Why Welsh? Why SSiW? What's your story?

yes! NUMBERS! BANG! GO WIDE!

He’ll say that on a Welsh commentary from time to time, too… :wink:

We did have a bit of stuff - @Kinetic, any ideas where it is now?!

2 Likes

Only if you use it to turn yourself into a super-awesome dragon. :joy:

3 Likes

That’s fine with me :smile:
Just to make sure I got it right: You need the original file of the picture either posted here or attached to an e-mail?

2 Likes

I started with Duolingo too and through what are now calked “Classes” but were then called “Events” learned to have basic conversations, learned about Coleg Gwent and have just passed the exam Canolradd. It can be done…… On the Duolingo website, not on my ipad app I notice, at the top is a symbol that looks like a button with three holes. Click on it. There should be an option called “Classes”. That will take you to where you can choose Welsh and see what’s there for now. It is the Summer so there won’t be as much choice. I thoroughly recommend events run by Richard Morse. He really knows what he is doing and it doesn’t cost you anything. You’ll probably want to start at Mynediad level, but then you can see how it goes. I can also tnoroughly recommend Coleg Gwent. Their support this year has been outstanding - and I used to be a language teacher myself. They run several courses at each level on-line so you don’t have to worry about travel at all. Find Dysgu Cymraeg and then search for a course under level, online or otherwise and college. Pob lwc.

3 Likes

Thanks for all the advice - I’ll see what’s available remotely (as I live in Somerset).

Hope this will do…
Iechyd da
Colin Clarke

1 Like

Excellent. I live in Oxfordshire. It’s exciting to see that there are learners of Welshn not just all across the country, but across the world. Marie

1 Like

my story is simple. My grandparents were welsh speakers but my mother was punished at school for speaking welsh so they stopped talking to her in her own language. When I was growing up I could learn Latin, French and Russian but not my own language. I went on to learn to speak Swedish fluently, Spanish well and even Italian, German and French to some extent but Welsh has been in my heart. I struggle as I need a Welsh buddy to talk to. Hope it helps .

3 Likes

I want to do my bit to keep the language alive. My mother (b 1921) could not speak English until she was 9. Her father died of TB and she went to Howells School Denbigh on something like an “orphan scholarship” where she had to speak English. My uncle, her brother, used to speak of the “Welsh knot” but I am not sure if it was applied directly to his class at that time. My Nain would speak to Mum in Welsh and she would answer in English and my brother and I were never encouraged to learn it (we lived at the time on Merseyside). She returned to live in Llangollen in the 1980s but she was a bit embarrassed to speak Welsh as she felt she sounded “old fashioned” and “posh” ! She died 20 years ago and if I had my time over I would have got her to speak Welsh with me and with others. I tried to encourage our own 3 children in learning Welsh at school, but 2 lessons a week along with 2 lessons of German/French was not really going to work especially as none of the friends here in Flintshire spoke Welsh and mine is elementary at best. However, now with their own children, they are appreciating the value of Welsh and I’m doing what I can to encourage it with the next generation - my grandchildren.

5 Likes

Dechreuais i ddysgu Cymraeg pan fy nhai gofyn i mi. Mae e a ei wraig wedi penderfynu anfona eu plant i’r ysgol gynradd Cymraeg lleol. Fodd bynnag, gwybodaeth e ddim yn siarad Cymraeg ac wedyn ofynnodd e fi i ddysgu gyda fe.

1 Like

Bore da
My mother used to come to Trearddur Bay, Anglesey from 1937 when she was 16. As a family we would stay at a B&B then rent caravans and houses and finally bought a caravan in Trearddur Bay. It was where my husband (then boyfriend) came for our first holiday. 40 years later we are now retired and live here in Trearddur. My husband did his first degree at Bangor University at the age of 60, then a Masters and is now working on a PhD and working for the University. My dream for 40 something years has been to live here and have a dog. We’ve lived here now for six years and our dog is Welsh born and bred. I try to pick up Welsh phrases where possible, I think it’s only right to at least attempt to speak the language now. I’ve been approached a couple of times and been spoken to in Welsh and have been able to say Dw i ddim yn siarad cymraeg sori. I think it was appreciated. : )

3 Likes

My mother-in-law, Margery, and her sister had caravans in Trearddur Bay from the late 60s to the early 80s. Margery (96 oed) lives with us now and remembers Nancy who ran the site shop and her husband, Hughie the Coal (both Welsh speakers of course). She also remembers Dennis Clayton who ran the site.

Maureen and I visited them at the caravan as newly weds in 1978/9. I loved the place.

Pob lwc gyda/efo dysgu Cymraeg. :+1:

3 Likes

I wonder which caravan site it was? Ours was The Lee.

1 Like

Margery doesn’t remember the caravan site having a name, but looking at the Google map and aerial photo she thinks it probably was the Lee. Sites and caravans have changed such a lot since then, though.

1 Like

We were there from 1967 to about 1982, those names ring no bells I’m thinking it might have been Gwynfair or Bagnol which are very near. Either way it was a supremely happy time. :blush:

1 Like

Sorry Camilla for taking so much time to get back to you! You are welcome to email me at catrin[at]saysomethinginwelsh[dot]com and diolch yn fawr iawn to you! :smiley:

Bore da bawb!

Diolch again to each and every one of you for taking the time to answer this thread. Your stories, each and every single one of them, are so valuable to us. We’ve had so much enjoyment from reading them and we thank you for sharing. :blush:

If you feel that you would be comfortable providing an image of yourself to go with your story, then please feel free to send one to me via -

  • a private message on this forum
  • email to catrin[at]saysomethinginwelsh[dot]com
  • or attach one to your contribution here

Diolch yn fawr iawn once again - this thread is an absolute treasure.

1 Like

Perfect Colin! :slight_smile:

Thank you to everyone who’s sent me pictures to go with their stories!

Keep them coming! :grin:

Hello! I just finished Challenge 1, and I’m so excited! I decided I loved Wales and the Welsh language with very little knowledge of either after I read The Grey King as a child. Back in the noughties, I met the man who would eventually become my husband online. He is British, and whenever I visited I would watch lots of Welsh children’s television on cable.

We live in the United States, but in 2018, I had a sabbatical from work, and my husband suggested we spend it in Wales. I spent a wonderful month traveling mostly around Gwynedd with my husband and daughter. I didn’t hear as much Welsh as I had hoped until we spent a few days in Blaenau Ffestiniog. I started playing with Duo Lingo, and I mostly remember learning “Dw i’n hoffi coffi.”

After that, life happened. I went back to work. We had a second child. Then we were hit with a pandemic, where I worked harder than I’ve ever worked before. Now, everything is calming down and my youngest will be 3 in the Fall. I’ve decided to do something for me.

I started using Duo Lingo again. I stumbled on this site when I was trying to understand some grammatical rule or other. I liked the focus on speaking and listening over reading and writing, so I signed up.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with my Welsh, but I’m happy to be here all the same.

6 Likes