Superb video messages from Anthony, Deborah, Kai, Geraint, Sara to new Welsh learners

Thank you Dee, you are such an inspiration and I am now rushing straight to listen to Radio Cymru! Diolch yn fawr

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Da iawn @AnthonyCusack I found your video very inspiring and it has made me more determined to dal ati :smile: Diolch yn fawr!

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What a lovely video…thanks @AnthonyCusack

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That’s pretty brilliant…chatting in Welsh whilst someone has scissors close to your ears! Go you!!!

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Many thanks for this Geraint. My motivation is similar in someways but then again quite different. My father is from South East Wales in an entirely English speaking part of the country and no one there seems motivated to speak any welsh. My father went through his education during the years when the authorities were trying to eradicate Yr iath Cymraeg so he never learnt much apart from the odd bit from traditional songs and place names. When I was in secondary school I started taking an interest in Rugby during the era of the great Welsh team of the 1970s and sat with my Dad cheering on Wales (and up to today it’s a habit I can’t break). My dear Nan bought me a Welsh song book when I was about 11 years old and my dad had an LP which had most of the songs on it so I taught myself a very bad phonetic version of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau which in my later years became much used on match days. Zooming forwards to 2019 I was due to go on holiday to Germany and discovered DuoLingo. I then found the Cymraeg course on Duo and became interested in that one too. When I was looking for supplementary help, because none of the translators on line seemed to produce the same language as DuoLingo leading me to suspect that there isn’t one Welsh language, I thankfully arrived at the the YouTube channel NICKY SYDD YMA. Hearing his grasp of yr Iath after only 6 months I was stunned so followed his lead to SSiW. I have to say this is positively the best language course I’ve used by a long chalk but opportunities to speak it are few and far between at the moment as I live in Hampshire. My desire is to become proficient enough to be able to converse and maybe one day to be good enough to recount this yn Gymraeg. My short term aim is to become confident enough to attend a Bootcwmp soon and also to join in the nearest speaking group to home (in Winchester, the seat of Anglo Saxon England’s rulers, of all places) . thanks for your inspirational video. I am jealous that you have family members who understand the language.
Diolch yn Fawr, Gareth Mitchell

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Diolch, Dee! So inspirational! :slightly_smiling_face:

What an inspiring video. Thanks Dee for sharing your thoughts and journey.

@AnthonyCusack Thank you so much for your video! Having recently moved to North Wales in retirement I fully appreciate all that you say about how it feels to become more engaged with the community and how welcoming the local native speakers are of new learners. I have made new friends in my village and am now trying to meet with learners in Dolgellau once a week for practice.
I share your joy at being able to help patients by speaking to them in their own language: I was an NHS Chaplain until July 2018 and I had the opportunity to use my German and also a little French and they really appreciated that. I am English, but learning Welsh has helped me enter a whole new world, for which I am grateful! Thanks again for your inspiring video.

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Diolch o waelod calon Robert! I really appreciate you taking the time! Have a great (learning) journey!

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Brilliant video Anthony. Very encouraging. Thanks

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Great to hear your story Anthony! Diolch a da iawn :grin:

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Diolch, Anthony. Neges arbennig!

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Thank you so much Anthony. I found your story very moving and also inspiring. I am now thinking that maybe one day I will pluck up courage to go on a bootcamp!

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Oedd yn dda eich gwylio a gwrando arnoch chi, Anthony.

Graham in Tasmania

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Hi Anthony
Found your video very inspiring, thank you. I live on Anglesey North Wales and surrounded by Welsh speakers. I agree there are ups and downs in the learning curve, but listening to your video has really encouraged me to think, yea I will get there.
I came to Anglesey in 1989 with a very young family, working full time and never found the time to fit in learning Welsh, but now I am semi retired, I am learning Welsh the SSiW way. I went through a period when I was really struggling, but now feel I am making progress. I will continue with my Welsh journey and look forward to be able to converse and understand what is being spoken. Thank you Laraine :slight_smile:

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Wow!!! @Deborah-SSi!! I have just watched your video and I am feeling astonished- and inspired - and so motivated. When you have taken the daily sgwrs sessions on the occasions Nia has been away, I have just assumed you were ‘proper’ Welsh as in born here, brought up in Wales, speaking Welsh all your life. I’m with you on understanding/not understanding Welsh song lyrics too. The other day I was convinced this lovely song on Radio Cymru was telling us the world needed more cats…well, I have 3 but thought it was an odd song topic…and then the presenter talked about the song when it was over and it turns out the world needs more ‘cariad’. :slightly_smiling_face: Thank you for your totally inspiring message. :heart:

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Diolch Clare! You don’t know what a boost it gives me to hear you say that you thought I was “proper Welsh” :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: and I’m delighted that my message could give some inspiration. Your Welsh is coming along really well, and singing about cats isn’t so bad either :smiley_cat:

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HI Anthony

Really enjoyed listening to your video today, but one thing I’m keen to know is how long did it take you from beginning to end? I’m just curious to know that, please? I know everyone learns at different levels and the process is probably still ongoing, even after Level 3 is completed - bit like learning to drive! Diolch yn fawr iawn.

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Tagging @AnthonyCusack for this :slight_smile:

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Hi Selina, absolutely no problem :slight_smile: I’ll give you the highlights I can think of:
I started learning in August 2015, i went on bwtcamp in July 2016, I started using Welsh with patients and their families from September 2016 onwards, I was interviewed by Radio Cymru in April 2017.

Does that help?

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