Upcoming Intensive day

If no-one else offers, and with the caveat of my not-pure-North accent (and inability to fully roll an R), I could record them on Soundcloud for you and at least it would give you some idea. It might not be exactly what you’re looking for, but it may help. I wouldn’t want any payment for that.

I also recommend Dee’s suggestion above!

2 Likes

Hi, I might be able to help :slight_smile: I’m not a native speaker but I’ve been told I have a pretty good accent.

1 Like

Dee,
Thank you. That is my intention. I am just trying to get my head (or mouth,lol) around some of the more exotic sounds of the language before I make the big dive in. I did 10 or so lessons a few years ago and noticed I had trouble hearing and pronouncing some of the sounds.

1 Like

I really appreciate the offers for help. A general interest in the language brought me to SSiW but the course method and the amazing friendliness and willingness to help each other on this forum keeps me coming back. If you read my previous post, an couple of months ago, I have had to keep putting off Welsh for different languages for one reason or another. However, I have decided that there will never be a perfect time to learn it so I am just going to do what I can when I can. One day I know that I will become a Welsh speaker.

Oh, and soundcloud is a great idea. I was trying to figure out the best way to transfer audio files.
Thanks again,
Breandan

6 Likes

I would accept @novem’s offer, if I were you. He actually did learn initially over an intensive weekend and regularly helps people using Google Hangouts.

Have you joined the Welsh Speaking Practice Slack group? That’s another place where you’ll find people, such as @siaronjames, willing to help you with your pronunciation. If you haven’t joined, send an email to admin@saysomethingin.com with WSP in the subject and you’ll get an invitation.

3 Likes

@Novem Sounds great. I think the soundcloud idea the @siaronjames suggested would work best. That way everyone could have access if the wanted. I think they could be read in blocks of 25 with enough time in between to allow for someone to repeat the word. I can send a pdf list or you could use the website that I obtained them from. The website list top 1000 but I am only looking to the top 500.
https://1000mostcommonwords.com/1000-most-common-welsh-words/

Thanks again. You guys are wonderful.
Breandan

2 Likes

I don’t want to sound discouraging, (not even to balance out the wonderfulness! :wink: ) but I’ve just had a look at that list and there are some words on there that are somewhat misleading. Some are Southern Welsh. Some are not spelt correctly (they have included mutations, but mutations out of context can give you the wrong word). Some are very formal ways of saying things that not many people would actually say. Also, the translations are a little ambiguous - they don’t take into account conjugations and, where the noun and verb are the same word in English, they don’t say which the Welsh is referring to.

Hearing the words spoken will help you get the sounds, but I wouldn’t rely on them in a dictionary sense.

3 Likes

Yup, Siaron is right about the list :smile: If you want I could try to skip the useless ones and fix the ones that are wrong or mutated (so write some sort of updated list). That’ll take a bit longer though :smile:

2 Likes

No worries. I wasn’t going to use the list as anything more than getting used to the sound. All my language learning would be through the SSiW course. However, if words are incorrect then I would prefer not to listen to them.

@Novem I wouldn’t want you to go through too much work. Maybe, if you are willing, just a top 200 would suffice.
See even when you don’t think you are being wonderful, you still are.
Thanks,
Breandan

2 Likes

I see you’re looking for Northern accent, so this doesn’t apply to you - but just as an inspiration:

besides SSiW (that as you’ll certainly know contains some of those words in the Challenges+old courses Lessons), I’m using songs to learn pronunciation, and mostly songs by a band called Datblygu.

I had a quick look at the list and (apart from the misleading details Siaron pointed out), of the first 300 words only about 15 are not present in their songs.

This means I can listen to them (and many more of the remaining 700) as many time as I like, pronounced by native South Walian(s) and in full sentences too.
And although verses sometimes do not match everyday language, it still seems better than words all by themselves.

Of course this isn’t meant to dissuade @Novem from recording all the words in @Breandan’s list if he enjoys that! :grin:

Just saying, maybe with a little help from those who know where to find a wider selection of lyrics and from a wider selection of artists…I think it’s quite a useful trick!

p.s. @siaronjames BTW I like Meic Stevens accent too, so now I know you have pretty good connections, thanks to the Advanced Content :wink: … if you have any hints in this sense…

Oh there’s plenty to choose from in Meic’s repertoire! (another talented South Walian :wink: ) as for hints - where do I start! My favourites include Cân Walter, Merch y Ffatri Wal, Brawd Houdini, Môr o Gariad, Shwmae Shwmae, Dim ond Cysgodion, Crymych Trip, Rue San Michel, Strydoedd Aberstalwm… best not hijack this thread too much though!

For great songs in a North Wales accent, check out Gai Toms/Mim Twm Llai - you can’t go far wrong with Gai’s stuff either (and he’s done some cracking Meic Stevens covers too!), and also in N Wales accent, of course I have to mention the band I used to play for, Bob Delyn a’r Ebillion! :wink:

3 Likes

Diolch, going to check them out now!

p.s. if @Breandan and any other readers of this thread are not interested in songs and lyrics…sorry for the digression!

2 Likes

Nessun problema! I usually look for music in languages I am learning or even if I am not learning them. So thank you and @siaronjames for the recommendations.

2 Likes

Alright, I’ll start recording some in chunks of 25 and upload them to soundcloud. I’ll let you know when the first are up :slight_smile: (probably tomorrow afternoon)

Some of my favourite bands are Y Bandana, I Fight Lions and Patrobas if you want more band recommendations!

4 Likes

Sounds great! Thank you so much!

I will check out those bands as well.

2 Likes

Here you go :slight_smile:

5 Likes

Diolch yn fawr iawn @Novem.

1 Like

Thank you so much!! You rock🤘. That is exactly what I was looking for!

2 Likes

I have decided to join the 6 mins a day course. That way I can go at a slower pace and then when I have the time I can switch to the 6 months program. Hopefully this summer. I am not sure that is how it works but I put @Novem as my referral so I am guessing that gives me access to the 6 month course. I will send an email to the admin to make sure.

Thanks everyone

6 Likes

Thank you! :smile:

1 Like