I'm half Welsh and half English. My mum is Welsh, though was born and grew up in the south of England and, despite trying to learn the language several times, doesn't speak it. I was born and grew up in Lancashire, in the northwest of England with English as my mother tongue. However, there were always Welsh language materials - books, records and tapes - around the house when I was growing up and I picked up a few words and phrases from them.
My first unsuccessful attempt to learn Welsh was in 1988 with a Linguaphone Welsh course. Unfortunately at that time I lacked the self-discipline to study every day, and the motivation and determination to keep studying for any length of time. So it wasn't long before I gave up and had a go at another language - Japanese.
In 1998 I decided to have another a go at learning Welsh, partly because I hoped it would help me secure a job in Bangor, and partly because I had some time on my hands. The course I used this time was Teach Yourself Welsh, which I worked my way through a couple of times. Unfortunately I didn't remember very much because I tried to finish the course as quickly as possible rather than going through each lesson as many times as necessary until it all sank in. I wasn't offered the job in Bangor but have continued to study Welsh on and off ever since.
In 2003 I meet some Welsh speakers while on holiday in Portugal and quickly realised that I was only able to have a very basic conversation in Welsh with them. Since then I have been determined to become as fluent as possible in the language.
My favourite textbook is Colloquial Welsh, which I think is the best Welsh course currently available. I also highly recommend the Oxford Pocket Modern Welsh Dictionary, and there are many the excellent resources on the BBC Learn Welsh website.
To improve my vocabulary I read as much Welsh language material as I can find, including the news on the BBC, blogs and novels. I also listen to Radio Cymru (Welsh language radio) every day and have become quite a fan of Welsh language music.
I can now understand, speak, read and write Welsh fairly well, but there's plenty of room for improvement in all these skills.
In June 2007 I attended a two-week Summer Welsh Course at the University of Wales Lampeter. The course was interesting and quite intensive - four hours of lessons a day plus quite a bit of homework. The tutors were really enthusiastic and there was an interesting mixture of other students. I could understand almost everything the tutors and others said and found that I could also converse with them fairly fluently.
In June 2008 I spent a week learning some more Welsh at Nant Gwrtheyrn, the Welsh Language and Heritage Centre on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. The place is in a spectacular setting a long way from anywhere, and very peaceful. The
In July 2008 I moved to Bangor in Wales and have had more opportunities to speak Welsh since then. In July 2009 I joined the Bangor Welsh Learners Choir, which gives me the chance to speak and sing in Welsh regularly, and we've competed in a number of local eisteddfods.
Rywsut-rywfodd - my blog in Irish and Welsh
Welsh language learning materials
Arabic, Cantonese, Czech, Esperanto, French, Hungarian, German, Icelandic, Italian, Irish (Gaelic), Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mandarin, Manx (Gaelic), Portuguese, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish, Taiwanese, Turkish, Welsh
Hanner Cymro, hanner Sais dw i. Cymraes di-Gymraeg yw fy mam. Oedd ei theulu'n dod o Llangwm ger Brynbuga yn wreiddiol, ond fe gafodd hi ei eni a'i fagu yn Sir Sussex yn ne-ddwyrain Lloegr. Cefais fy nghennu yn Sir Gaerhirfryn gyda Saesneg fel mamiaith, ond o'n i'n dysgu tipyn bach o Gymraeg yn blentyn o cyrsiau Cymraeg fy mam.
Ym 1988 oedd fy mhrofiad a fy nghais cyntaf at ddysgu Gymraeg. Defnyddiais cwrs Cymraeg Linguphone. Yn anffodus, bryd hynny na doedd gennyf hunanddisgyblaeth i ddysgu bob dydd, ac heb gymhelliant neu benderfyniad i ddysgu am amser hir. Felly ar ôl amser byr, rhoddes i'r ffidil yn y to a cheisiais i ddysgu iaith arall - Siapaneg
Penderfynais geisio dysgu Cymraeg un waith eto ym 1998, y rheswm oedd fy mod i wedi ymgeisi am swydd ym Mhrifysgol ym Mangor, ac wedyn achos oedd llawer o amser rhydd ar nwylo ar y pryd. Teach Yourself Welsh oedd y cwrs defnyddiais y tro hwn. Ceisiais orffen y cwrs yn rhy gyflym heb dysgu dim byd yn gywir, ac felly na gofiais llawer. Na chefais y swydd ym Mangor, ond dw i wedi dysgu mwy ers hynny.
Ym 2003 pan oeddwn ar fy ngwyliau ym Mhortiwgal, cwrddais â Cymry Cymraeg a sylweddolais cyn hir y fod fy Nghymraeg yn wael iawn. Ers hynny dw i wedi bod yn benderfynol at ddysgu Cymraeg hyd at lefel rhuglder.
Fy hoff werslyfr yw Colloquial Welsh - dw i'n meddwl ei fod y cwrs Cymraeg gorau sydd ar gael ar hyn o bryd. dw i'n argymell y Oxford Pocket Modern Welsh Dictionary hefyd, ac mae llawer o adnoddau ardderchog ar wefan BBC Learn Welsh.
Dw i'n darllen nofelau, y newyddion ar y BBC, blogiau yn y Gymraeg ac yn y blaen. Dw i'n gwrando ar Radio Cymru yn aml, a dw i'n ceisio defnyddio bob cyfle i ymarfer Nghymraeg.
Ym mis Mehefin 2007, es i'r Cwrs Haf Cymraeg ym Mhrifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan. Roedd y cwrs yn ddiddorol ac eithaf arddwys gyda pedair awr o ddosbarthiadau bob dydd a cryn dipyn o waith cartref. Roedd y tiwtoriaid yn frwdfrydig ac roedd cymysgedd diddorol o fyfyrwyr eraill. Deallais y mwyfrif y ddywedon y tiwtoriaidd a'r mwfyrwyr eraill. O'n i'n gallu ymddiddan yn eitha rhugl gyda nhw hefyd.
Ym mis Gorffenaf 2008, symudais i Fangor, ac mae gen i mwy o gyfleoedd i siarad Cymraeg ers hynny. Ym mis Gorffenaf 2009 ymunais â Côr y Dysgwyr Bangor, mae hynny yn fy roi cyfle i siarad a chanu yn y Gymraeg yn rheolaidd, ac dan ni wedi cystadlu mewn rhyw eisteddfodau leol.
Rywsut-rywfodd - fy mlog yn Gymraeg a Gwyddeleg
Cyrsiau a geiriaduron Cymraeg, ayyb
Almaeneg, Arabeg, Cantoneg, Corëeg, Cymraeg, Esperanto, Ffrangeg, Gaeleg yr Alban, Gwyddeleg, Hwngareg, Islandeg, Eidaleg, Japaneg, Lladin, Manaweg, Mandarineg, Portiwgaleg, Rwsieg, Sbaeneg, Taiwaneg, Tsieceg, Twrceg
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