The Italian's Tour Diary goes...Parallel.Cymru

Sorry, good point! :blush: :smile:

1 Like

Croeso Kemosabe?

I think this is a point that deserves some thought - the main aim for English as the board language is so that learners of Welsh can communicate through a language they already speak… the same thing will hold true for the Spanish section as we (hopefully!) start to get more learners there…

But what happens when we have a Welsh course available through the medium of Spanish/Italian/Breton etc? The key aim for learners to be able to ask for help easily would no longer fit with just ‘everything in English’ - so I think we need to give some thought to the best ways of working around that…

4 Likes

No need to apolgise. :smile: I hope to get the chance of talking Welsh (and Italian?) to you again before too long.

2 Likes

Esperanto or Latin as the lingua franca? :laughing:
I know one person who’d support the former. :wink:

3 Likes

Oh yes…ond:

Is apparently the safe word :hushed:

And indeed the correct one. :+1:

I’ve just gotta know
a: what is a Volapükist
b what is a Sperantapük
Put me out of my misery, please. :smile:

2 Likes

Volapük is a created international language.
https://www.omniglot.com/writing/volapuk.htm
Then I am assuming that a Volapükist is someone who speaks the language or is an enthusiast for it.
Sperantapük must be Volapük for Esperanto.
Sue

2 Likes

I always thought it was random sounds, turns out there’s a language sounding more or less like this? :grinning:
galaxies

p.s. @Novem even though I can guess it has something to do with Finland, Suomessa still sounds quite funny to an Italian!

1 Like

O Dioch yn fawr iawn / Thank you very much.
I shall be able to sleep tonight. :smile:

Correct! :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Ive jumped over here now so as not to Hijack Aran’s important Spread the word type topic -

Ha ha, come to Cardiff, and catch the free weekend coach to North Wales :slight_smile: Bring a pillow for the slow journey and you will be totally fluent by the time you get to Bangor :smiley:

2 Likes

You mean coaches like those from Cardiff to Aber that are free on weekends?
You can go up to the north on those as well?
Good idea, it may work as long as there’s a fluent speaker travelling the same route, I guess! :grinning:

Yup, there’s one from Aberystwyth to Bangor as well as a few other routes. You’d have to either stay up very late or spend a night in Aber, though. :smile:

(edit - oh actually it’s definitely a night in Aber, the connection doesn’t actually work on the weekends)

2 Likes

Yes I think it’s a two bus journey. Also the Cardiff to Aber one goes past our window, so you can jump off for a cappuccino or wave as you pass.

1 Like

it’s definitely a night in Aber

I’ve a “cunning plan” for that which I’ve shared with Gisella. :smile:

3 Likes

Hi Gisella, I enjoyed reading your diary and find your story fascinating.
I tried to listen to some Datblygu songs and I really like them but I haven’t been able to find the lyrics to almost any of them and I am not yet advanced enough to get something from it without them (currently level 1 challenge 13). I would like to know how you got from hearing them for the first time (while not knowing any Welsh) to being able to understand them.
Also, I hope you will visit the North one day, I am a Czech girl totally in love with North Wales, living in a Welsh speaking village but not having the courage to speak Welsh yet.

3 Likes

Hi Ani - I’m glad you enjoyed my diary and story. :slight_smile:

From my experience I’d say it’s way easier to start speaking in learners groups (or with other forumists that might be in your area, have you checked if anyone’s close?)

But I also think it’s really great experience to just try and say something in a store, or bar or with someone on the train or at the bus station. It really helps overcoming anxiety and perfectionism because even when it’s quite a disaster…you see you can do it, and survive! And it gets better every time.

Of course I’m happy to hear you liked Datblygu :sunglasses: :wink:
It took me a bit of an effort to find the lyrics - but now I have:

  • all songs from Wyau, Pyst and Libertino LPs (from a booklet - I just copied and pasted them all in a file)
  • 4 songs from an EP (someone posted on the web a photo of the typewritten sheet that was included in the record, and I re-typed them)
  • 1 song of which I had somehow transcribed the sounds I heard. Recently I got it quickly checked by a native who turned it into actual words, but might still contain a few mistakes! :sweat_smile:

I can send them to you as an attachment in a message, if you like (just let me know).

By the way it’s always nice for me to meet other continental-Europeans who decide to learn Welsh.
I hope we can meet at some other International Clonc-edigion or when I visit North Wales!

4 Likes

Thank you, I would be very happy if you can send the file to me.

BTW I can also relate to your experience with your host family. When we (with my husband) moved to the UK five years ago we started in Newcastle and even though I’d tried to practice before our move (by watching things like Benefits Street), it was horrible. 12 years of English in schools almost worthless. And the worst thing wasn’t not understanding others but the fact that nobody understood me.

I have many opportunities to practise around here (including some learners group) but I’ve been postponing it… it’s always “one more lesson and I will do it”…

4 Likes