Cychwyn arni

Getting started with Welsh

  • Discounted package of 6 sessions for £193 (usual price £35.74 per session)

  • 6 A1 level homework tasks (and marked feedback)

  • Access to your own personal minisite with resources

  • Personalized feedback/notes after each session

  • Pronunciation guidance

  • Progress quiz after session #6

In order to get speaking and interacting with people in a new language, you need a solid grounding in basic grammar. You don’t need to know lots of complicated grammatical terms, but you do need to respond with the correct person and time of the verb in order to make your self understood.

The sessions are guided by three broad principles:

  • Noticing: Children can learn languages by passively listening and repeating; adults can’t. Repetition in the form of vocab/sentence drills does not lead to actual learning, instead I’ll directly draw your attention to points of grammar. You’ll notice first and then practise.

  • “Responding in kind”: By this I mean respond in Welsh and give a meaningful answer even when you don’t understand. You’ll be provided with some key interactional phrases to use to help keep up the Welsh as long as possible by asking for help or for something to be repeated in Welsh.

  • Geirfa gartref (vocab at home): I don’t teach vocabulary during sessions because I don’t believe that it’s something a tutor is needed for (Why pay someone to do this when you can read in your own time or use flashcard apps for free!). Instead, exercises will be provided to complete outside of sessions in order for you to practice your vocab by placing new vocab in familiar sentence patterns.

What will I learn?

These initial 6 sessions are for near or absolute beginners and will focus on the basics needed initial CEFR Level A1 (equivalent to a 10 week term of a group class for beginners).

This isn’t a formal course and we’ll change the pace and content depending on your current/developing knowledge and confidence. You’ll complete a quick online questionnaire (see link below) to help me plan the sessions.

By the end of the six sessions you will be able to:

  • Start and end a conversation

  • Ask for and exchange basic personal information

  • Use past, present and future forms of the verb BOD (to be) in the 1st person (Me talking about me)

  • Use present tense form of the verb BOD (to be) in the 3rd person (Me talking to you about someone else)

  • Talk about what you have and don’t have

  • Talk about what you like and don’t like

  • Recognise mutations and understand what triggers and limits them (i.e. c > g is possible, but t > g is not)

  • Understand how the tense particles yn and wedi are used.

  • Understand the difference between different sentence patterns and word orders in Welsh.

How do I get started?

  1. Complete the registration form below.

  2. Complete the Cychwyn Arni questionnaire.

  3. You’ll receive an e-invoice for the 6 sessions and make a card payment online.

  4. You’ll receive a code that will allow you to book 6 sessions (either in one go or on an ad hoc basis) on the booking page of this site.

  5. You’ll receive information about accessing your virtual learning platform Padlet.

Sign up for Cychwyn Arni!