IN HER LATEST five-yearly report, the Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones yesterday said that a “revolution is required” if we are to protect the Welsh language and increase the number of speakers in line with population growth, and to meet the goal of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
The commissioner went on to suggest three focus areas and ten priorities, none of which addressed the improvement of language learning provision for intermediate adult learners so that we can help more people become confident, fluent Welsh speakers.
This gap in provision for intermediate learners means that although it’s easy to learn the basics of Welsh, it is much harder than it needs to be to become fluent.
Ymesty.cymru, which launched three weeks ago, is a new website which provides structured practice for intermediate learners to help them truly learn the grammar they’ve been introduced to in courses such as those from Dysgu Cymraeg or SaySomethingInWelsh.
It also provides opportunities for learners to expand their vocabulary and, in the process, increase their confidence in their understanding of gender and use of mutations.
Ymestyn was created by long-term learner Suw Charman-Anderson, who also created ClwbMaluCachu.co.uk, one of the earliest websites for Welsh learners, back in 2001.
Charman-Anderson said: “I’ve been learning Welsh, on and off, since 1998 so I know what it’s like to struggle with key grammar rules and vocabulary.
“It’s too easy to muddle through to canolradd level without a solid grammatical foundation. And there’s not enough support for canolradd learners available online. Materials for beginners are too easy and materials for fluent speakers are too challenging.
“I reprioritised my learning in 2020, but at the beginning of this year I realised that watching lots of TV wasn’t teaching me grammar. I created some exercises for myself, then wondered if other people might also find them useful — and they are.”
Ymestyn is a structured program of practice exercises, which doesn’t lock users into a single pathway, instead allowing them to repeat sections as often as they need to.
Charman-Anderson said: “Repetition is the key to learning but exactly what needs repeating and how often varies from learner to learner.
“Ymestyn gives users full control over their learning pathway so that they can choose what they want to focus on. And I can say from using Ymestyn myself that I’m already more confident, and feel like I’m finally on my way to fluency.”
