Wading in, as I believe I was partly responsible for going off-topic in the first place. When I started SSiW, I could ‘read Welsh’, I was in a church choir in Aberystwyth for several years, I can also read Latin. Russian (if in Roman script) (love Rachmaninov so much btw) and German, for singing purposes but have even less understanding.
I posted on this when I started the course about my concerns about seeing the words written in my head. I’ve actually moved on from this, have progressed through the course and now say sentences without having the ‘letters’ in my head. I completely get the point about using the language without the ‘words’ (if you catch my meaning!). If I stop for a moment I can then write the words, but I think I am developing a separation between spoken Welsh and written Welsh, which is good, because it’s what I do naturally with English.
Really if I was to advice myself of a few months ago, I would advice concentrating on listening and speaking, but do a little work on the written form, just enough to keep in touch with my new learning. Exposure is important, and I love trying to decipher tweets in Welsh and other media.
Do you speak Russian - I’m learning Russian at the moment and really enjoying the challenge.
I changed to dealing with Cyrillic over a month ago - but occasionally with the really long words I admit to thinking about them in the Roman alphabet before trying to pronounce them,(but don’t tell Stella!!)
Justin
Only four letter words are forbidden Tatjana - though in Slovenian it may be six 
Helo Aran - SOME of the posts in this thread might be moved to yet another thread possibly entitled “The benefits of reading and when to start”. I notice that people are still making interesting contributions on the subject.
Justin
Which is wrong because the sounds are not the same. For example, the English “ee” and the Russian “И” sound (notice that I don’t use the IPA here, but the approximate English spelling - ain’t I kind?
are only similar, but they have their distinctive features, and if you write English words with Russian characters and viceversa it leads to pronunciation mistakes.
Hmmm … jes, just to be moved there, because I believe that thread exists already. I’m sorry, though I don’t have the time neither the will to locate it right now.
Perhaps it is a “misunderstanding”. Perhaps, when I speak of context, in fact my judgement on attitude was skewed by previous matters. Perhaps it is simply a perception from a different viewpoint, a viewpoint skewed or not (and no, the only reason to have a different viewpoint is not that there are problems in my life)
But I don’t think previously being told that it is an unwanted waste of my time to contribute an opposing view on a topic - especially a topic concerning a matter where a considerable amount of money is being donated by people outside the area - can be easily misunderstood.
That simply made and makes me more than a little uncomfortable (not about my feelings, but generally about the attitude) and I continue to do so - unfortunate, because I will continue to feel obliged to comment where I think comments need to be made, whether it is pleasant for me to do so or not.
I’m not sure what the point of this thread is - other than a strange invitation to point out why I misunderstood. I would prefer it if this thread died a death, but that is up to everyone.
Good advice and agreed - I’ve gone back to my basket with my tail between my legs,
Justin
Not yet! if I live long enough to become a true polyglot then it is on the list! (this list is getting longer all the time) I do love Russian choral music and music from the Baltic countries.
The Roman script of Russian is only a rough approximation, but it at least satisfies the craving to sing these works. Really, I try and listen to Russian works by Russian choirs, not only do they capture the music so much better than even the very best Western European choirs, but listening also helps identify where the Roman script is short of the mark.
Oh I can’t sleep after a rendering of Handel’s Zadok the Priest - it is so uplifting and powerful. I’m going to take the liberty to alert @stella to your musical tastes. I know Stella is passionate about music and there is an off-chance you may have a shared interest.
I can only recommend that one day you experience the enjoyment of learning Russian. It is incredibly challenging but worth every minute of the effort,
Justin
I’m afraid I prefer Western baroque and don’t know so much about Russian choral music. I plan to get to the Russian operas one day, though.
Well, actually I am a massive fan of Renaissance and Baroque music too, particularly of the greatest British composer of all time, Henry Purcell.
But Handel was a German, who became quite British in the end. Listen to Bach’s Mass in B minor, it puts Handel in the shade in my ears.
Oh, he’s absolutely celestial. I love Monteverdi, Handel, Bach and many of the more obscure composers of the Baroque too, but Purcell is just incredibly beautiful and touching.
Me too, I should also get around to hearing more Russian opera. I am also a Wagnerian, but I really love Baroque opera, not just Purcell’s ‘King Arthur’ but Handel, Vivaldi etc. I wish J.S. Bach hadn’t believed that the sole form of musical expression should be to praise God, because he would have written some amazing operatic music.
We have gone somewhat off topic! The point I was trying to make was that language learners are very committed and do form positive relationships with teachers and language providers generally. This happens in music too, but there are more free-riders in music, because it’s a much bigger cultural phenomenon, so fewer intimate relationships. What I was trying to say was that there is perhaps more likelihood of strong mutual relationships between language teachers and learners than people seeking music to listen to, so there is less risk of free -riders running off with created content.
Well that describes the St Matthew Passion, to my mind (sorry if anyone considers that sacrilegious…)
While we’re on the topic of music … I’m singing in a special Dydd Gwyl Dewi concert in the St David’s Hall tonight (not just me of course … there are well over a hundred of us!), which is going out live on Radio 3. The music is probably not to everyone’s taste, being a product of the 20th century, but I am completely bowled over by it. It’s the master work of the Welsh composer Grace Williams, who died not long after the disastrous first (and so far only) performance in 1971 - her Missa Cambrensis. Among other things, it features a reading of the Beatitudes in Welsh (read by Rowan Williams), and a small but very beautiful section sung by the Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion.
If your musical tastes stop with Wagner, then I’ll be honest and say that you probably won’t like it. But if you like, say, the Britten War Requiem or Tippett’s A Child of Our Time then you might enjoy it. Most importantly, it’s a very special day for Welsh music
Oh I like modern stuff too, I just like music in every form really. Britten is perhaps the 2nd best British composer! I will listen to you singing tonight on the radio
How exciting to be singing in a live concert on Radio 3! I will try to listen tonight. I used to sing a lot of choral music when I was younger (mostly in Lichfield cathedral) Bach’s St Matthew Passion is certainly a very dramatic piece and one of my favourites. I love Purcell and most other baroque composers as well.
Pob lwc for tonight.
I must confess I prefer cantatas and other smaller forms these days, because it’s hard to find time to sit through an opera, and it’s a pity to break it into pieces, even the operas with lots of “big hits”, like “Alcina” or “L’Orfeo”. It kind of breaks the inner logic and the dramatic composition of the music.
I’m also a fan of the Russian “романсы” - I don’t know the term for it in English, romances, maybe? Very lovely and rather unique.
There’s also the fact that while you can enjoy the music without paying for the concert, just standing nearby, a language course without a teacher is normally like a bowl of ingredients for a dish without the recipe. I doubt that people who will try to learn from the Memrise sets without doing the course itself in the way it’s meant to be done will get the same results.
Good luck, Sara - and have a fantastic time!
You should try our impromptu curries