Learning Welsh
Anne May rejoices in a hobby that’s become a vocation
Say the word 'Croeso' out loud. Emphasise the letter 'r' and roll it on the tip of your tongue. This is a word full of hope that represents:
- a cluster of pink primroses and sweet wild strawberries hiding in the summer hedgerows
- newborn lambs prancing and bleating
- a four-year-old boy, in the warm embrace of his beloved grandmother
If you want to be a fluent new speaker, you have to be brave. If someone turns to English in the middle of a conversation, turn back to Welsh immediately.
As a five-year-old girl in Ysgol Ceinewydd I was always delighted to sing my favourite line
‘Ac-nac-ar-wain-ni-i-bro-fed-ig-aeth’ with full force, every morning for seven years without understanding a word of it.
At Aberaeron High School, the best way to kill a minority language was clearly to force pupils to listen to Biblical language written during the time of William Morgan.
I had my best Welsh language lesson ever with a five-year-old child where no critical audience was present. I will never say 'Ysgol MEithrin' or 'Cyrens Du' again!
I am an avid reader of books and the shelves in our house are full of them. My favourite novel is Martha, Jac a Sianco by Caryl Lewis. Let's make sure we get a taste of poetry too. I love learning poetry by heart: Iaith by Dic Jones and Eifionydd by R Williams Parry.
Was it wishful thinking for me to believe that I could rise from the Cauldron of Rebirth, not in a mute form but speaking just like the evergreen Siân Phillips? I have a lot of work to do!
There are lots of podcasts available, with something for everyone. The best thing about modern technology is the fact that you can listen again to each episode.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the language journey is the fact that everyone can speak English.
So how about following the example of Toni Bianchi who came to Lampeter University from the north of England? In order to help him learn Welsh, Tony pretended that he was Italian and couldn't speak a word of English!
Despite the fact that I talk non-stop, the motivation for writing came from a very dark place. I had hit rock bottom at this time. Throughout this horrific period, the process of filling a blank page was very beneficial. Today, I use Welsh words as a shield against the world.
Warning! As far as I know there's no short-cut to success, and we have to persevere.
As I reach for Bruce's Dictionary for the hundredth time this week, it's about time I admitted that learning Welsh is now a vocation rather than a hobby.