Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg ... I'm learning Welsh!

 Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg ... I'm learning Welsh!

When we opened our tea shop in Carmarthen we soon realised that we were part of a vibrant Welsh community where the Welsh language was an integral and important part of everyday life. I'm learning Welsh and trying to use basic Welsh phrases when chatting to customers at the shop.

My ancestors moved into Wales from England and there are no other Welsh speakers in my family, so although I had learnt a little Welsh at secondary school I stopped lessons when I reached 13 and it wasn't until moving to Carmarthenshire in 2017 that I became interested in learning Welsh again. When we launched the shop we had support from the team at Helo Blod who helped us to translate our menus and provided us with other bilingual resources. But I was also keen to improve my own skills.

In 2018 / 2019 I attended evening classes after work and although I enjoyed the classes and attended regularly I didn't get much time to practice outside the class and I made slow progress. I enjoyed hearing customers speaking Welsh at the shop, but lacked the confidence to chat with them and to use the few Welsh words I had grasped.

In 2023 I discovered that Carmarthenshire County Council were launching free Welsh classes specifically aimed at supporting people to learn and use Welsh in the workplace. This sounded ideal and gave me the motivation to start again ... The weekly classes are delivered via Zoom which makes it much easier to access them after a busy day at work. I'm learning alongside folks who work across the County, so this is a great way to bring us all together. Initially we followed the 30 week Entry level Mynediad course delivered by Learn Welsh tutors with oversight from Aberystwyth University. 

I told my team that I was planning to attend the course and one of the staff decided to enrol. Chatting in work I discovered that another member of our team was also learning Welsh at home and attending classes in her local community. So this time around there are lots of opportunities to practice my skills within the team, and with customers. My progress is still slow ... but I'm more committed, and little by little I know that my skills and confidence are improving. 

Having completed the Mynediad course last summer a number of us have now progressed to the Sylfaen foundation level programme. We've set up a WhatsApp group to encourage each other and keep in touch outside the lessons, and I'm also using the Duolingo App to practice my skills every morning over a cup of tea ...

Learning languages has never come naturally to me. At school I only ever passed the French exam once before I dropped the language options aged 13. I passed with 52% and my French tutor wrote on my end of year report: "Paul tries hard, but his brain is not adapted to this kind of work" !! ..... and to be honest I've used that comment as an excuse ever since! 

But ... Step by step, I'm making progress. I'm building up my vocabulary and I'm starting to understand simple grammar and sentence structures. I'm watching Welsh language programmes on TV and listening to (and sometimes understanding) Welsh conversations in everyday life. Last month a Welsh magazine, Golwg 360, interviewed me (in English!) about my learner journey for inclusion their magazine. 

I may never become a fluent Welsh speaker, but I'm gaining confidence every day. So if you're a Welsh speaker please help me practice next time you visit the shop ... 

Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg! ... I'm learning Welsh!

Helpwch fi i ymarfer os gwelwch yn dda ... Help me practice please!! 

Paul

Tea Traders - April 2025