Emily is dedicated to their Welsh language journey as part of their library support role
Emily Cartwright is a familiar face at Coleg Sir Gâr libraries, as they support learners in their role as library assistant at the college’s Graig campus.
They are currently learning Welsh, and say that one of their favourite experiences of the language was when their partner proposed to them in Welsh - and although they said that they struggled to find the right Welsh reply, we are pleased to reveal that their answer was ’gwnaf’ (I will).
Emily had tried popular learning apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone, and although they improved their skills, their Welsh wasn’t anywhere near where they wanted it to be. When the opportunity came to learn Welsh as part of their work role, they leapt at the chance, and it was fully-funded.
Emily is improving their spoken Welsh with their tutor Catrin on a Cymraeg Gwaith course at present, and is currently half way through the Sylfaen (foundation) level, after completing the Mynediad (entry) course with an impressive 97% exam result.
Their favourite part of the Cymraeg Gwaith units is Robin Radio, a fictional radio show designed for listening practice. This is because of the cultural humour and warmth that can be gleaned from each episode, and Emily said ‘they make me smile’. For them, however, learning Welsh is not all about coursework. They immerse themselves in any way they can, and are reading Amdani novels for Welsh learners to help them pick up more vocabulary. “We are in the process of acquiring the whole Amdani range for the college library in both ebook and print formats,” said Emily. “I’m beyond excited!”
In fact, as a result of their learning programme, Emily was able to sign-up to a residential course for young Welsh learners which culminated with a celebration at Gwyl Canol Dre, a festival organised by Menter Gorllewin Sir Gâr. The event is held annually in Carmarthen, and includes live performances of music, sport, literature and art, but sadly Emily fell ill and was unable to attend the festival and the residential course. “I was looking forward to meeting the other learners, as knowing there are others out there who can help and support you in your journey can make all the difference to your confidence,” said Emily. “I am lucky, at work, to be able to chat to my team in Welsh and tell them all about what I’m learning. Conversing with native speakers is my best chance at picking up speech characteristics I might otherwise miss.”
Last year, Emily took up the opportunity of the college’s informal conversational Welsh drop-in sessions with Welsh A-level lecturer, Philippa Smith, where they said they were able to test the strength of their language skills in a friendly, relaxed setting. By listening to others chatting away, they were able to make new mental connections between words and phrases, which in turn enabled them to contribute more each week.
If you are a Welsh speaker or a learner and don’t know whether to approach Emily in English or Welsh, this is what they said: “It might sound silly but I get excited every time someone starts a conversation with me in Welsh.
“It amazes me how much quicker I can piece together what that person is saying than I could before, and even though I might not know exactly which response to use, just being able to understand them is a massive win for me!”
Having lived in Wales for the majority of their life, learning the language is important to Emily, who says that everyone’s experience of their own Welsh identity is personal yet unifying. They shared that being able to speak the language at any level is affirming and encouraging for them.
Emily Cartwright is ploughing their way through their Welsh language goals, and added: “I’m looking forward to continuing on my learning journey through the remaining Dysgu Cymraeg levels all the way through to fluency - and maybe even win Dysgwyr y Flwyddyn (Learner of the Year) at the Eisteddfod along the way!”
