Category: Blog

A course in Welsh on Duolingo, the free language-learning platform, was launched earlier this year.   There are now 305,000 registered Duolingo users from around the world learning Welsh – this compares with 18,000 adults attending Welsh language classes in Wales.  There are also 499  virtual Welsh language classrooms in Duolingo serving schools and colleges.  See the diagram below for information on the distribution of learners throughout the world – click on the diagram to enlarge it.

Duolingo includes a language-learning website and app for mobile devices, and provides extensive written lessons and dictation, with speaking practice for more advanced users.   The app is available on iOS, Android and Windows 8 and 10 platforms and there is also a Facebook group where Welsh learners can discuss matters related to the course.  For more information, visit the Duolingo website on https://www.duolingo.com or download the mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Congratulations to the developers of the Welsh language course in Duolingo on the success of the enterprise, and in particular to Draig Werdd committee member Richard Morgan, who is one of eight contributors to the course.

Lansiwyd cwrs Cymraeg Duolingo, y platfform dysgu iaith am ddim, yn gynharach eleni. Erbyn hyn mae 305,000 o ddefnyddwyr Duolingo o bob cwr o’r byd yn dysgu Cymraeg – mae hyn yn cymharu â 18,000 o oedolion sy’n mynychu dosbarthiadau Cymraeg yng Nghymru. Mae yna hefyd 499 o ystafelloedd dosbarth Cymraeg yn Duolingo sydd yn gwasanaethu ysgolion a cholegau. Gweler y diagram uchod i gael gwybodaeth am ddosbarthiad dysgwyr ledled y byd – cliciwch ar y diagram i’w chwyddo.

Mae Duolingo yn cynnwys gwefan ddysgu iaith ac app ar gyfer dyfeisiau symudol, ac yn darparu gwersi ysgrifenedig ac arddweud, gydag ymarfer siarad i ddefnyddwyr profiadol. Mae’r app ar gael ar iOS, Android a llwyfannau Windows 8 a 10 ac mae yna hefyd grŵp Facebook lle gall dysgwyr y Gymraeg drafod materion sydd yn ymwneud â’r cwrs. Am fwy o wybodaeth, ewch i wefan Duolingo ar https://www.duolingo.com neu lawrlwytho’r app symudol o’r Apple App Store neu’r Google Play Store.

Llongyfarchiadau i ddatblygwyr y cwrs Cymraeg yn Duolingo ar lwyddiant y fenter, ac yn arbennig i aelod pwyllgor Draig Werdd Richard Morgan, sydd yn un o wyth o gyfranwyr i’r cwrs.

 

The 2016 Draig Werdd Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday evening 20th October at Centenary Methodist Church Hall, Leeson Park, Dublin 4.   The meeting room is accessed via the entry to Centenary Methodist Church, which is at the rear of Wesley House, the building next to the large church at the end of Leeson Park (see map below).

As well as giving members the opportunity to have a say in the running of the society, you will also be able to hear a report on the results of our appeal for funds to erect a plaque on the old Welsh Chapel in Talbot Street, to discuss plans for an unveiling ceremony for the plaque and to hear details of our St. David’s Day celebration in 2017.

Please make every effort to come along to what is always a very pleasant social evening which gives an opportunity for members to get together.  Tea or coffee and biscuits will be provided.

Bydd Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol Draig Werdd 2016 (CCB) yn cael ei gynnal am 7.30pm ar nos Iau 20 Hydref yn Neuadd Eglwys Fethodistaidd Centenary, Leeson Park, Dulyn 4.  Ceir mynediad i’r ystafell drwy’r mynediad i’r Eglwys Fethodistaidd Centenary, sydd y tu ôl i Wesley House, yr adeilad yn nesaf i’r eglwys fawr ar ddiwedd Leeson Park (gweler y map uchod).

Yn ogystal â rhoi cyfle i aelodau i gael llais mewn gwaith o redeg y gymdeithas , byddwch hefyd yn gallu clywed adroddiad ar ganlyniadau ein hapêl am arian i godi plac ar yr hen gapel Gymraeg yn Talbot Street, i drafod cynlluniau ar gyfer seremoni dadorchuddio’r plac ac i glywed manylion am ein dathliad Dydd Gŵyl Dewi yn 2017.

Byddwn yn falch pe basech chi wneud pob ymdrech i fynychu noson sydd bob amser yn gymdeithasol iawn ac yn rhoi cyfle i aelodau i ddod at eu gilydd. Bydd te neu goffi a bisgedi yn cael eu darparu.

Draig Werdd is pleased to be able to announce that a Welsh language class for beginners will once again be held in Dublin this autumn. The class will
be taught by Richard Morgan and will take place in Gael Linn, 35 Dame Street, Dublin 2 on Tuesday evenings from 6.30 to 8pm. The course
begins on Tuesday 11th October and will run for 10 weeks. The cost of the course will be €80 for full-time students, €100 for Draig Werdd members and €120 for all others. Classes will be limited to a maximum of 8 participants.

If you are interested in attending the class please send an email with your details to welshclass@welshsociety.ie and Richard will get back in contact with you to give you the necessary details.

William Salesbury was a 16th century Welsh scholar, writer and politician who had a passion for languages and was responsible for publishing the first Welsh dictionary and for the translation of the New Testament into Welsh in 1567.   His work was arguably responsible for preserving the Welsh language until the present day.    A new biography of Salesbury by the Welsh author James Pierce has just been published in Wales by Lolfa publishers.  If you’re interested in learning more about the subject, the book, along with all other books published in Wales, may be ordered online from the Welsh Books Council via their website www.gwales.com.

‘Roedd William Salesbury yn ysgolhaig, awdur a gwleidydd Cymreig yn yr 16eg ganrif gydag angerdd am ieithoedd, a oedd hefyd yn gyfrifol am gyhoeddi’r Geiriadur Cymraeg cyntaf ac ar gyfer cyfieithiad o’r Testament Newydd i’r Gymraeg yn 1567.  Gellir dadlau fod ei waith yn gyfrifol am ddiogelu’r iaith Gymraeg hyd at heddiw. Mae bywgraffiad newydd o Salesbury gan yr awdur Cymreig James Pierce newydd ei gyhoeddi yng Nghymru gan gyhoeddwyr y Lolfa. Os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn dysgu mwy am y pwnc, mae’n bosib archebu’r llyfr, ynghyd â’r holl lyfrau eraill a gyhoeddir yng Nghymru, ar-lein oddi wrth y Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru trwy eu gwefan www.gwales.com.

Once again, many thanks to all those who contributed generously to raise money to erect a plaque on the old Welsh chapel building in Talbot Street, Dublin.  The plaque has been made and is currently being held by Dublin City Council, pending completion of plans for its erection.  As some of you will know, the outside walls of the chapel are covered in brightly-painted art work – the council requires that we have a blank section of wall for erection of the plaque so we need to ensure that this is done.  We are currently negotiating with the owners and occupiers of the building regarding this requirement – once agreement has been reached an unveiling ceremony will be scheduled, hopefully for a Sunday morning during the autumn.   We will keep you informed on progress.

Unwaith eto, diolch yn fawr i bawb a gyfrannodd yn hael er mwyn codi arian i godi plac ar adeilad yr hen gapel Cymraeg yn Talbot Street, Dulyn. Mae’r plac wedi ei wneud ac yn cael ei gadw ar hyn o bryd gan Gyngor Dinas Dulyn, nes cwblhau cynlluniau ar gyfer y codiad. Fel y bydd rhai ohonoch yn gwybod, mae’r waliau y tu allan i’r capel yn llawn o luniau lliwgar – mae’r cyngor yn mynnu bod rhaid i ni gael adran o’r wal yn wag i godi plac, felly mae angen i ni sicrhau bod hyn yn cael ei wneud. Rydym wrthi’n trafod gyda pherchnogion a defnyddwyr yr adeilad am hwn – ar ôl i ni gael cytundeb, bydd seremoni dadorchuddio yn cael ei drefnu, gobeithio ar fore dydd Sul yn ystod yr hydref. Byddwn yn rhoi gwybodaeth i chi am y datblygiadau.