When I registered for my Welsh class, I was making do with a limited selection of classes that still had spaces. And the amount of information available about these courses is limited. The level is given, and then a one sentence description. I selected those that looked suitable, and then, basically, decided on the basis of how long they were (I went for 2 hours instead of 2.5) and which evening they were on. And then I just kept my fingers crossed!
I accidentally made an excellent choice! This course is right up my street. I am learning exactly the stuff that I had been struggling with so much. In Welsh, clauses can be quite complicated. Something like ‘the boulder that blocks the way’ is quite straightforward, but when it gets to things like ‘the boulder that would block the way’ it gets difficult. And the tutor in this course dives straight in. And she happily explains about noun clauses and adverbial clauses, and direct and indirect objects, and the whole lot. We don’t just do clauses, of course. There is a lot more to it, but this stands out for me. I also enjoy the other topics, even when they are a bit esoteric. She even mentioned consonantal and vocalic use of the letter ‘w’ in Welsh. I had never heard of these terms in any language!
This lady, Gwen, at some point mentioned being a linguist. I think I can tell! And I love it. I hope she does a similar course next year. She is so right up my street! I learn lots, and the course is a veritable challenge, without being disheartening. And I don’t feel out of place as a rare northerner among the southerners, with their conspicuously different vocabulary. And I feel accepted, even though I noticed I use my ‘w’ in a lot more consonantal way than the rest! Maybe not anymore by the end of the course…
| From the course material |
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