Welsh Speaking Growing in Popularity – Currently within Wrecsam, but also around Wales and indeed, an increasing number of individuals are regularly using incidental Welsh words such as bore da, croeso, diolch yn fawr, Wrecsam wedi ennill (Wrexham have won), amser cinio (dinner time) pob hwyl (all the best) and mae’n braf Heddiw (it’s fine today).
Welsh-Speaking Skills
Individuals of all ages are showing a desire to extend their Welsh-speaking skills by picking up on words displayed on bilingual notices, shop signs and adverts. One of my neighbours on the allotment, who is not a Welsh speaker, enjoys watching Sgorio, Rygbi and Pobl y Cwm on S4C and always greets me with a “bore da, shwmae”.
D. Geraint Lewis’ DIY Welsh is a practical, step-by-step guide to “Cymraeg”. The author develops and unravels easy-to-follow stages to enable individuals to create longer, meaningful sentences in the Welsh language. Many learners consider the challenge of learning an additional language to be on a par with swimming lessons. Taking that first step into the “deep end”, you need armbands and a friend/mentor to support you. Geraint’s motivational and practical style provides the buoyancy and then gets you swimming on your own as your fluency increases.
The key feature of this inspirational and motivational pocket book is the use of colour coding. This coding helps explain mutations and present and past tenses alongside the basic list of useful nouns. From a personal point of view, I found the two colour-coded dictionaries, English-Welsh and Welsh-English, really beneficial.
The book is highly recommended for all readers who wish to gain more confidence to “Siarad Cymraeg” – Pob hwyl (all the best).
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Author: John Morris for Love Wrexham Magazine
John is an FA coach. He has worked with young players at Fulham, Chelsea, QPR and Wrexham, promoting resilience, tenacity and self-discipline. He is currently a consultant addressing growth mindsets to promote sports, education, and business performance.
