Apparently I started learning Welsh with Duolingo one year ago today.
I originally started because GrandSon4 goes to a Welsh medium school and I wanted to be able to read stories to him in Welsh. Now he's moving to Italy.
Years ago when Younger Son got engaged to Nuora, Husband and I started learning Italian to be able to converse with the in-laws. Husband did better and persevered longer than I did, but both of us have floundered somewhat with our good intentions. Out walking with Husband the other day I said, 'I'm not going to start Italian again; you will have to translate everything for me. I am struggling enough with Welsh.'
Though my initial reasons were for the benefit of the grandchildren I am now determined to carry on with Welsh for its own sake. And for my sake. I want to be able to speak my language, but I confess I have stalled a bit. I'm finding as I progress I forget what I learned previously. Not entirely but enough to make me sigh and shout at myself.
Have I mentioned mutations? The way the first letter of a word may or may not change depending on something or other? And that when it changes it may be one of a number of options? Or that there are different ways to say yes? Ie, do, cei, oes. And of course that depends on what was asked.
You'd have thought that after a year of learning Welsh, and mostly doing a lesson or practising each day, I'd be verging on fluent. I am so far removed from fluent.
I've just started writing my latest article for The Bay magazine, which will be out in May, which is when Pentecost falls this year. I'm talking about learning a language and the supernatural gift given to Peter and the other disciples on the day of Pentecost that enabled them to speak/be understood by all manner of foreigners. I could really do with a bit of that gifting.
5 comments:
I guess you may want to switch or add on Italian to Duolingo! :) I have been working through Esperanto..... which “supposedly” is a chimera of many languages..... that in “theory” will make me better at kind of, sort of getting the “gist” of a variety of languages when heard spoken.
In college I had three years of German, which was helpful fir learning science.
PipeTobacco
The best and fastest way to attain fluency is through total immersion in the language -- living every moment of every day having to speak nothing but that language. I became fluent in French that way when I was young. Three years of French classes in school? Could barely speak it! Six weeks in an immersion course? Fluent! But alas, my French deteriorated rapidly once I gave up the effort to maintain it.
"Now he's moving to Italy." My first thought to you was, "So you'll be learning Italian, now?" However, you beat me to the punch in the very next paragraph. Better that you should tackle those languages than that I try. I took two years of scientific German in college - which, similarly to Pipe Tobacco's findings, helped me doing the research in graduate school. BTW: Back in the day, the school at which I took German would allow me to substitute a computer language for the second "foreign" language in fulfillment of the two-language requirement in their graduate school. Unfortunately, I had to leave that school in the middle of my senior year, so their option gave me nothing at my later school.
I admire all of you who learn/have learned so many different languages. *clapping*
Fluency depends very much on regular usage.
I can still read books in Latin, but can no longer write it with ease.
Since the end of the cold war, ALL my Russian has gone; I can't even read it anymore.
I'm left with English, German, French and Lallans. But a background in Latin helps me (just) read some Italian, Spanish etc neither of which I can write correctly.
Welsh is a very difficult language, Liz. It'll need a LOT of regular work for you to learn it. But there's motivation at the start of almost every word (for 'ells) ;-)
You will have a great place to visit now but the family will be so far away.
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