Diolch o galon i ti boi 
That’s so cool! And diolch yn fawr iawn… 
1 Like
It had been arranged. I didn’t just bump into her on the street.
1 Like
I think you can fairly be described as SSiW’s poster boy. 
4 Likes
Haha! I wish!
Previous week on Monday me and @brigitte had a nice little chat with one of Tourist Information office worker in Ljubljana who seams to regularly checks the statistics of how many languages are spoken in the countries of the Europe and the World and talking about this we told him (despite he already has heard us two speaking Welsh) that we’re learning Welsh. The first question was: “Where do you learn? Surely not here in Slovenia.” We told him about SSiW and from where we are but still learning Welsh. He seamed kind of interested however I didn’t have the card to hand it to him. To be honest I wasn’t prepared for such occassion since there are practically zero people in Slovenia being interested into learning Welsh.
So, this plug probably isn’t of any importance though since it happened in my little country where no one (except me and my guests when they arrive) learns what even speaks Welsh. But, I thought I’d mention it anyway.
4 Likes
I think people sometimes have difficulty with the concept of learning a language outside the country where the language is normally spoken. I remember once being posed the question “where did you learn German?”, which I honestly didn’t know how to answer, since I considered that I still was (and still am) very much still learning (despite having been learning for over 20 years).
I think he thought I might have lived in Germany or a German speaking country for a time. The only honest answer (in the way he meant it ) was: "well, mostly here in England, in a variety of classes, using all sorts of material, and latterly a lot of online material (a lot of it being transmitted in Germany, but being received here by me, in England).
Learning languages is a strange and interesting phenomenon.
2 Likes
I think I mentioned elsewhere the waitress in Germany, (I forget which town) who corrected my friend’s German. He said that he used to live in Vienna and she positively grovelled with apology because it wasn’t his fault that the Austrians had taught him their bad Deutsch!
1 Like
And it’s not bad Deutsch, of course, it’s just different Deutsch. But I kind of agree with her in a way. If you want to go somewhere to learn a language, then go somewhere where they speak the most “standard” variety of the language, and for German, I believe that is supposed to be Hannover.
For English, I suppose it would be Oxford or Cambridge (and probably not London, unless you can be very sure who you are listening to).
(Welsh of course is different, as we all know. Standard? Good luck with that! 
).
For English, I suppose it would be Oxford or Cambridge
I would suggest Inverness or somewhere along the Moray Firth
4 Likes
On the other hand, once you get out of the said city centres (Oxford and Cambridge), you will probably come across some fairly impenetrable accents.
Strangely, I’d possibly go for somewhere in Mid- or West Wales for clearly spoken English.
1 Like
Just had a request on Facebook for a Spanish teacher in Carmarthen. Have recommended Say Something in Spanish. There is a family who want to learn together.
Which leads to the question…
Have there been children, as opposed to teenagers, who have used the SSI model?
I’ve had no opportunity to recommend SSIW recently. I have, however, told lots of people about Wales. I would have to say that about half have heard of it/her but that means that half haven’t. I mime Loegr, yr Alban and then Cymru. But today somene told me that the flag was a red dragon! One temple over the weekend had an atlas and I could point out the location.
3 Likes
Yes, quite a few, although only with their parents as far as I know, so far…
Well, last night I attended a bit of a learners event and gave an hour (and a bit) long talk on my adventures of learning Welsh - which went down kind of well - came out kind of like 25% learning welsh, 25% standup comedy 25% mumbling in english and 25% a vocal history of the Rhondda.
SSIW was promoted greatly throughout - and I ended up giving out about 25 CDs full of Level 1 and a bit of an explanatory note from myself.
So hopefully, a few of those people (in 25 lessons time) may become fully fledged SSIW forum types, I’m hoping.
7 Likes
Gwych - diolch o galon, a llongyfarchiadau - I’m hearing it was an inspirational event
2 Likes
Nia has already messaged me to say how inspired she is today and I have watched the videos you suggested and done two lessons so far today (it’s the only way the kitchen gets tidied).
Diolch yn fawr iawn
4 Likes
You don’t really need more lessons, Helen - just more conversation. Bribe people with gin and cake. Do whatever it takes…
2 Likes
It’s the only way I would consider spending (wasting) half an hour doing housework! Otherwise entropy rules.
This morning I did Level 1, Challenge 25 - it’s nice to do something where I can do most of the responses and then one surprises me and I think, “ooh, I’d forgotten that I could say it that way”.
Also, I’m encouraging my son (to learn Welsh - housework seems to have passed him by). He’s shown some interest, but has asked why I want to buy part of a wall near a hotel and throw things over it!
4 Likes
Tell him to stop repressing himself…
Iv’e just put out a couple of shameless plugs for all languages by FB and email. Pam llai? (why not?) You definitely deserve it.
1 Like
Gwych - thank you so much, John!
2 Likes