BBC Radio Cymru

I suppose it could have been Morris… :wink:

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Do people tend to “actively” listen - ie try to work out / translate… spot words they know… or do you just let it flow over and hope that it helps you pick up meanings without trying (I suspect this is closer to how kids learn their native language(s)

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Let it flow over you. Eventually you’ll start to pick up the gist (and occasionally wildly misunderstand what’s going on), and some time after that you’ll realise that it’s going into your head and you’re understanding it without making any effort to translate. :slight_smile:

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Nope, very much not, so you’re doing superbly… :star: :star2:

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Lisa Gwilym is doing a good job of confusing us by skipping between channels at present and sometimes using the “wrong” language.

Seriously, though; Lisa, along with a few English Language presenters on Radio Wales and even Radio 2 are sneaking in a few Welsh language songs/singers.

I do both, but I suppose I do more “active listening” than having it in “aural wallpaper” mode.

Because I live outside the RC broadcast area, I can only listen via iPlayer. I could actually listen to it live via iPlayer if I wanted to, but I actually prefer to listen to it in “catchup mode”, and selectively go through the online schedule looking for programme that I think I’ll be interested. Over time, I’ve standardised on a few programmes (series of programmes) that I like, and concentrate on those.

Nowadays, I tend to download them to my phone via the iPlayer Radio App. In the past, I used to record them via Audacity or other means, and transfer them to an MP3 player, or listen on my computer.

Unless I’m listening on the move, I like to have paper and pen to hand, and I write down words that seem to come up over and over again, or words whose meaning I think I should be able to guess, but am not sure about, or which just take my interest. I usually end up with quite a long list of words…

Then, as a separate exercise, I sit down at a computer*, and look them up in one or more of the online dictionaries and write them into a hardback notebook. Sounds a bit old-fashioned, but then that’s me. :slight_smile: I don’t attempt to “learn” them though. That basically comes by repetition, and of course, by using them in conversation (if one is lucky) or perhaps writing the occasional email or whatever.

  • (I have Ap Geiriaduron and the GPC app on my phone, but if I have a lot of words to look up, it’s a lot faster and easier to use a proper keyboard (at least it is for me).

I do also try to guess words from their context, but that’s not always easy. I think it does become a little easier with practice though (a lot of practice), and of course, as has been said in other threads, reading can help a lot.

Brilliant! Why the heck did I not think about listening to interesting one on iplayer!? Doh!

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it’s brilliant isn’t it. I’m understanding more all the time. It’s learning how to switch off the ‘translate to English’ device in your head.
I don’t think it’s simplified, merely spoken as clearly as possible, to reach the widest possible audience (this is BBC Cymraeg after all). I notice it when they interview a member of the public and suddenly you understand very little.

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Quick Question - Is it correct that the proportion of Welsh/English language tracks has changed due to royalty/cost issues?

Main point; more light hearted -
I’ve just been on a quick visit to the South of Northumberland. Sorry @dougewart that I didn’t manage to reach your Northern climes. Anyway -
How far from Wales can you get a decent Radio Cymru signal?

Further south I’ve been ok to the Midlands, Devon and The Berkshire border at a push.

Back up North, I was getting Radio Cymru load and clear on my 15 year old car radio in Wetherall, which is sort-of NE Cumbria and about 150 miles from Wales. OK, so the surrounding place names: Cumwinton, Cumwitton, Castle Carrock and Carlisle were slightly Welsh sounding, so I might have tricked the BBC :slight_smile:

Anyway, can anyone beat this? I’ll duck behind the Roman Wall/Wal Rhufeinig to avoid any cross-fire.

I listen to Radio Cymru in North Northumberland/ Scottish Boredrs most days, but either on my computer or phone so this doesn’t really answer your question @JohnYoung. Don’t worry about trying to make it to ‘Northern climes’ the roads here haven’t been the same since the Romans left.

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OK, so admittedly the signal faded on the M6 until I passed the Lake District, when Elin Flur and Rhys Meirion came over loud and clear. Also some parts of Powys were in radio silence.

Just wondering if anyone in The East or SE of England, Cornwall or Scotland can get a signal? :slight_smile:

I once got it on the car radio on the A34 in Oxfordshire , years ago, but I think it was a fluke.

In practice I depend on the internet.

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…works really well here in Australia, too…

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I’m not entirely sure, my understanding was that royalties were paid per track in relation to average number of listeners. So anything in copyright, which is still pretty much everything recorded, gets the same amount regardless of language. So if Radio Cymru plays a Beyonce track and a track by Cadno, then Beyonce gets the same amount in royalties as Cadno.
The major labels wouldn’t want to miss out on airplay by charging more for radio play. As our Frank would say ‘It’s all about airplay’:

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Sorry, my mistake. I was looking at an out of date story.

hi, i tried it once from Bala to East anglia, kept the station on , lost it completely between Nottingham and Grantham

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I’m posting this here, rather than in the Welsh Music thread, as it’s not sung in the Welsh language, although it’s sort of Celtic. Tudor Owen played it this morning :slight_smile: (Edited for clarity)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sam+lee+and+friendslovely+molly&view=detail&mid=923942DB72995FB81B16923942DB72995FB81B16&FORM=VIRE#

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A play by Manon Steffan Ros:

Looks like a repeat, but may be of interest to any who missed it first time around.

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Another of Radio Cymru’s occasional dramas:

I can’t quite work out whether it’s a “comedy drama” or just a drama.

I recognised the name and unmistakeable voice of Catherine Ayers (Lisa in “Un Bore Mercher” / “Keeping Faith” among other things), but none of the others.

I had to look up “ofergoelus” - “superstitious”
(presumably related to coelio - to believe).
(“ofer” is “worthless, vain, useless, needless, unnecessary, futile, wasteful, prodigal, unprofitable, dissolute, frivolous” - so presumably: believing in useless things, sort of )

Had a listen to this yesterday, certainly seems like a “comedy drama” :slight_smile:

I’m sure one of the characters (Carol?) sounds a lot like Sian Reese Williams from Craith/Y Gwyll/Emmerdale