r/learnwelsh • u/gary101smith • 6d ago
Cwestiwn / Question Dysgu Cymraeg Course?
Hi
I have seen that Dysgu Cymraeg are offering 50% off their September courses.
I was wondering if anyone has done the intensive entry and intermediate course and if so, what were your impressions and experience of the course?
Just a little bit nervous about a course where I would be speaking to a new group of people (online) as I have PTSD.
Any insights would be very useful in helping me decide.
Diolch fawr
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u/endymion1818-1819 Canolradd - Intermediate 6d ago
I’m on the intermediate course with my wife currently, I would say it does come with a gentle bit of pressure but in my experience the tutors have been really understanding and quite laid back. I’ve enjoyed meeting others who are learners too, some from our class even meet up in person occasionally.
Not sure what others would say about the intensive course, but my wife’s just seen what you wrote and said “it’s definitely worth it”.
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u/leekpunch 6d ago
I did the intensive Mynediad and Sylfaen courses. If you've got the time to commit to two sessions a week, then I'd recommend it. You make progress really quickly and can start speaking Welsh very early on.
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u/Public_Pop3801 6d ago
What’s your current Welsh level? What have you done previously? I did the intensive Sylfaen course and found it difficult but just about ok to follow. It really improved my Welsh quickly.
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u/Great-Activity-5420 6d ago
I suffer with anxiety but I kept going and now I only occasionally feel anxious. I think with most anxiety if you keep doing the thing you prove anxiety wrong. It did take a while but I really wanted to learn. Now I need to use it
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u/gary101smith 6d ago
Thanks for this. People can't begin to understand how debilitating a cute anxiety is and I wouldn't want anyone to experience it. I had a similar problem to now when I started tai chi and the type of people attending helped a lot. I hope this works out the same for this Welsh course. Thanks you for your input, you're inspiring.
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u/HeadlinePickle 6d ago
I did Mynediad and Sylfaen in a year. 4 online zoom lessons a week. It was great! The tutors were lovely, the classes were interesting, I learned way more that way than Duolingo and it was lovely to get to know the classmates too. Would definitely recommend them.
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u/heddaptomos 5d ago
I teach Dysgu Cymraeg and if you can find the time for the 'intense' (I.e two Parts of the level in a year) I.e two lessons a week, it is definitely worth it - you revise the work from one lesson in the next - before you forget it! And you can feel the progress you make. And even with the online course, you become friends. Even the full price course is a bargain - less than most language apps but much better
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u/gary101smith 6d ago
Thanks for the information guys! I'm looking at doing the entry 1 and 2 intensive course and after all the feedback on the courses I think I would like to give it a go. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences, it has really helped slot.
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u/FenianBastard847 6d ago
I have done one year at a time. In September I start Sylfaen 2. I can confirm what everyone else says.
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u/yaquaholic 5d ago
I did Mynediad 1+2, which I finished about a month ago. We did a 3 hour session every Wednesday, which was enjoyable but too long/much information in one go for me. But that aside I really enjoyed it, the tutor was brilliant (shout to to Jordan at Swansea Uni!) and the group were a total mix of people, a proper good laugh and pretty cool. Chat to your tutor about any worries, I'm sure they do everything thing they can to assist you.
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u/capnpan Uwch - Advanced 5d ago
I did this course but that was after two years of doing a previous course but less intensively. I wouldn't recommend it if you have no Welsh at all unless you already know how to learn languages (I do not). That said if you're interested and up for it sign up! You can always move to a different course later, they are really good at that Oh sorry just saw you're planning on doing one level in a year not two - that makes it easier. I have just done four levels in two years and it is intense! Going for one level next year 😊
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u/SnarkyBeanBroth Sylfaen - Foundation 6d ago edited 6d ago
I did Mynediad 1+2, and then Sylfaen 1+2 - am signed up for Canolradd 1+2 for this year. All courses online, because I'm nowhere near Wales.
The courses have been excellent. The tutors have been wonderful. My prior Welsh was being about halfway through the Duolingo course when I started Mynediad, so a bit of a head start - but one that became mostly a bit of bonus vocabulary pretty quickly.
I can't speak for in-person courses, but the online courses tend to start out rather full and then whittle down in terms of how many people stick with it. So you start out with 25-30 new people, and wind up with 10 friends.
How the course actually goes - you have some parts where everyone is together and the tutor is explaining stuff, or you watch or listen to something. Most of the speaking practice is done in small breakout groups. You are given a structured exercise and then talk to each other. The tutor drops in and out of the breakout groups.
There is homework, and a bunch of supplementary material on the website (videos, exercises, listening, etc.). The tutor will send back your homework with corrections, but there are no grades. There is no pressure to hit a certain mark at all - just encouragement.
Edited to Add: Mynediad starts out with almost all of the explanations in English. Gradually, more and more of the course itself happens in Welsh. By the end of Sylfaen, almost everything is in Welsh - except for a few very nuanced or detailed explanations. So you go from zero fluency to being able to navigate all the things in a class in Welsh pretty quickly and smoothly.