About 6 weeks ago I asked on this Forum for advice on using the BBC Radio Cymru Pigion (Radio Wales highlights for beginners). My problem (so I thought) was that my limited Welsh vocabulary was greatly hindering me.
Based both on the replies that I received, plus other concurrent threads on the Forum, I decided to go back to the listening exercises in Level 1 of SSiW. I admit that I was skeptical of seeing much improvement…
For the last six weeks or so I have been listening nearly every day to these exercises, nearly all of which are speeded up. I have been generally spending 10 - 20 minutes a day on them, normally whilst doing housework, and it’s started to drive me nuts.
This evening, I went back to the BBC Radio Cymru Pigion podcasts, and surprise…The improvement in my listening skills jumped out at me. My vocab has not expanded; that was not the purpose of this exercise. But everything sounds so much clearer now. Until I started this more intense listening regime, a lot of Radio Cymru Pigion sounded to my ears like “ydwyllesiawiawnmarchfawrllanfairpwlllgogogogo”: my ears simply weren’t wrapping round the language. But this evening it sounded like REAL LIVING LANGUAGE. Granted, my vocab has not expanded. But everything was so much clearer. I recognised far more words than I used to; I was comfortable with the structure of the language.
Listening is an essential skill in learning a language, no less so than speaking. After all, we spend our first couple of years or so in life doing just that.
I intend carrying on this approach in learning Welsh. In fact, on those days when I have little spare time, listening will take precedence to a speaking exercise. For me it’s the greater need.
So thanks to everybody for the postings to the various threads that deal with listening.
Everybody always is… 
And there she blows! Bless you, Baruch - I wish more people would do exactly this, and then come and tell others about it, so it’s not just me any more.
Seeing this effect, over and over, in the 5 and 10 day courses is a HUGE part of why I’m so excited about the 6 Month course - as long as people stick to the listening tasks we’ll be setting them… .
I am hopeless with the computer. Could any kind soul give me a link I could just click on to get the speeded up listening exercises please?
I am hopeless with computers, too, so I can’t give you a link. But the listening exercises are added to Challenge 5,10,15,20 and 25 of Level 1. The first one is at normal speed, the four others are faster. If you go to Challenge 10, you can click: play circle and just below you can click: play circel ( listening exercise.)
I hope this helps.
https://www.saysomethingin.com/welsh/level1/challenge10
https://www.saysomethingin.com/welsh/level1/challenge15
https://www.saysomethingin.com/welsh/level1/challenge20
https://www.saysomethingin.com/welsh/level1/challenge25
Thanks so much ! That is brilliant. I just listened to the first one - and I can actually understand quite a lot of it! Woohoo!
I do not know how anyone my age (82!) can understand a word of the listening exercises - they are far too fast for we oldies - very depressing!
I thought that at first, but after many repetitions it became largely comprehensible. I am a youngster though - 70 next month.
Sue
They’re far too fast for anyone - but if you listen to them for five minutes a day for a fortnight, your brain will start to adapt, and that will make ordinary speech far easier to deal with…
As well as the wide body of research which shows that synapse growth and even neurogenesis is present in the brain throughout life, we’ve also had plenty of learners in their 80s who’ve experienced the same adaptation to speed as other learners…
Perhaps I should have added to my original post (above) that after several weeks of listening to the 2x SSiW listening exercises, I still do not manage to follow all of it- there’s too much for me to take in. But that does not alter the fact that my listening skills have improved tremendously, as I judge by listening to Radio Cymru Pigion. It really has made a massive difference, to my surprise and delight.
And @Nefyn, with all due respect (my mother is about your age), you’re only too old if you choose to believe it. Don’t! And good luck!
Here’s an update to my efforts to improve my listening skills.
I’ve been listening to the BBC Radio Cymru Pigion (Radio Wales highlights for beginners) on an almost-daily basis for the last two and a half months.
I started this following a regime of listening to the SSiW double-speed exercises, as I mention in my first posting above in this thread. By then, I felt comfortable with the structure of the language, which no longer sounded like gobbledegook. But I understood very little of the Pigion topics themselves. True, I recognised many words, but it was clear that I had a long way to go.
I now feel that I have reached another milestone. Unlike two months ago, I think that I am hearing clearly enough to start going over a single topic (usually about a couple of minutes long), dictionary in hand, and actually understanding it. My vocab is still too limited to manage without a dictionary. Hopefully I will update the Forum on my progress when I start this.
For me, learning a new language is starting to resemble climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). As you progress, you look ahead and see ever more challenges before you get there. But look behind (if it’s not too cloudy) and you can see how far you’ve climbed.
No doubt everyone develops listening skills in different ways, but maybe this is food for thought for some people.
thats fab! I must start doing that again!
Your post is really encouraging. Like you my problem is with listening skills. I have found that the listening double speed practice in level 1 chlenge 10 and 15 is a great help. Although I still cannot understand all of it i am now starting to be able to follow most of the phrases. Your idea about listening to BBC Radio Cymru pigion is some thing I must try. As Aran and Estyn keep reminding us… we know a lot more than we did at the beginning. I am a young 72 year old so whatever your age, don’t give up.
I listen to the podcasts whilst doing housework, so I don’t need to find dedicated time to do it.