March 6th, 2018 was the day I signed up to the six month course. Almost one year ago and what a year its been!
What I’ve learnt, the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had. I have discovered a whole new life I sadly never knew existed or perhaps never realised the extent of.
I’ve always been proud of being Welsh, always felt it in my heart but, was on the outside looking in.
I wanted more.
I wanted to feel the connection I had witnessed so many times when welsh speakers come together.
On the street, in cafes, in pubs and in my job as a nurse, being able to speak Welsh can and has made such a difference. At work I can use it just to chat, but also to provide comfort, soothe and reassure. What a great thing language is.
The attitude (which I want to distinguish from ‘the method’), fostered by SSiW in its teaching and support of the Welsh language is superb. There is no elitiism involved. We are supported and encouraged to go forth and speak. To look for opportunities to learn as much as we can about our language and culture and to take pride in using and sharing it with open heart’s and mind’s.
You don’t have to understand something word for word if you can feel it with your heart and so, even though my understanding of this beautiful language grows everyday, it is with my heart that I feel it.
To everyone that has helped me on my journey thus far, well, I don’t even know how to begin to tell you what it means to me.
This is so wonderful and moving to read. You’ve been absolutely heroic, Ali… 
Please please can I post this on Facebook too?!.. 
Of course you can. 
Well done Ali. You’re a real inspiration to us all.
Where do you work @ali? I nurse as well, on the nurse bank, for Hywel Dda. Glangwili, PPH, Amman Valley. Only night shifts though. And having Cymraeg is amazingly connecting to so many of my patients.
That’s wonderful!
I reached my 1st SSiW anniversary just after Christmas. I can’t believe I’ve learnt as much as I have, or done as much as I have. I just got off the phone to my mum having talked for almost an hour about all sorts of rhings, almost all in Welsh. I have waited all my life to be able to do that!
I don’t think even now Aran and co realise quite what an incredible gift they are giving us!
And is it not a wonderful fullness and wholeness that comes with the the language? You have struggled as others have struggled and in your expenditure of effort and gift of loving forebearance you have given some of the heart back to the land and to her people. 
You should be proud!
Hear hear!
Spot on Ali, I totally agree and wish I had your gorgeous accent too! Fantastic and encouraging post. Thank you 
Hi Ali,
This is great to hear and we can all take inspiration from your achievement over the last year and a someone who has heard how fluent you are in Welsh at Clwb Clecs I can only hope to be as confident in the language as you are in 12 months time.
I think you make an important that can help us all become fluent Welsh speakers but one I’m afraid that we’re not all so lucky to be able to do and that is having the opportunity to speak and practice at work. By the sounds of it the NHS is a great place to work and fully accepting of having the language used on a daily basis in the workplace. I think other organisations could do well to adopt such a positive attitude to having Welsh used at the workplace. Here’s to the next 12 months!
I remember my (first language)Welsh teacher saying that older people find it hard to describe how they are feeling to doctors in the English language so you really are doing such a good job there speaking Welsh :))
Congratulations! Very inspirational, and even though not Welsh I live in this gorgeous country and very much can understand where you are coming from 