Dw i'n hoffi dysgu Cymraeg! (Welsh at the Open University)

Member Name: bamamo

Product:	Welsh at the Open University
Date:	04/08/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to follow textbooks, my tutor was very helpful (not always the case), counts towards a degree

Disadvantages: It is possible to just do the assignments as I have been guilty of doing and still pass easily!

I can't begin to tell you how many times I been asked "but why?" since I started learning Welsh last year with the Open University. How about because it's interesting? How about because I have a lot of friends who speak it as their first language? And how about because I need something to do at my often boring job? All good reasons and that's why I enrolled onto the first presenation of the OU's Beginners' Welsh (code L196) course.

I have studied through the OU before, but only short courses so this was to be my first full-year commitment to study. Fortunately, the course was completely paid for by their excellent financial support service, as the £430 price tag would probably have put me off otherwise!

All of the OU's beginner language courses run from November until October, with this particular one being offered each year until 2017 as the current estimate. When my books arrived a few weeks before the course was due to begin, I looked at them fairly confidently and was excited to begin. When I received a second mailing of books a few months later, I was slightly less excited and more overwhelmed! The first package consisted of audio CDs, a textbook and practise book, study calendar/timetable and the assessment book.

Now, in my past short courses with the OU, and with a subsequent course I did at the same time as this one, I have found that a good tutor makes or breaks a course. I have to say that from the beginning I was thoroughly impressed with my tutor for L196. He wrote a friendly letter stating he would be available for additional practise on the telephone if required, and has throughout the course emailed and telephoned whenever I've needed help very promptly. None of my questions have ever been too stupid (including one which was settling an age-old debate between my friend and I on a ridiculous Welsh-related matter).

As fellow OU students will know, each course is set out very differently, which can also make a huge impact on your enjoyment. The layout of the textbooks made it very easy to know what I should be doing and when, as did the study calendar. I would simply turn to the chapter I was on and work through until it told me to listen to a CD track. Once I had finished the chapter, I would answer the very thorough questions in the practise book. They are structured in such a way that it makes it impossible to get by without learning all the patterns taught in that section.

However...as always I did get somewhat lazy, mostly due to going on lots of holidays. I have, however, found that the course-load is quite slight. Yes, I haven't kept up with my study calendar and yes, I could be learning more vocabulary and utilising my dictionary less if I really wanted, but I have been busy and I get really good marks in my assignments, which generally don't take more than a couple of hours. I have one assignment left to submit, and two end of course assessments - one written and one oral. I am confident that I will also do well on these, and the assessment book makes the somewhat daunting speaking test seem more accessible - as it tells you which topics will be covered.

I am certain I will pass this course, as the pass mark is 40% and I am currently averaging about 85! The fact it is so easy to pass is perhaps partly to blame for my laziness. It is supposed to be roughly the equivalent of GCSE. Had I worked through the book and put in the required effort the whole time, then I can imagine I would be of the same standard I was at Spanish when I took my GCSE exam. However having read the Welsh GCSE Bitesize book, I would say this course covers a lot more ground.

I haven't managed to attend any of the online tutorials, which is a shame, due to my erratic work hours, but the one in-person one I attended was a nice introduction to the course. I'm pleased with my decision to take this class, but definitely feel you get out of it exactly what you put in. Meaning once I'm done, I will probably promptly forget everything if I don't make an effort once in a while to learn some new vocabulary and use my skills.

Now...let see how many Welsh speakers are on Dooyoo, who knows what my title means?

Summary: A complicated language made pretty easy (for me at least) but you only get what you put in!