The Welsh Language: Learning and Resources

Vocabulary Builder Welsh

IF your child's face lights up when they see a brightly colored picture, cuddly toy animal or a game, then this is for them. Vocabulary Builder Welsh is designed for kids who like to be entertained. It has lots of brightly colored pictures and fun games to get your child hooked on learning. Adults love this program too!

Will it work for my child?

Vocabulary Builder Welsh is designed for children aged 4-12. It's a simple piece of educational software that they'll find easy to use. It's fun, engaging and encouraging - even for children who are easily distracted.

No reading required. Vocabulary Builder is all based on spoken language and pictures, so children don't have to be able to read in order to use it.

What will my child learn?

Vocabulary Builder covers some basic words and phrases. These have been chosen to be fun as well as useful. There are around 100 words in the program - just enough to get your child started without overloading them. The topics include colors, numbers, actions, professions and simple sentences with some prepositions.

How does it work?

There are three different sections:

Learn what the words mean with pictures accompanied by the spoken word.

Three exciting memory games that get progressively harder. It's this section where they really learn to recognise and remember words.

Record your own story. Browse through the pictures and record the words you want to appear. You can compare your recording with a native speaker if you want. You can also string your story together with any words you want to put in, then watch your story played back on cinema screen followed by a big round of applause.

This really gets them talking in a foreign language and you'll be amazed how quickly they pick up the accent.

Notes for parents:

Biologically, the earlier a child is exposed to a second language the better - studies have proven that a young mind is more receptive than an older one. Learning Welsh will also improve your child's ability in other languages.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.2 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)

For more information visit Welsh Vocabulary Builder Software.

Talk Now Welsh

IF you're new to Welsh, there are some basics you will have to learn, whether you're eight years old or 80, on business abroad or a tourist on holiday. Talk Now! Welsh offers a simple-to-use method for you to start learning the language, whoever you are.

Will it work for me?

Lots of people have difficulty learning languages. Why? Most have been put off at school, don't have time to learn, or think they are too lazy to do it.

Talk Now! Welsh answers these problems:

It lifts the language off the page. There are no dull exercises; just encouraging games that award you points for progress.

It fits easily into short ten-minute sessions. But if you want to push yourself you can learn the basics in a weekend.

if you think you're lazy, think again! You'll be amazed how motivated you can be when you enjoy the experience of learning!

What will I learn?

To speak and understand enough to "get by".

You're just starting, so we won't drop you in at the deep end. There are some things you'll want to say in any language: you'll want to say 'hello', order a drink, ask for directions and so on.

This beginners program gets straight to the point. It covers food, colors, shopping, parts of the body, numbers, telling the time, countries, greetings and essential phrases.

How does it work?

Talk Now! Welsh gives you easy-to-achieve goals. Learning a new language is far too big a task to tackle all at once, so we have broken it down into a series of rewarding challenges.

Play interactive language games. Talk Now! feeds you new words, along with pictures to reinforce your memory. It then tests your knowledge with fun quizzes. As soon as you start playing you start learning.

Earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You will hear Welsh all of the time and, using the recording games, you can start speaking straight away, then compare your voice to a native speaker.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or the ferry without a computer. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you, or upload the program's sound files onto an iPod.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
You can also upload words onto your iPod

For more information visit Talk Now Welsh Beginner Software.

Talk More Welsh

THIS program teaches basic conversational phrases with structures that can be adapted to fit different situations. It also tackles one of the main challenges in learning a foreign language: building the confidence to speak it. Talk More's recording function allows you to compare your accent with that of a native speaker. Perfect for building a learner's spoken confidence.

Will it work for me?

If you know some basic Welsh, but you don't think you could handle a full conversation, Talk More will get you talking. Because it's aimed at recent beginners, everything you hear will be clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with.

What will I learn?

In this program you'll start putting together complete sentences, as opposed to learning individual bits of vocabulary. We've selected a range of phrases you commonly need abroad, including many that you might find essential: for example, "I'd like to pay by credit card", "My camera has been stolen", and "Where is the pharmacy?"

Topics cover greetings, shops and restaurants, getting around, hotels, phone calls, emergencies, leisure and the basic vocabulary of business and technology.

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Welsh by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with that of a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually much more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

For more information visit Talk More Welsh Conversational Software.

Talk Business Welsh

PICTURE yourself doing business with someone who doesn't speak your language. The chances are you'll need more than "holiday level" conversation to get by. That's why Talk Business was developed. It teaches you basic business vocabulary so that you can concentrate on the important stuff and not waste time searching for the right words.

Will it work for me?

Talk Business is aimed at people who already have some experience of the language. You must feel confident enough to start up a conversation and keep it going.

The specialist phrases in Talk Business Welsh are clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with and copy.

What will I learn?

Talk Business Welsh gives you essential vocabulary for the workplace. It covers basics such as "what is your website address?" and "my computer crashed and I lost all my files" as well as more advanced discussion of exchange rates, product guarantees and marketing budgets.

Topics covered are: - Trading, buying and selling - Marketing, advertising and PR - IT, Internet, e-commerce and communications - Banking, finance, stock exchange and accounting - Business meetings - Business travel - Careers - Negotiations - On the phone - General business vocabulary

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Welsh by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
QuickTime 6 or higher

For more information visit Talk Business Welsh Intermediate Software.

World Talk Welsh

IT'S easy to be fazed when you start a conversation in Welsh and the person you're talking to replies using lots of words that you haven't learned yet. World Talk prepares you for these real-life situations with addictive listening games. It will teach you to recognise key words in everyday situations and broaden your vocabulary.

Will it work for me?

If your Welsh is good enough to follow basic conversations, but you still need to practice, World Talk is for you.

Everything you'll hear in the program is in Welsh, but you don't need to know every word before you start. Listen for key words that you already know, then pick up new words in the same way you would when talking to a native speaker.

What will I learn?

To keep on listening. When a word comes up that we don't recognise, we often stop listening because we're focusing on that one word and nothing else. This program lets you grasp the gist of what someone's saying without getting hung up on the words you don't understand.

You will develop your practical knowledge of Welsh. There are 10 different games covering numbers, conversations, descriptions, sentence building, directions and dictation practice. These activities cover a wide range of subjects and give you important practical skills that you can use immediately.

How does it work?

Play interactive language games and earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

Speak and write in Welsh. Record yourself and compare your pronunciation with a native speaker, then test your written Welsh with four dictation exercises.

You'll start to think in Welsh! World Talk is an 'immersive' experience: in this program you will only hear Welsh. You'll learn to associate the language with memorable images - not just the equivalent words in your own language.

This means you'll start thinking in Welsh, which will make you quicker at understanding and recalling words.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)

For more information visit World Talk Welsh Intermediate Software.

Welsh Phrases

By Tom Sangers

If you are heading to Wales for a holiday this summer it might be worth brushing up on a few Welsh sayings and learning a bit of the Welsh language. Though the country is officially bi-lingual (English and Welsh) and more people speaks English than Welsh it's always worth knowing a few phrases, especially when visiting some areas which predominantly use Welsh such as areas of the north or east, or to simple fit in with the local and impress them down the pub with your knowledge.

The Welsh has a slightly different alphabet to its English counterpart, some of the differences include:

C - is pronounced as a K, as in English 'kick'

CH - is pronounced as in the Scottish 'loch' and the composer Bach.

DD - is pronounced TH, as in English 'breathe'

G - is pronounced as a hard G, as in English 'get'

LL - is roughly pronounced THL

F - is pronounced as a V, as in English 'of'

FF - is pronounced as an F, as in English 'off'

W - is pronounced as an OO, as in English 'swoon'

Y - is a little more complicated as it has two different pronunciations. In all circumstances except when Y last syllable of a word it's pronounced as a U - as in English 'fun'. When Y is in the last syllable of a word it is pronounced as an i - as in English 'is'. Unfortunately in single syllable words, the Y is unpredictable!

Apart from a few slightly different vowels to English Welsh is a fairly easy language to learn as it is largely phonetic, it's pronounced as it looks.

Some of the most common phrases you will come across include:

Good morning - Bore da (Pronounced: Boh-reh dah)

Good afternoon - Prynhawn da (Prin-houn dah)

Good night - Nos da (nohs dah)

Welcome to Wales - Croeso i Gymru (Croesoh ee Gum-reeh)

Cheers! - Iechyd da! (Yeh-chid dah)

Pub - Tafarn (Tav-arn)

Thanks - Diolch (Dee-olch)

Thanks very much - Diolch Yn Fawr (Dee-olck unn vowr)

Very good - Da iawn (Dah ee-aw-n)

OK - Iawn (Yown (rhymes with gown))

1 - un

2 - dau

3 - tri

4 - pedwar

5 - pump

6 - chwech

7 - saith

8 - wyth

9 - naw

10 - deg

Sunday - Dydd Sul

Monday - Dydd Llun

Tuesday - Dydd Mawrth

Wednesday - Dydd Mercher

Thursday - Dydd Iau

Friday - Dydd Gwener

Saturday - Dydd Sadwrn

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Celtic Haven who provide Pembrokeshire Cottages perfect for a Self Catering Holiday in Wales

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