A message from John Good:-

Hello everyone, John Good dw i, I am Sioni Dda and will be leading the newydd spon danlli /brand-spanking new flame-colored interactive, on-line Welsh course on AmeriCymru, to be known as Ameri Cymraeg .

Let me tell you a little about myself so that we can understand each other better from the dechrau. I was born in South Wales in the Afan Valley and Welsh/Y Gymraeg and English were spoken in the house. By the time I left school, I knew less Welsh than when I started I had little interest in a dying language , and anyway the Beatles sang in English and all of my friends spoke it. Fast forward 25 years, having moved to San Francisco, LA then Phoenix all of a sudden I realized I had robbed myself of a major part of my cultural identity and I set about re-learning Yr Hen Iaith/the Old Language so that I could talk to my aging mother in the language of her youth. I achieved that and, in the last 15 years or so, have taught a surprising number of desert dwellers and others, among other things, how to pronounce popty-ping [popty /oven--that goes--ping] or microwave.

The language is now a passion of mine and I look forward to the opportunity to pass on what I cherish: The truly healthiest dying language in the world.

Y Driniaeth/The Approach

Ive assembled my approach to teaching from a number of sources over the years: John Albert Evans, Rhodri Jones, Heini Gruffudd, and Gareth King to name but a few, but have also assembled a fairly large dossier on how not to teach Welsh. Ill be working from my own play book, illustrated with the borrowings from the best teachers I know. As a musician I am attracted to the by ear method: Language as sound, much like a melody with meaning. After all young children dont use grammar books (although for adults they have their place), they associate repeated sounds with objects and people.

Adnoddau ar-lein/On Line Resources

We are very lucky these days that there are a myriad of on-line resources that I would have killed for when I was first looking to revive my heritage. Ill go through these in detail later on, as they all have special strong points, but for now.

Geiriaduron/Dictionaries

http://techiaith.bangor.ac.uk/GeiriadurAcademi/?lang=en

English to Welsh only but an incredible bargain am rad ac yn ddim /for free! The hard copy is $84 from Amazon!!

http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/fun/welsh/LexiconForms.html

The first -- to my knowledge -- on line Welsh/English/Welsh dictionary; written by a Welsh learner. Theres inspiration for you.

http://www.geiriadur.net/

Another great free dictionary, with search features Ill tell you about later.

http://www.cysgliad.com/cysill/arlein/Default.aspx

Free spell-checker/Sillafydd

Well, I hope this has sparked your interest. I got pumped up just writing it! I look forward to seeing you on Google Hangout (Also free!).

Hwyl am y tro/Bye for now, Sioni Dda/John Good.

AmeriCymru: Hi Isabella and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. How long has Welsh Gifts & Crafts been trading? How did you come to be in the online Gift Shop business?

Isabella: I had been trading in Cardiff for the past 4 years under the name isabella's welsh gifts and crafts and had a shop called isabella's in Morgan Arcade. Unfortunately due to the economic climate I had to close the shop as rent and rates were becoming too high to manage. I decided to rename my website welsh gifts and crafts in october only as I thought it had a wider appeal for expats.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us something about the exciting product lines you have on offer this Christmas?
Isabella: For Xmas we have 2 exclusive Xmas baubles hand painted in china but commisioned for my shop and a variety of nadolig llawen items.

AmeriCymru: You are offering a discount for AmeriCymru members and readers of this interview. Can you tell us the details?
Isabella: The discount i offer is on any item and can be exclusive to AmeriCymru members. The amount is 10%.

AmeriCymru: You live in the Bridgend area of South Wales. Can you tell us a little about Bridgend for the benefit of our American readers?
Isabella: Bridgend is a lovely town situated between Cardiff and Swansea and with a lovely beach town nereby called Porthcawl.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Welsh Gifts and Crafts?
Isabella: I hope that Welsh gifts and Crafts will succeed and maybe even reopen a shop when times are more settled. I am also considering taking the items to the Celtic Festival of Lorient next year.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Isabella: I hope that this information has been suitable and look forward to greeting your members on the website.

VISIT WELSH GIFTS AND CRAFTS TO CLAIM THE 10% AMERICYMRU DISCOUNT ON A WIDE RANGE OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS

( Discount code is 'americymru' )

A message from Paul Child:-

This year, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC is proud to host four Welsh performers as part of the One World, Many Voices: Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage program. They will perform and celebrate the Welsh language though song, music, and poetry. The performers will include: Gwyneth Glyn (week two), a prolific singer-songwriter, poet, writer, and Welsh Childrens Poet Laureate 2006-2007, Ifor ap Glyn (week one), a poet, scriptwriter, broadcaster, and Welsh Childrens Poet Laureate 2008-2009, Twm Morys (all ten days), a singer-songwriter, poet, television/radio writer, and Welsh Childrens Poet Laureate 2009-2010, and Owen Saer (all ten days), a Welsh language teacher and choir director.

The Welsh participants will join other culture groups with endangered languages from around the globe at the Festival. This free event takes place from June 26 June 30 and July 3 7, 2013, from 11 a.m. 5:30 p.m. with evening concerts most evenings, and includes two other programs: Hungary: Roots to Revival and Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style and Identity . More information, including specific locations and times for the performances, can be found in the official Festival schedule, available on our website www.festival.si.edu .