Yes, to everything!! I’ve learnt loads from listening to myself and noticing the things I tend to say, and how it comes across. (Ouch!) This is way, way out of my comfort zone! (Even though I’m fairly happy talking to people in person these days - you don’t have to critique yourself so obviously!)
It’s hard not be hard on yourself - but I think the gains are huge, whatever your current level. You just have to remember that nobody really likes hearing their own voice back at them, and not take it all too seriously. Talking to a cold mic by yourself is never easy!
But it has certainly made me talk and think in Welsh more this week, and brought it closer to the surface to use in other situations that crop up, which is brilliant. I haven’t decided how long I’m likely to keep it up though - maybe a break and a bit of other practice and then come back and see if it’s easier…
Interesting/creative thought - at the moment, I’m thinking that the bitesize feel plus the ‘these are real people you can see interacting in the thread’ is key, and that the full listening exercises are the most important starting point (out of interest, do you listen to those regularly?) - but we might well come back to this idea at a later stage…
I’ve gone through phases of trying to listen to them, but find I’m identifying words and not taking in what’s actually being said, whereas with the speaking I’m more able to follow given the context of a question and the levels of welsh being used by fellow learners.
Definitely agree that the community interaction is the key though! And maybe being able to hear questions and answers back to back at the click of a button might take away the encouragement to get involved
Yes - it’s that ‘harder than real conversation’ which gives them so much of their value. I simply cannot recommend them too strongly as a 5 minute daily exercise…
Fantastic response @AnnaC which echoes my thoughts and feelings precisely. And whoever else it was who said in this thread about instructions - YES PLEASE!!! Where are they? How do I get on and do it?
Absolutely ‘blown away’ and into the bubbles right now…
Oops, looks like my earlier post really belonged in this thread, but if you are not yet convinced to ‘give it a go’ please look at what I wrote in ‘going from green to blue’ earlier today. This week has been amazing—a brilliant, game-changing experience in trying to SSiW, thanks to the help and response of others on this Forum.
Back to the bubbles for me, because getting to blue was not just a huge milestone, it threw open the door on actually speaking and listening to the language, and discovering I can SSiW.
So put that bottle of champers (or stash of special tea/coffee) in the fridge, ready for your own celebration and give it a go!!!
Sori Margaret, dw i ddim yn dod o Swistir. I took my username from a nineties British TV character and, in hindsight, should have just used my name! (doesn’t seem to be a way to change it though)
Luzern looks incredible though, I wish I was there instead Do you know what it was that brought your Welsh ancestors to Switzerland?
I noticed yesterday on wicipedia that the last word in the Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru is Zwinglïaidd, named after Ulrich Zwingli from Switzerland and the only word in Welsh sarting with a “Z”. It’s been removed from the English wikipedia entry and the GPC is website has been down for a few days, so haven’t been able to check to see it is actually there or not - it’s possible some troll has edited the entry on the Welsh wicipedia, but I would like it to be true.
My grandfather was Welsh …His name was Gwyllt but the English changed it to Gwilt… His family moved to London …he remained very Welsh in his way of living.
I am in Switzerland because I married a Swiss.!
I am always looking for anyone who lives here to meet and speak Welsh together.
It’s true that Luzern is a really lovely town.
I find it fun to listen to everyone who has posted. It’s great. It took me a few tries to get my entry done. Once I lost track of where I was on the list. A couple of times I went completely blank, and finally I got something decent out. It was strange hearing myself talk.I could definitively hear when I lost focus and started pronouncing words with a more American (Southern) accent towards the end of a sentence.
I felt I was ready after listening to several Welsh shows and a couple of techie podcasts in Welsh while prepping part of my kitchen for painting. I also will be painting a hallway and guest bedroom in the near future. It will be a great way to do some listening practice and to listen to others here.
It keeps me listening longer when I’m busy with my hands. We’ve bought an older house that has not been updated since 1989. With my sisters, we’ve painted the upstairs and hallways. They brought the Champaign (8 bottles) and I supplied the paint, brushes, and rollers. This year I’m painting the downstairs. My husband put in a new stove and oven in the kitchen and we added a workshop behind the garage. The next project is rebuilding the deck on the back of the house.
I’m trying to get an hour in of listening a day, with another hour in on lessons/speaking during the drive back and forth to work.
Right now’s a good time for me, later on in the summer I’ll be too busy to keep up such a schedule and will have to back off somewhat. But I’ll at least have Cymraeg on in the background to listen to.
Do you know what it was that brought your Welsh ancestors to Switzerland?
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