I’ve been reading about…or am I simply a hopeless case?
I do think the course is brilliant by the way…just doubting my own ability to pick up a new language. I would like to keep trying though.
Don’t doubt your ability, Kathryn - you can speak English, so you can speak Welsh - it’s the same neurological journey. There is no doubt at all about your ability to do it.
The old lessons 6 are pretty tough - badly written, I’m afraid - sorry! If you want to carry on with Course 1, then just press on through them and it will eventually bed in as you carry on progressing - but I would certainly recommend that you switch over to the much better written Level 1
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If comforts you, almost everyone here doubted their ability when comming to Lesson 6 of Course 1 (at least as much as I could establish from written allaround here). I still feel (as to my knowledge many of us do) it’s the hardest part of at least Course 1.
If I could manage to go through both parts of it, you can do it too. Everyone can do it if I did it as my memory abilities are really low. 
So just corageously go further.
And @aran, it’s a bit tough this Lesson 6 (yah, my brains melted that time I admit) but I still feel old Courses are better with way more explanation from which I understand better some things taught in Level 1 now too. I’m at Lesson 15 of Course 2 at the moment. Not that I’m entirely satisfied with my progress (as always - hehe) but I find it managable and great so far. Listening to @Iestyn’s patient voice when explains things (doing south course) comforts me anyway.
@Kathryn I remember lesson 6! I thought it was all falling apart overnight. It’s honestly not. I switched to the new Level One shortly after and it felt like flying in comparison. I promise you you’re not a hopeless case - it’s all Lesson 6’s fault!
As Aran says, Level One is much better, but if you run out of lessons and don’t want to stop, my advice would be don’t be afraid of going back to Course 1 and the rest afterwards, even if you just press on through the difficult bits - it will come together in the end. I’m just starting Course 3 and that seemed like an impossible dream when I was ploughing my way through the 3rd miserable attempt at Lesson 6, wondering if it would be easier to gouge my brain out with a spoon.
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I can remember I just went through both lessons 6 two times then I just gave up on them both carying on. “Woo, that’s more like it!” I remember me exclaiming when finishing Lesson 7 and just pushed on all the way to Lesson 25. I even did all vocab lessons (which were also brainmelting to me) before I returned back to those Lessons 6 realizing they’re easier now.
To be honest though, Level 1 (all the way to Challenge 15 (to where I came and then gave up) was as taugh as Lesson 6 of old course to me. But obviously it’s only me having hard times with Levels as all the rest of you here fly as an aricraft through them.
Might be I’m not at mach speed yet obviously.
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Thank you for your kind and encouraging replies.
i guess I’m being a wimp, but I don’t have a lot of faith in my abilities. I do want to give this a go though (I tried a different course once before and didn’t find it anywhere near as helpful) and I think I’m going to listen to Level 1 and see how soon I come up against a wall again and then try to keep on pushing through.
It’s good to hear of people who’ve ‘been there and done that’ and I thank you so much for helping me to see I just have to keep going even if at times I don’t feel I’m getting anywhere.
A great course and a great forum 
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Any time you feel stuck, Kathryn, come on the forum - there are people here who have been stuck at every single point you might possibly get stuck on, and you’ll get the support, encouragement and advice you need to end up a very confident and successful speaker, I promise
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Thank you so much for your support and I’ll report back and let you all know how I’m getting on…see, I’m being positive! 
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Hi just wanting to keep in touch the level one course is going well although just finished lesson 13, a bit of a mouthful so i’ve gone over it again a couple of times. Enjoying learning Cymraeg very much only i’m a bit short of people to talk too. Hope someone can turn up soon trying to find out who may be available here in Alice Springs Australia. Oh by the way I am doing the Southern course too thanks. oh I am watching some old rugby commentaries of rugby in Wales good thing is some of the commentaries are in Welsh good listening practice and listening practice 2 in the level one course is awesome, where it is twice the normal speed. Thanks.
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Don’t get stuck on it more than that, though - push on with more new stuff - you can always come back to it later if you really want/need to
Great to hear that you’re having fun with the listening exercises!
Just wondering whether to have a go at the northern challenges. I’ve finished course 3 (southern) and the the level 1 challenges as far as they go at the moment and am spending more time reading in Welsh than actually speaking. I notice that most of the written material for learners appears to be northern so thought it might do me some good. Does it matter if I end up speaking a mixture?
I started with the northern and on completion, did much of the southern, after finding I had a little difficulty understanding, Iestyn on my first Bootcamp. I found it very useful for general comprehension of the spoken language; and following more on the radio and television. I catch myself mixing elements of both courses depending on whom I’m speaking to: much to my own amusement.
I found myself after a few hours shooting through the southern lessons as there’s not much difference between them.
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