You’ve been hugely brave here. I wish you’d come on here at the time for us to tell you that the Eisteddfod was NOT a failure for you - but I’m delighted that you’ve had the courage and determination to work that out for yourself, and get back in the saddle.
I think you should definitely do the Eisteddfod again - with revised expectations, perhaps, and with some meet ups planned with other SSiWers - and by the time you get to the end of L2, if you keep on with the bulk listening you will definitely start to reach some interesting tipping points…
That certainly is a positive good news story, not just that you have done so well since your break, but that you have “fallen over” quite severely, and got back up and gone for it again.
I wonder how much of the success you are seeing now is down to the slightly stronger determination “muscles” that you have developed from not giving up.
Your story also makes me wonder how many ex-learners there are out there who did extraordinarily well like you did, and got discouraged because they were not as good as they’d hoped. Your story should be widely read, as an inspiration to a whole range of other people. Diolch yn fawr - for the story and for your determination!
I’ve been thinking about this post a lot this morning. Speaking in crowds is much more difficult. I have a slight hearing deficit (if I plug my left ear I can barely hear anything because my right ear is quite poor, handy when trying to block out noise). If you can, find one person you feel comfortable with to be, largely, talked at by. I used to give my mother in law a lift to work. She’s talk to me in Welsh, I’d try and reply very slowly, then she’d talk again. It was so so so valuable. Even the frustrations that my responses were slow, it was the listening that helped.
In crowded places, I struggle. That’s partly why I’ve never liked clubbing. Pubs are much more conducive to conversation (for many reasons). If the background noise goes up I feel very isolated. So, the suggested meet-ups would really help you I think. Find someone to talk to, on a one-to-one. Don’t expect to do much talking yourself at first. And try not to understand every word, just follow the convo.
If you’re past this stages, apologies, I’m giving general advice. I, obviously, have no idea what your Welsh is like:-)
All too familiar. Admittedly I’m only early thirties but I grew tired of trying all the time in my teens and twenties; especially when people just reply with ‘it doesn’t matter’ whenever you ask what was said. The Eisteddfod was amazing because nobody ever gave me that same experience. It was never ever a problem to repeat; maybe I was just lucky, I don’t know!
I lived in London for a handful of years, despite being the noisest and dirtiest place I’ve ever known; I knew people who could sign with me so it was always a more enjoyable experience. I should drag myself kicking and screaming to a meet up, I will struggle to hold the enthusiasm once the noise rises and lights go down…but no pain, no gain!
Admittedly I know it’s too easy to give up and, much, much harder to keep trying and not be a grump about it!
This seems really tiny and insignificant in comparison to the things all of you have achieved on here, but I’ve just started SSiW and today I recognised a word on Pobol y Cym - I love a good soap opera and I thought watching one in Welsh would be good practise!
This is a very small victory but I was thrilled!!!
Lucy x
Many different languages on their own, British, Irish, French, Finnish and more. I only use BSL/SSE (sign supported English). There are regional differences like dialects similar to Cymraeg or English. Colours and numbers vary the most but far from the only differences; a friend in Birmingham signs the letters L, S and Z differently to me as just one tiny example.
You also tend to gain another name or sign name, although it won’t necessarily be nice; just descriptive of you and only really understood between people you all know.
There are a number of different sign languages, and they are each languages in their own right. American Sign Language and British Sign Language are almost entirely different (the former is more similar to French Sign Language than British).
Three quotes including the word “small”. That is no “small” victory. That is one big hairy can’t-fit-in-your-living-room victory! It’s exciting, it shows you’re achieving something, it shows that you are totally capable of learning Welsh, of understanding Welsh.
Now watch out, because you’ll get used to that level of victory, and come to believe that to really be moving on your need bigger and bigger victories, and then when they don’t happen, you’ll feel like you’re not moving on (There’s a term for it - hedonistic adaptation, possibly - where you just get used to good things and think they are normal).
But if you have one “small” victory like this every day, relentlessly - learn a new word, become more comfortable in one sentence or pattern, understand a new word, or from a different speaker / accent - then you will become a comfortable and confident speaker very quickly indeed.
By the way, the fact that you are excited enough to want to share what you thought was a small victory on a public forum also makes me think that you are very much on your way to being a Welsh speaker, lucyann - I’m really excited for you!
Just to add to this.There are lots on here who on first hearing radio cymru heard nothing but the odd place name or loan word. They now understand much more.
Where are you, @lulibelle? Apart from this friendly helpful Forum, there are various groups inside and outside Wales where folk gather to chat in more or less Welsh depending how much they’ve learned. Also, there are possibilities with Skype later on. Meanwhile, lots here are happy to help - Tiny questions with quick answers is a useful thread. NB I have been learning, forgetting and relearning Welsh since before you were born, possibly before your Mam was born and I still don’t listen to Radio Cymru because I want to understand everything now! I watch S4C with subtitles in English for the same reason, unless it’s rugby which, after all, I watched for real live in the truest sense, for decades, with no commentary at all!
To @cwningen I am shocked at how many sign languages you would need to travel - just as many as spoken ones, I’d think! I admire you and I don’t envy you!
Helo @henddraig, diolch for your reply.
I am currently in Essex, so just outside of London. I’ve not been to Wales (well apart from being in Wrexham for about half an hour for work once!). I am going to Tenby to see friends in a few months time and wanted to learn a few phrases. The Welsh language has also intrigued me for a while! I noticed there are lots of language meet ups in Wales, it must be great to pop along to a cafe or pub like that and just have a chat! Obviously where I am in England there isn’t much call for that kind of thing!
To be honest the first time I ever watched s4c was to watch some rygbi! I prefer watching club level to internationals sometimes and they seem to show a lot on s4c and BBC Alba (although that’s in Gaelic!)
This seems a friendly forum so I hoping to siarad Cymraeg with more of you as time passes!
Lucy
The list of groups above includes East London, Norfolk, Cambridge and Kent, but not Essex. You could always try setting up a new topic, “Anyone from Essex?”
here’s to more victories with Pobol y Cym!