Let’s start an idea dump for how to get more people learning.
Ideally, keep it short and clear - in other words, just explain the idea, don’t try to justify it or canvas support for it at this stage… 
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Financial backing from organisations to provide provision to learn. (Where SSi fits in for me; funded places on bootcamps/intensive weeks).
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A campaign to get as many people as possible who ARE learning to try and persuade at least one (more) person they know to join them. Or more specifically to do at least the first X challenges? (And to chase/nag them to finish)
Collecting “buts” and producing resources to try and counter them. “I’d like to learn… BUT” having a central resources of these people could draw on.
More informal options. Things like in-person sessions on SSIW and/or the “Pick five sentences and deconstruct” stages thing that Aran did the video on.
Hook into things like Adult Learners week.
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Everything up to here added to the Trello card…
Local “champions” could be one way to go. Enthusiastic individuals who will promote learning and act as a mentor
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I have to admit (and apologies if this is not the done thing). I’ve previously burnt CDs of the first two lessons (the free ones) for people I know that are not… shall we say “Technically minded”. I’ve done this with about ten people, and I know at least 2 or 3 of them have resulted in becoming full on paid up members around these parts.
I try to carry at least one or two of these around with me at all times, so if I ever run into anyone with a bit of interest - I tend to hand it over, with a link written on the front.
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Someone on another thread reported someone else willing to learn only if he had to speak Welsh to get beer. What about differential pricing? Dewi Pws, in Tresaith, had a board in his garden offering trips around the bay, one price in English, another, lesser price, in Welsh. I’ve seen on FB a story about Coffee costing £4, but Coffee Please costing £2. As long as you give the Welsh version, so as people don’t say it’s discriminatory. And the background music could be lesson 1 of Level 1. And the receipt giving the link to the website.
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today on ‘dal ati bore da’ something called Love Island featured. I gather it is a TV ‘reality’ show appealing to young bright people! The young lady from Gogledd Cymru who was featured has done very well in Urdd Eisteddfodau and her mother, being interviewed mentioned, after saying she had to be broad minded to watch Love Island, not only that she is proud of her daughter but, in English (Mum is English speaking!) , what an advantage it had been for her daughter that she spoke Welsh!
How about.tnat for an incentive?!
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Once upon a time rugby challenged me to learn Welsh and I’m so much tempted to throw the challenge back with note on FB to them. But I’m hesitating because usually when I want to do something good it turns way around to be a bad idea or no one actually hears it and it goes to waste …
The idea raised in me on the basis of Leigh Halfpenny once saying for the media how he is sorry he doesn’t speak Welsh and afterwards my invitation on twitter to him to learn with us … (you’ve guessed invitation was never neither missheard (as I don’t know if he secretly doesn’t learn with us maybe) nor heard.)
OK in short, the idea is to openly publicly challenge more famous of the society to maybe come along and learn.
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I think that’s something to be very careful with - it could very easily look like unacceptable pressure…
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Yah, I assumed this is not the good idea … although I (still) believe there are acceptable ways of persueing too. Sometimes the spontanious thing is the most perfect and acceptable.
However, maybe I shouldn’t be involved into this project as I’d probably never understand the policy “of the Island”…
I’ve many times read elsewhere on the forum about business cards, flyers, posters etc. but I can never remember where to find them.
Whenever I mention SSIW to anyone I’m pretty sure they’ve forgotten the name before they get 10 feet away.
I’m not knocking the name, I think it’s great. The point is, if I could give them a business card there’s a higher probability of them checking it out.
If these were more readily available that might help for workplace notice boards (that allow these things) and so on. Not that I’m suggesting people go pasting these all over subway walls mind!
Downloadable versions might work except the question of consistent quality might then be an issue.
I’m not sure how you could go about constantly reminding forum users where to obtain them though (a menu option perhaps?).
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Added to the Trello list…
Having outside input is great!..
If maybe someone is willing to add a bit to the SSiW funds and buy them (business cards) then you can find them In the SSiW Zazzle Store
here. They cost £22.05 per pack of 100.
Bootcampers will surely be able to “grab” some from the table at the end for free though.
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Is there any legs in trying to hook into S4C’s current learners offering “Bore Da”?
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I’d say that persuading someone to learn is very difficult. They need to want to learn. They need either intrinsic and/or extrinsic motivation to want to learn.
Extrinsic motivation
- Money - Financial incentive to learning
- Employer providing time off to learn
- Learners lottery - open to people on Welsh courses
- Awards - more competitions (chances to win awards) for Welsh learning efforts
- Fame - more chances for Welsh learners to get on TV
Intrinsic motivation
- Inspire! e.g. Promote Welsh language music
- Inspire! e.g. Promote Welsh language cultural events
- Inspire! e.g. Learners profiles TV programme giving loads of reasons to learn, people expressing how much they enjoy learning.
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Also, one way to get people learning is to stop putting them off in school!
So many people I speak to ‘hated’ Welsh in school, and this has been carried forward into adulthood as a general dislike of the language, and the idea of learning it.
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The interview with the Chair of Cymdeithas stated that the government plan to scrap Welsh as a second language in school. Whole scale alteration of the teaching of Welsh is part of the goal.
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Great set of ideas there, @warrendavies - added to the Trello board (are you on there?).
@Nicky - yes, I think so, but maybe something that will happen more naturally once we’ve got some stuff up and running?
@aran I am on Trello, but I can’t log in right now to get my username. I’ll let you know once I’ve got it. Thanks.
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