'I want to be a Welsh speaker because...'

I want to be fluent so I can broaden my horizons within my own country x

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I hope it will deepen my understanding of, and enrich my connection with a country I have lived in and loved all my life. My hope is that if I am successful I may encourage at least one other person to do the same!

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For some unknown reason Welsh had been tugging at my heart strings for more than 50 years. Then I discovered a distant Welsh ancestor and felt I had no more excuses for not having a go at the language. I also said that I hoped to surprise an old school friend when I eventually meet up with her because I know she learned Welsh so she could raise her children bilingual. Now, half way through Level 1, I’m doing it because I LOVE it. Having studied other languages and wasted hours in dusty classrooms learning vocabulary I’m never going to use, I have to say that the SSiW method knocks all others into a cocked hat. I’m just thrilled and over-bowled by how much Welsh I can already say.

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As part of Challenge 8 & 9 of SSiW - I want to be a Welsh speaker because, I left the language behind after doing A level in the 80’s and regret so much doing that :frowning:(
We (hubby and I and 6 dogs) holiday a lot in Carmarthenshire and I would dearly love to be able to converse in Cymraeg whilst I’m there.
It feels so right, to be learning it now, and I have been looking for a course for a long time, when I saw the advert on FB for SSiW I was very tempted, but the current offer made it a no brainer, and here I am. Ready willing, and giving it all I’ve got! Bring it on!!! lol Loving it! <3

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I want to move to the Machynthleth / Dolgellau area one day, and it would be rude to not try! (plus was born in Cardigan but moved to germany aged 6 and lost my Welsh!)

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Because I want to sing in Welsh and speak with my Grandad in Welsh :smile:

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I’ve learned a lot about the Welsh culture through my partner and I’ve always wanted to understand and speak another language. So I want to be able to watch Welsh TV and understand it and have conversations in Welsh with people and my partner!

I’ll be able to think in Welsh.

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I’d like friends and colleagues to start conversations with me in their first language because they think of me as a Welsh speaker (and for me to be able to understand them of course!).

Oh, and to prove the teacher at my school who said it would be best if I gave up, as I was no good at languages, wrong!

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I’m not Welsh but I’ve got a Welsh 9 month old who I’d like to be able to speak Welsh. So I want to be a Welsh speaker so I can speak it with her.

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Welcome aboard! Good motivation, that; my 3rd form teacher laughed at me in front of the class and so I passed the subject (Mathematics) passed it the next year and then went pure Arts. Ended up working in Payroll for (too) many years-so proved him wrong even if he has no idea!:smirk:

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Because whenever we go camping we sing sospan fach really loudly and it would be nice to be able to sing other welsh songs, because i’d Like to go to the eisteddfod and be able to follow everything, because I love languages, because my kids want to be able to speak Welsh but don’t because us parents can’t … so many reasons…

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Because I’ve lived in North Wales for nearly 20 years and think it’s about time I learn the language. It will make my life better because I’ll be able to have conversations with first language Welsh speakers in their mother tongue so that they don’t feel like they have to adapt to me.

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because I sense the power of a proud people and I wish to connect in their language.

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Because I live in Wales. Because my grandad was a first language speaker but not around long enough for me to hear him speaking it. Because I enjoy language learning and it’s my ā€œme timeā€ thing to do. Because language and vocabulary and idiom reveals so much world. Because I want my children to see the language as a real vibrant language in use, and not as a school subject. Because it’s the language of my staff room. Because I don’t want to be adapted for. Because it feels like something missing. Because of poetry and music. Because of beauty and joy.

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That is absolutely beautiful, Claire! :sparkling_heart:

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what a beautiful way to express things - if I could steal your prose and rethink my ā€œwhyā€ it would now be very simply - ā€œbecause it simply means so muchā€.

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Hah…even I know what that is :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

Croeso - a wise choice!

I wish I’d written that sentence, as that’s what it all really boils down to for me.

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because, as a Breton, rediscovering welsh is like, in genealogy, zooming on a cousin that you knew he existed, but you suddently realise that he is much closer to you than you thought : I’m so moved when I recognize similar words between our tow tongues (they are numerous, so as ypu guess I’m very often moved !!!), and when I think that our two tongues are probably dying (still leaiving, sure, but sick) I want to care, and speak is a vay of taking care…

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