Come on! There can’t be two me on SSi!
Now siriously, you’ll do just fine, you’ll see. 
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It’s very important to know yourself, so this sounds as though you’re being wise. In the medium term, I’d suggest very strongly that you try to reset your perceptions of what counts as ‘failure’ in language learning - because some of the most valuable and important elements of language learning look like ‘failure’ to someone who measures in black and white, school-marking kind of structures.
For example, and crucially, if you hear a prompt in English, say something in Welsh, and then hear something different to what you said, that is a genuinely important and useful part of the learning process, and will eventually lead to mastery - but for most people, it feels like a ‘failure’. If you can switch the goal on that single issue, and learn to roll your eyes in a cheerful way at your variations, the entire process will become massively easier and faster for you 
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Thanks Aran, I’m trying, but as a mathematician, if it’s not perfect it’s not right, so it’s well built into my psyche by now!
I’m still getting ‘gwella’ and ‘ymarfer’ mixed up when I try to speak now, even though I first learnt those two months back!
Just completed Challenge 13, by far the hardest one yet, having literally just completed it I can’t remember what I learnt anymore. Will definitely need repeating a couple more times.
Or you could trust the system and move on, and see what it feels like if you revisit it once you’ve done another five or six sessions…
As to maths - I hear you - but what about stuff like fuzzy logic and uncertainty principles and suchlike?..
Move on even if I can’t get 80% in time?
Yup
Have a read of this:
Worst case scenario - you move on 5 or 10 sessions and then decide to come back…
That was an interesting read, hadn’t seen that before. I guess I’ll crack on with Challenge 14 today and hope for the best!
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I have a question about formality. Are there changes I need to make to my vocab when meeting my boyfriend’s (Welsh speaking, little English) grandparents for the first time? Just wondering if there’s a formal ‘you’ etc, as in French.
Also, how would I say “Nice to meet you”?
Feeling rather nervous!
Neis eich cyfarfod chi - northern
Neis (eich) cwrdd â chi - southern
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Diolch! I actually know cyfarfod, just didn’t connect it in this context, so that was very helpful 
Update: Just completed Challenge 22 (Level 1) and spent the day listening to Radio Cymru in the car (who knew you could get it in Manchester?!), as a brass bander and a chorister, today’s Eisteddfod coverage couldn’t have been more perfect!
My week in North Wales went by with actually very little spoken Welsh, which was a shame. Spent most of it up mountains where there were not many people to talk to! Going to the Eisteddfod on Monday so there’s still an opportunity. I just need to get over my fear, even struggle a bit with confidence when trying to say things in Welsh to my boyfriend, so strangers are a big step!
I did learn some handy phrases though…
Tyrd Meg, tyrd yma, tyrd!
Na Meg, na! Na!
Merch dda Meg!
Meg’s a spaniel.
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Bear in mind that even though it’s terrific that so many SSiWers want to jump in at the deep end, using your Welsh with strangers in the wild is much easier if you’ve gone through the process of finding a practice partner and having gradually longer practice sessions
Having said that, if you see Catrin and me looking outnumbered by children in the Eisteddfod on Monday, do come and say ‘bore da’…
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Tom’s working so I’ll be on my own most of the time. If I look lost and confused it’s because I probably am! Anyone feel free to come say hi, I look like this <- but in a flowery shirt and rather fetching pink wellies
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Unfortunately, that only narrows it down to about 20,000 possible matches…
Hope you had a good day!
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I had a lovely day, beautiful weather (and some great cider!). I went to see the crowning ceremony, which was certainly an experience!
I finished Challenge 25 on the way home today, perfect timing as I’m off on holiday tomorrow for a week and a half, so will take a break from Welsh (keeping with 5 minutes listening though of course!) and start Level 2 on my return. Maybe by the 2016 Eisteddfod I’ll be able to keep up with Tom’s family conversing at speed…
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Da iawn!
At this rate … you will.
I’m not sure, I swear they speak much faster than ordinary people!
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Siarad yn arafach, plis.(remember?) This should work.
Yeah, just got to be braver I think. It doesn’t help that they’re not necessarily talking to me, just at the dinner table for example. 9 Welsh speakers and I all went out for Sunday lunch when I was in North Wales the other week, at least three different conversations, all in Cymraeg, happening at the same time, usually about people I didn’t know. Would have been hard to follow in English I think!
(Making excuses now…)
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Surprise them and YOU start the conversation. What about that?