News

August 2010 - A ‘perfect day’ for prize winner Michael

For the third consecutive year, a Swansea College Welsh for Adults student has scooped a prize at the National Eisteddfod which was held this year at Blaenau Gwent.

Michael Gooderham, who moved to South Wales from Sussex in 2007, scooped a £50 prize after writing a short piece entitled ‘Y Diwrnod Perffaith’ or ‘The Perfect Day.’

Michael only started learning Welsh in September 2008 and has just completed the Sylfaen 1 course.

“Michael has been a brilliant student and sat his Entry level exam a year early,” says Welsh for Adults Coordinator Llinos Davies. “He is now looking forward to progressing onto Syflaen 2 at the Kingsway Centre.”

The writing competition was open to all Foundation level Welsh students and Michael was delighted when he found out about this win.

“My Welsh-speaking grandfather kindled my interest in the language when I was a teenager but when I settled in Swansea I became determined to learn it in an organised and practical way,” explains Michael. “There are several reasons why I enjoy learning Welsh and why the Welsh language is playing an increasing role in my life. Firstly, on moving to Wales, I wanted to show everyone my commitment to my new home, and what better way than by learning the language? Also, I felt that by learning Welsh I would gain a deeper insight into Wales as a nation.”

To learn more about Michael click here...

June 2010 - Student turns reporter!

Shwmae! I’m Edward (Yi He.) I come from Chongqing (in China) originally. I live in Swansea now and work as a Process Development Engineer. In my spare time I learn Welsh at Swansea College.

Last March I went to China for my holiday to see family and friends. Between the 8th-14th March the ‘Welsh Event’ was held in Chongqing.

Started in 2005 and organized by both the Welsh Assembly Government and Chinese Government (Chongqing Municipal Government), this is the fifth Wales Week being held in Chongqing. As a native Chongqing citizen who has been living, working and studying in Wales, I was invited by the Welsh Affairs Office in the British Consulate General to attend and assist a number of events.

Events I attended or assisted included the Wales Week reception, the launching of the Chinese version of the official Welsh website, University Challenge and the Wales-Chongqing Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI) Forum etc. Hundreds of guests and experts, from local businesses, Higher Education institutes, schools, charities and government officials from both countries gathered for this eventful Wales Week. I had also acted as a guide and interpreter for the Welsh guests, including professors and lecturers from Welsh universities and teachers from Welsh schools, during their visits to some local industries and universities in Chongqing.

This Wales Week was described as 'eventful' and 'successful' by many delegates. It was the first time for many of the Welsh guests to visit China and they were impressed by the Chinese people’s hospitality and the fast development of the country’s economy, education, industry and living standards.

This is my second formal experience to help the promotion of Wales in China. I had previously presented and made a short video in 2009 in some famous places in Wales for the Welsh Affairs Office China and the British Council China in Mandarin Chinese to share my working, studying and living experiences in Wales.

My dreams, as I mentioned to my Welsh teacher, Sheila Geary in Swansea College, is to become a fluent (Chinese) Welsh speaker and to write the first Welsh-Chinese dictionary in the future. I am hoping my little efforts would help more Chinese people know more about Wales and also more Welsh people to know more about China.

For official information and literature about the Wales Week in China and the International Collaboration Relationship between Wales and China, please visit the following websites:

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
http://ukinchina.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/other-locations/chongqing/wales-chongqing

Wales.com
http://www.wales.com/en/content/cms/english/st_davids_day/events/wales_week_in_chongq/wales_week_in_chongq.aspx

Chongqing Municipal Government
http://english.cq.gov.cn/ChongqingToday/Headlines/2010.htm 

May 2010
The winner of May's competition is Phil Pilgrim, Mynediad Year 2.

April 2010
The winner of April's competition is Michael Gooderham, Sylfaen Year 1.

March 2010
The winner of March's competition is Diane Richardson, Mynediad Year 2.

February 2010
The winner of February's competition is Siân Snell, Mynediad Year 1.

January 2010 - Student in stiches for charity
Kind hearted Swansea College student Susan Rees has turned a lifetime love of knitting into a passion for fund raising...more info

January 2010
The winner of January's competition is John Parry, Sylfaen Year 2

December 2009
The winner of December’s competition is Catherine Bellamy, Mynediad Year 1

November 2009
The winner of November’s competition is Kiera Jones, Mynediad Year 1

October 2009
The winner of October's competition is Lindsay Bevan, Mynediad Year 1

August 2009 - Exam success for Welsh students
Swansea College’s Welsh for Adults students are celebrating a fantastic set of exam results this year. Click here for more info...

August 2009 - Student wins prize for Welsh skills
For the second consecutive year, a Swansea College Welsh for Adults student has scooped a prize at the National Eisteddfod. Click here for more info...

June 2009 - Welsh for Adults trip
A group of Welsh for Adults students and their tutors recently visited the BBC Studios in Cardiff where they toured the Pobol y Cwm set and the News studio.

During the day the group learned how Wales’ longest running soap opera is filmed, saw the different sets and learned how a news bulletin is produced.

“One of the highlights was Derek Brockway coming over to speak with us,” says tutor Llinos Davies. “He is also a Welsh learner and spoke to the group in Welsh which was very encouraging for the students. Jane Case, BBC Wales' longest serving newsreader, and Jason Mohammed were also very friendly and pleasant.”



To learn more about Pobol y Cwm go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/pobolycwm/sites/theseries

May 2009
The winner of May’s competition is Carole Mills, Sylfaen Year 1

April 2009
The winner of April’s competition is Ann Clement, Mynediad Year 2

March 2009
The winner of March's competition is Allison James, Sylfaen Year 1

February 2009
The winner of February’s competition is Andrew Deathe, Sylfaen Year 1

January 2009
The winner of January's competition is Martyn Sullivan, Mynediad Year 1

December 2008
The winner of December's competition is Gwenda Griffiths, Mynediad 1

November 2008
The winner of November's competition is Kath Cox, Sylfaen 1

October 2008
The winner of October's competition is Keith Roberts, Mynediad 2

September 2008
A dog’s tale brings success for student

When Swansea College student John Parry sat down to write a short story as part of his Welsh for Adults homework little did he know that it would lead to him picking up a prize at the National Eisteddfod.

The story was entered into a competition for Entry level Welsh language students and the brief was to ‘introduce a friend.’ John took the novel approach of writing about his dog, Henry Watkin Parry, using the ‘nom de plume’ Twm Sion Cati, who was the Welsh Robin Hood.

“I didn’t think for a minute that anyone outside the college would ever see the story so I was delighted to pick up the award,” says John, who plans on continuing his Welsh language studies next year.

John collected a certificate and £50 at a special learners’ ceremony at the Eisteddfod in Cardiff.

“I’m delighted for John,” says Welsh for Adults tutor Llinos Davies. “I knew as soon as I read his story that it was good enough to be entered into the competition.”

June 2008 - Linda learns the lingo

After living in Wales for almost 30 years, English-born Linda Parkinson decided it was time to learn the language and began a mynediad, or entry, course at the Phoenix Centre in Townhill.

Fast forward two years and Linda has just come third in the Swansea area in her Welsh for Adults examination.

“I’ve enjoyed the course very much,” says Linda. “After finishing work I wanted to keep my brain active and, as I live in Wales, I wanted to learn Welsh. The biggest challenge is pronouncing the words as the accent is very distinctive but I’ve found that learning with CDs has really helped.”

Linda achieved an impressive 395/400 overall mark for her exam which included reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

“Linda has done exceptionally well, especially when you consider that she has only been learning for two years,” says Swansea College’s Welsh for Adults tutor Llinos Davies. “The fact that only two people in Swansea – and only four in the entire region of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot – had a higher score than Linda is a fantastic achievement.”

Linda is now looking forward to taking the sylfaen, or foundation, course at Swansea College.