Bore coffi cymraeg | If SSIW is helping you, why not help us? Get DAILY lessons: Become an SSIW Member!

[Darren Manceinion]

Two years ago I spent a dreamy month in Aberystwyth trying to get my tongue around the "ll"s and "ch"s of Welsh and master at least some of the basics.

Last month I was yn y dafarn with an old friend who asked "how's the Welsh going?". I made feeble excuses about the lack of opportunity to practice and that my Welsh had started to rust. My dear friend, ever direct and practical, said "My friend R - who you've met- is from Wales and she's fluent. I'm sure she'd be happy to chat with you. Shall I put you in touch". I nodded and poured another glass of wine, thinking nothing might come of it.

Up to now I've been too shy to "have a go" in shops when I've been over the border to the Wlad Hyfryd, but this morning saw me chatting away, with wobbly grammar, omitted and sometimes completely new mutations, and often with a confused expression on my face. We both reverted to English in parts, but much more than 50% of the hour and a half of our bore coffi cymraeg was conducted through the medium of Welsh.

Mwy coffi, rhywun?

[Sionned]

Llongyfarchiadau, Darren!! That's really what it takes, having the wherewithal to "just do it" - try to say something, and keep trying, mistakes and all, and discover that you really can communicate! Hooray!! Well done you!

[Aran]

That sounds like a breakthrough moment! And there are quite a few other Welsh speakers in Manchester who may well be up for the occasional coffee in Welsh...

[Tahl]

That sounds like a breakthrough moment! And there are quite a few other Welsh speakers in Manchester who may well be up for the occasional coffee in Welsh...

In fact, I was starting to think of Manchester as "Wales East," until I saw Spenny's post about Solihull having over a dozen learners.

Croeso, Darren! Have you tried the SSiW lessons yet? You'll know much of the material from your Wlpan month, although good chance that the SSiW lessons present it more-colloquial forms. Still, the lessons may be very useful in getting your tongue accustomed to producing rapid (esp. in the Southern lessons) streams of Welsh again. Many SSiWers use them in conjunction with, or after doing, traditional classes.