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[Colettet]

I am in Glynarthen for the next few weeks and am thrilled to say that while I have been here I have managed to finish course 1 ---- yehhh hehhhh. Seems right to have hit that milestone whilst in Wales.

Also pleased to say that today I had my first totally unscripted conversation with the lovely people in Awen Teifi in Aberteifi (SOOOO patient !!!). I have had a couple of previous very short conversations in a couple of places but they were "scripted" (very planned) --- this one wasn't. I am thrilled and annoyed with myself in equal measure. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to go to the counter --- I waited ages for the shop to empty out a bit --- gave myself a headache worrying about what to say (I am an idiot !!) but -- eventually did it and managed. We had a chat (very halting from my side) -- they said they understood my side of the conversation and I got a "da iawn" BUT ------ when I got outside I thought of LOADS of simple things that I knew perfectly well that I could have said so that's why I was thrilled and annoyed all at the same time. STILL --- a year ago I wouldn't have been able to say anything at all so ..... thanks SSiW

I am not going to move on to course 2 yet -- I still haven't got some of the patterns sorted and ... I need to add to my vocab a bit through the vocab sessions but one thing I REALLY REALLY need to do is to actually talk in Welsh to someone else and not just to myself and the dogs !!! I need to get that sorted so that I will have more confidence when I am out and about in Ceredigion.

Once again -- thanks SSiW ----- I am getting there slowly

[dinas]

Brilliant! Most of us have had the exact same experience on our first tentative conversations. Though the good news is it gets easier.
The staff in Awen Teifi really are encouraging and I can remember having some of my early conversations there.

[Iestyn]

Congratulations, Colette! That's great news, and great progress.

Don't worry about all the things you didn't say - that's the equivalent of having an argument / discussion and thinking of all the clever answers and argument ending comments that you could have used as you are walking away from the situation... Speaking your second language for the first time can be a similar stressful experience, and coming away from it and "cooling down" will almost definitely throw up all sorts of things that you could have said, could have said "better", and stuff that you said "wrong". That's why using your Welsh leads to such a massive improvement.

Well done, and make sure you build on such a positive experience by trying your Welsh out as often as you can!

Oh yes, and don't kid yourself about getting there slowly. A year ago you couldn't have had a conversation. Now you have had an unscripted, made up on the spot, real life conversation. To achieve that in a year is definitely not slow!

[Colettet]

Things are looking up .... two of the family who own my static caravan site speak Welsh -- Sarah (Mum) and Jamie (son who is seven) SO ----- she and Jamie came up to my van this aft and -- we had a conversation

I was SOOOOO nervous (aren't I stupid !!).

Sarah said that although some of my pronunciation was "a bit off" at times (and she kindly helped me correct it) -- in general she thought that my Welsh sounded quite natural. I managed some decent sentences -- a bit haltingly with some English thrown in when I forgot but --- MUCH better than what I inflicted on the poor people from Arwen Teifi

I feel a lot better now and less "afraid". I'll "grab" Sarah again a few times over the next few weeks while I am here and give it a go in some shops too. Just what I needed.

[Iestyn]

Oh, my word - there's no stopping you now!

Don't worry about a few pronunciations being "a bit off". The more you speak, the more natural your Welsh will become, and the mnore like the people you speak with. Remember that some Ceredigion people think that my accent is a bit off as well, but because they know I am a from-birth speaker, they accept that it is "normal but different". you may find that your "offness" is just the same as mine, but because people have heard that you have learnt as an adult, they are more inclined to think that it's a function of not learning correctly, rather than a perfect copy of a different accent.

But even if it's plain wrong, don't worry. You are a Welsh speaker now, which means the language is yours to speak how you please. If you are the first speaker of Scouse Welsh in Glynarthen then don't worry - I think Welsh spoken with "foreign" accents (French, German, English) is absolutely beautiful, and you should have no shame at all in it. Plus, the people of Wales had better get used to them, cos SSiW is coming...!

[Colettet]

Thanks Iestyn ... I was quite "chuffed" (is there a Welsh word for that ? ). I was able to talk about where I had been and what I had done that day; what I was going to do the next day and why I was learning. I was able to ask Jamie what he had been doing (and understood that he had been to see his Grandma); and what he liked doing (football and swimming). He loved the dogs so I was able to tell him a little about them too. I got a bit lost now and again, especially understanding what was being said back to me, but that was a huge achievement for me and having an actual conversation with someone was a BIG BIG hurdle to get over.

One year ago I wouldn't have been able to say anything at all in Welsh so all this is down to SSiW and to be honest ... I can't believe it ..... I am "gobsmacked" (is there a Welsh word for that as well ??? )

I just want to learn more now.

Diolch SSiW

[dinas]

Gobsmacked - wedi gobsmac

[Colettet]

Dw i wedi gobsmac ---- dw i 'n gallu siarad Cymraeg !!!!!


See .... I even remembered to leave out the 'n

[dinas]

Dw i wedi gobsmac ---- dw i 'n gallu siarad Cymraeg !!!!!


See .... I even remembered to leave out the 'n

[Iestyn]

You could use "wrth fy modd" for "chuffed" - it has a similr big grin feel to it!

Gobsmacked is cegrwth - KEG-rooth with oo as in book. It's a wonderful word!

And that sounds like an amazing conversation to be having. Keep that up, and people will just have to accept that you are a Welsh speaker!