Latest FREE weekend course information with Dysgu Cymraeg Gwent (on Zoom)

Welsh Meetups/Events
#1

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST DATES - OCTOBER 2022!!

The Weekend Welsh events held by Dysgu Cymraeg Gwent are always popular and fun to attend, but of course things are a little difficult with the current pandemic.

So, they have organised to hold a weekend of Welsh learning using Zoom! If you haven’t been able to get yourself to Gwent to participate before, now’s your chance!

It will take place on the 28-29 November, from 10-12, then 1-3 each day and it’s completely free!

You just need to register and you can do that using the following links. These use the standard ‘Dysgu Cymraeg’ class levels, but if you’re not sure where you’d be, just ask in this thread and I’m sure someone will be able to give you an idea of what would be suitable.

Mynediad 1 (Entry 1) https://bit.ly/34xEYzZ

Mynediad 2 (Entry 2) https://bit.ly/2GpJY1P

Sylfaen 1 (Foundation 1) https://bit.ly/3jFws8C

Sylfaen 2 (Foundation 2) https://bit.ly/3jDXwox

Canolradd 1 (Intermediate 1) https://bit.ly/36DNsIE

Canolradd 2 (Intermediate 2) https://bit.ly/3nliaw9

Uwch i Rhan 1 https://bit.ly/3lnFU0U

Uwch i Rhan 2 https://bit.ly/3d73RX5

Uwch ii Rhan 1 https://bit.ly/34x1U2p

Uwch ii Rhan 2 https://bit.ly/36GtuwY

Uwch iii Rhan 1 https://bit.ly/3iDgf2g

Hyfedredd https://bit.ly/3d6Lxxg

If you need more information, contact Geraint:

Tel / Ffôn: 01495 333710

E-mail / E-bost: geraint.wilsonprice@coleggwent.ac.uk

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#2

Cool! Deborah do you have any thoughts on what level I should join?

#3

I would say to give Sylfaen 2 a try to start off. Most traditional tutors are fairly used to SSiWers coming along who can speak well, but haven’t had the same reading/writing/grammar experience as some of the other students.
It’s also usually OK to switch after the first session and go up or down depending on how you feel, so you could ask to do that during the break on the Saturday if you felt it really wasn’t your level.

#4

Thanks, Deborah! I’ve signed up. Squee - that’s exciting!

#5

What about me, @Deborah-SSi? Learning since August and have stumbled my way to Challenge 18ish. Plus Duolingo up to “Money”.

#6

With your language background, @Susanne, I wouldn’t be surprised if you could tackle Canolradd. It does depend on how the other participants are, but you could have a go and see how you get on. You’d have gaps, but if you’re happy to take on the challenge, why not? :slight_smile:

#7

Diolch yn fawr, Deborah. So I went and looked at the first Canolradd course and couldn’t even understand the description!:laughing: Sorry, not polite, first asking your advice and then begging to differ … But it has encouraged me not to pick Beginners 1. I’ll be brave and try the first Sylfaen one.

#8

It’s always hard to get it right to start off, and it does very much depend on your fellow classmates. Sometimes you get a group that are quite willing to chat in Welsh and you can join in, but other times, if you go in too low, you may find the other learners switching to English a lot, and while they may in theory have covered that much grammar and vocabulary, it really varies as to how much they can actually use in conversation. If you start in Sylfaen 1 and find it’s not stretching you, don’t be shy about asking to go up a level.

#9

Right, thanks! I mentioned it to Nia when I went to the 4pm chat earlier, and she put on a stern face and said “Canolradd”. We’ll see, I shall report back! :slightly_smiling_face:

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#10

Nia has been a tutor in that system, remember. She has a better idea than I do about the capabilities of the learners, but I dived straight into Canolradd with only grammatical knowledge and never actually having heard Welsh spoken before. It was hard, but I survived :joy:
You speak WAY better than I did at that time!

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#11

Hi what would u recommend I join please? Been doing 6 min course since March 2020 and starting challenge 7, level 2 today. Also doing northern course does that matter? Thanks , Huw

#12

Go for Canolradd Huw, and it shouldn’t matter that you’re doing northern. A large proportion is the same anyway, and you’ll soon pick up more southern ways of saying things.

#13

Ok diolch :grinning:!j

#14

Hi Deborah
I think I’d like to stretch myself with the weekend course too but I am even more clueless as to where I should start. I have been with SSIW since March, have done all three new courses, all three old courses and keep going over the old course bonus material. I generally do a unit a day. But I don’t get to speak much at all (apart from to myself!) and am still really struggling with reading when I get my Welsh news feed! What do you think?
Natalie

#15

I would try for Canolradd 2 @natalie-higgins

I’ve emailed Geraint and let him know that a number of SSiWers are keen and have enrolled but are very unsure about which level to go for. I’ve asked him if he could make sure that you get a chance to adjust up or down at the end of the Saturday morning session, as it often depends on what your fellow participants are like. You might get lucky and be with a bunch who are happy to chat in Welsh, but some groups revert to English as soon as they get a chance, so you want to avoid that.
I’ve had tutors say to me that they love having SSiWers in the special weekend sessions as you all tend to keep speaking Welsh and that encourages the rest of the participants :slight_smile:

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#16

Well I really hope my contribution holds up the SSIW reputation! Thanks for the advice and for emailing the organiser. Gulp - guess I have to take the plunge now! Better do some revision…

#17

I’ve had a reply from Geraint saying that due to the large number of people registering and the logistics of organising that, it won’t be possible for you to change class during the weekend this time. It’s a lot easier when it’s actually a physical location and the 2 tutors can have a chat and agree for you to swap, but Geraint suggested this would be a good exercise. If a few of you have registered and are willing to report back afterwards, what level you tried and how you got on, that would help for future weekends.

#18

Is it still posible to register?:frowning:

#19

I had an email saying they were full with a waiting list. It can’t hurt to ask and get on the list though . :slight_smile:

#20

@Deborah-SSi Thanks again for your advice, I’m so glad you pushed me a bit! I do think I was at the bottom end of the class, but not too much of a dead weight for the other learners, I trust. There were quite a few bits of vocabulary others had to help me with so that I could say what I wanted to say, and most people were paying a lot more attention to mutations and other points of correctness than me. When it came to listening comprehension (Iolo Williams video clip), the difference in our levels became the most noticeable - most everyone seemed to understand the key information, I didn’t. But apart from that, it all went swimmingly. Thanks!

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