It’s a listening breakthrough for me. I’m a fairly new learner (I’ve just started work on challenge 9 in level 1 of the Southern course.)
I’ve been listening to Radio Cymru as well, trying to have it on in the background, and I just realized I am able to understand a little of what is happening. I can now (mostly!) tell if it’s someone phoning in because it’s their birthday, or a poetry competition with people from different parts of Wales, or discussing the Rugby. I realized something had changed because my husband was hearing it too at the weekend and he said he couldn’t pick out more than a word here or there, not enough to know what was going on.
A year or so ago when I had just done a few lessons of the old course I was at a similar level, I couldn’t work out anything more than a word or two. But now I have found I can pick up a bit of context too, even if I don’t yet know what they are actually saying in any more detail.
I’ve just sent an email to an old friend of mine from many years ago who’s first language. I emailed in Welsh and nervously wait for his reply. I’ve not had alot of contact with him for a number of years, even though we were such good friends. I tried to use a dictionary as little as possible, but there is a palpable feeling of tension as I wait for his reply. More that anything I hope he realises I’m being sincere and not just lazily resorted to google translate. (It took 30 mins to write 3 short sentences!)
It doesn’t matter how long it takes; it doesn’t matter if there are mistakes in it; indeed nothing matters. It’s a start and you can’t improve until you have started.
It’s the first thing I read this morning and it’s made a nice start to my day.
If your old friend doesn’t respond as you would hope, don’t let that put you off. An old friend of mine was only able to use his Welsh on the phone to his mam, dad and brother, or when writing to them. When I knew him is was getting very rusty and he might well be virtually monoglot English by now, if he’s still alive. Even if your friend is actually in Wales and using yr hen iaith daily, he may not read ir often!
Last night I chaired a meeting in Welsh for the first time. This is about as far outside my comfort zone as it’s possible to go, considering that this was with first language speakers and about the promotion of the language, so some element of ‘proper’ Welsh was expected, and that I hate chairing meetings. We also had no secretary present, so I had to take the minutes, too.
Guess what? No major injuries, certainly no broken bones, and better than that, some productive outcomes. And I only experienced a single incidence of “I have no idea where this sentence is going and I don’t know how to back out of it”. Here’s a tip for that, by the way: Just do what you would do in English (yup, it happens to me in my first language too, I’ve realised) - just say “chi mod?”/“y’know?” and start over again. No one notices or cares!
Of course, now it turns out that I’m a fully-fledged Welsh speaker, I will be leaving this forum immediately.
I always thought you were! I asked someone at work today to do something for me in Welsh. Not only did I receive the file exactly as i’d asked for, the accompanying e-mail was in Welsh too! Not quite chairing a meeting about the language, but also a step in the right direction.
Went into the Welsh Language Bookshop in Whitchurch for the first time today and had a short conversation before the shop assistant reverted to speaking English. She was very nice though.
My first few weeks living in Aberystwyth have brought on the following mini-success stories.
Successfully getting hold of some recycling bags from the Council Offices, not only asking for them - but also understanding the response of “They are over there, near the stairs”
Successfully convincing at least half of the barstaff of my Welsh speaking local that I do indeed speak Welsh.
Successfully holding a 20 minute conversation in my local record shop with the owner about some pretty intense subjects that are never going to be covered in any audio course
you are an inspiration to us all!