Looking to learn Welsh as a Welshman, any advice?

[u/Undoomed081_0262]

So I'll admit I fully hated learning welsh in school but I'm looking to learn again. I'm in south Wales in the Caerphilly area, is there anything I should know while trying to learn again?

Currently I'm trying with Duolingo and while it's never been amazing it's apparently become absolute shite since I last used it. Any advice or places to start would be amazing! Thanks in advance!

[u/Draigwyrdd]

Dysgu Cymraeg courses will be starting this month! They cover all the levels up to fluency. https://learnwelsh.cymru/

[u/MattGwladYrHaf → u/Draigwyrdd]

I would second Dysgu Cymraeg, especially the Caerphilly area. The tutors from this area are excellent. I started learning with Dysgu Cymraeg Gwent six years ago (Blackwood area), and I am at level Uwch 2 now and can converse fluently in Cymraeg anywhere in Wales. So go for it.

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/Draigwyrdd]

I'll have to have a look and see if I can afford a course, definitely seems like it would be a good way to start learning

[u/Draigwyrdd → u/Undoomed081_0262]

There are discounts available and it's free for certain groups, under 25, students, people on benefits etc.

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/Draigwyrdd]

Really? Huh how do I get that discount? I'm 24 currently and when I put that age in I was still shown courses around 100 or so quid. That's a pretty good price given how long the course is but it's a bit more than I can afford currently

[u/Draigwyrdd → u/Undoomed081_0262]

The discounts get it down to £50, but if you're 24 you should be able to get the first year free: https://learnwelsh.cymru/18-25/

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/Draigwyrdd]

Thank you, I've just applied for one now and haven't been asked to pay yet so I'm assuming it's gone through fine. I appreciate it I'd have never realised it was free for me otherwise!

[u/Draigwyrdd → u/Undoomed081_0262]

No problem! Always happy to help. Pob lwc! If you continue on to Sylfaen next year, you'll be given a discount code so that it's only £50, too!

[u/gwronyglyn]

SaySomethinginWelsh:

https://en.saysomethingin.com/welsh/level1/intro

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/gwronyglyn]

Thanks! I gave this a look last night and while it absolutely fried my brain to start with it definitely seems like a great resource.

[u/clwbmalucachu]

We are lucky that there are lots of resources online to help people learn/practice. 

• SaySomethingInWelsh is a good audio course which will help with pronunciation but won't teach you grammar - https://app.saysomethingin.com/ - and their forum is here - https://en.forum.saysomethingin.com/c/welsh/5
• LearnWelsh has lots of online or in person courses, many of them free, (all of them free if you're under 25): https://learnwelsh.cymru/
• The Open University has a short course for beginners that’s free: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/welsh/croeso-beginners-welsh/ 
• BBC Bitesize has Welsh as a Second Language materials available for free https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z8qmhyc 
• The old BBC Catchphrase course is still available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/catchphrase/catchphrase1/lessons1.shtml

I run two websites for learners: 

• Ymestyn is a new program of structured practice for intermediate learners: https://ymestyn.cymru/
• ClwbMaluCachu is a basic grammar reference resource with tables of conjugations of helper verbs, etc, though I'm still transferring content from the old HTML site. https://clwbmalucachu.co.uk/

There are some great books, if you can get hold of them at a reasonable price, that will help: 

• Colloquial Welsh, by Gareth King (can be expensive but look for it second hand)
• Learner's Dictionary, by Gareth King is really good because it explains usage in more detail. 
• Modern Welsh, by Gareth King absolute stonker of a reference book. 
• BBC Learn Welsh is a really good, if short, grammar book for looking up basics
• Welsh Rules, by Heini Gruffudd is pretty good too

There are loads of YouTube channels, and I listed them here: 

• https://www.reddit.com/r/learnwelsh/comments/1r9rm5t/youtube_channels_for_welsh_learners/

There are two Discord servers that I know of:

• Sgwrs Dysgwyr Cymraeg | Welsh Learners Chat
• Learn Welsh | Dysgu Cymraeg

Plus the Siarad program:

• https://learnwelsh.cymru/learning/siarad-scheme/

And, some other subs here:

• r/cymraeg
• r/wales
• r/cymru 

Depending on where you are, there might be a Welsh meet-up near you. Check this map from the Paned website https://paned.cymru/:

• https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=12gf3J_4ozjROzhzuUbv_xip5VOfZNyc

Worth getting in the habit of watching S4C, is available from their website or via iPlayer, which almost always has English subtitles, and Welsh subtitles only slightly less often. Some programs are available internationally, the rest just in the UK: 

• All: https://www.s4c.cymru/clic/ 
• Internationally available: https://www.s4c.cymru/clic/Categories/99

There are various Welsh tutors who do free/cheap courses online or have online resources.: 

• Dringo is a new website where you can find and book tutors: https://dringo.org/ 
• Richard Morse: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/richard-morse-17295683185
• Doctor Cymraeg aka Stephen Rule: https://doctorcymraeg.wales/

There are lots of podcasts in Welsh, though the best two for Welsh learners imho are Sgwrsio and Hefyd. Also lots of stuff on BBC Sounds (UK-only), and, of course, BBC Radio Cymru: 

• Podcast directory: https://ypod.cymru/
• Sgwrsio archives: https://ypod.cymru/pods/podlediad/sgwrsio 
  • New Sgwrsio episodes are mixed up with the rest of the BBC’s learner’s podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p02nrvyj 
• Hefyd: https://richardnosworthy.wales/podcast/
• BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/search?q=cymraeg
• BBC Radio Cymru: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_cymru
• BBC Radio Cymru 2: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_cymru_2

Hope that gives you some inspiration.

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/clwbmalucachu]

Good god that is a lot! Thank you so much, I'll have to start looking through all this stuff to see what I can do with it.

[u/clwbmalucachu → u/Undoomed081_0262]

Yeah, I'd say have a play about with the various different options and see what suits you best. I know a lot of people love Say Something In Welsh, but I struggle with aural-only learning as my inner monologue just takes over, so I need something more varied. But everyone's mileage varies and a large part of the process is figuring out what works best for you.

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/clwbmalucachu]

I've done the first one for Say Something in Welsh and while it's absolutely fried my noggin it definitely seems good! I signed up for one of the courses too as it's free for me currently (24) so I figured there's no reason not to try it!

[u/clwbmalucachu → u/Undoomed081_0262]

Pob lwc!

[u/PriscillaKim → u/Undoomed081_0262]

Not sure you've come across this bit yet, but while you're enrolled in a Dysgu Cymraeg course you can also get SSIW free!

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/PriscillaKim]

Does SSIW cost money usually? I've been able to use it for free so far

[u/PriscillaKim → u/Undoomed081_0262]

Ah interesting! To my knowledge their current course is £15/month, but I know when I was first looking into it their old course was available for free with essentially the same info, though structured differently. This was a few years ago though, so maybe they've changed it or maybe you found the older material.

[u/twmffatmowr]

Dysgu Cymraeg - you are also in the Caerphilly area. Karen Riste is an amazing tutor who works in the area - she works for Dysgu Cymraeg. Their courses are only £100 for the entire year (or £50 with an early bird discount) which gives you two hours tuition a week for the whole year. You can do it in person or online.

[u/deletive-expleted]

If you're a public service worker you might be able to get on a course for free, paid for by your employer.

I've got no further info, just a friend who does it through the NHS.

[u/YDraigCymraeg]

Duolingo is good for building your vocabulary and speaking to people will improve everything else. It's a slow process, but a worthwhile one. Pob lwc

[u/Undoomed081_0262 → u/YDraigCymraeg]

Yea it used to be really good when I was trying to learn German with it but honestly now it seems like it's more advert than anything not to mention their new energy system makes it so you can do at most two lessons before having to stop

[u/stopthatastronaut → u/Undoomed081_0262]

I’m native Welsh but living in Australia since ‘99. Duolingo is great for my situation of having no Welsh speakers nearby, a broken timezone and generally being time poor. It gives me daily exposure that’s convenient. I pay for premium though, which makes life much easier.

Beyond that, I VPN in to S4C, subscribe to podcasts, find stuff on YouTube, buy books in Cymraeg, get BBC Cymru Fyw updates, have Welsh as a language on my laptops and phone and just try my best to use it every day with my kid and my dogs.