Living in Gwynedd, I get to hear plenty of Welsh, but my Welsh in shops tends to be limited to "helo" and "diolch". There are several neighbours with whom the conversation might get as far as "sut dach chi?" or (if really adventurous) a comment about the weather, but the step beyond that remained a step too far for me. If you tell someone "Dw i'n dysgu siarad Cymraeg." most people will respond with "Da iawn" and there the conversation ends, because... well, what can they say?!
I think it was around Course 2, Lesson 21 that I began to think I actually could speak Welsh well enough to be useful. Some of us are late developers. A little burst of confidence coincided with a golden opportunity, and I (very uncharacteristically) accepted an invitation that came via our local Welsh for Adults evening class. The Merched y Wawr were having a line-dancing evening and especially welcoming dysgwyr with 2-3 years' experience! Here was an all-Welsh event where I would be expected to converse with Welsh speakers, but they'd know I was learning and they were going out of their way to be welcoming and helpful. Perfect.
I have to say the dawnsio llinell was not quite what I was expecting. I've done my share of circle-dancing and other kinds of folk-dancing, so I was prepared for a caller saying, "left", "right", "forward", "back", "swing your partners" and all that. Instructions like "hands on head, hand on hip, cross your left leg behind your right and pivot right while making lasso movements above your head" all at speed were beyond me. I was just copying the movements. As it happened the implementation was beyond quite a few of the dancers anyway, so much hilarity ensued. It was a huge amount of fun, and when you've just had a good laugh with someone, of course it's much much easier to talk to them afterwards. The setting, with Welsh being used naturally all around me must have helped too, but I found I had no hesitation or nerves then in sitting down with a couple of the ladies afterwards and just talking. It was a bit of a dam burst for me, all this Welsh I had bottled up inside by now. Of course I made a lot of mistakes and had to ask the odd English word, but it was real communication and I wish I could convey just what a thrill it was. Amazing.
My hosts declared that I spoke Welsh very well, and shouldn't ever hesitate to use it, and there were some jaws on the floor when I confessed I only started learning 13 months ago. We talked a lot about SaySomethingInWelsh, of course.
That was last night. I'm talking to anyone in Welsh now.
Karen
Please feel free to correct me. Thanks! 
= "Oh, is that how it's spelled!"
Brilliant! Best read to start my day in a long while 
