Think Without Limits - You Can Speak Welsh

Thousands of people each year set out to learn Welsh - through evening classes, week-long courses, WLPAN and other sessions. But a large proportion fall by the wayside. The author tackles this problem in a way no-one has done before. She examines situations where learners have found it difficult to use their Welsh.

Review :
The Welsh language seems to be leading the way in the rejuvenation of ancient cultures. There is also a resurgence in the day-to-day domestic and cultural use of the language, not only in the north. There is even Welsh Scrabble, not to be sneezed at as a way to integrate first- and second-language speakers, together with those who may be taking their first steps to learn the language. For some time in north and mid-Wales, it has been seen as beneficial to be a fluent Welsh speaker, causing something of a north/south divide to the outsider. It is therefore interesting to read in Newcombes book that a banking group in south Wales is actively promoting the use of bilingual staff. And she writes of a Welsh student who was forced to write a cheque in Welsh in a bank in Patagonia as there was no other way in which she was able to communicate! The language and culture have remained strong in this remote enclave for over a century. With what must be seen as a national resurgence in the desire to reach out for a Welsh identity through language, Newcombes text should prove a useful tool for both teachers and students alike. There is an inspirational foreword from Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, the Paralympic gold medallist, who came from a bilingual background but grew up as an English speaker. After the death of her mother, who was the link with Welsh, she realised that if she was to keep the language for her children, she had to buckle down and learn Welsh herself. She writes that reading Lynda Pritchard Newcombes book made me feel that I wasnt alone. Reading about the experiences of others in their attempts to master the language helped me understand that there is no right or wrong, but that many of the feelings that others were going through were what made me scared of trying. Newcombe, who writes with empathy and humour, now teaches Welsh at Cardiff University and the OU, having mastered the language herself. This is an extremely useful book for those interested in the revival not only of Welsh, but of any language and culture. Norma Penfold It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council