© 2022 Tramor Music LLC
Croeso/Welcome
Hello everyone, Sioni Dda dw i/I am John Good and I will be leading the newydd spon danlli/brand-spanking new flame-colored interactive, online Welsh course.To Prospective Participants
Let me tell you a little about myself so that we can understand each other better from the start/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. 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 20 years or so, have helped/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
I’ve 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. I’ll be working from my own play book and selected textbook, 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 don’t use grammar books (although for adults they have their place), they associate repeated sounds with objects and people.Adnoddau ar-lein/Online Resources
We are very lucky these days that there are a myriad of online resources that I would have killed for when I was first looking to revive my heritage. I’ll go through these in detail later on, as they all have special strong points, but for now…
Group & Private
Lessons
Normally I teach small group classes of four or five students, but private lessons are available. Small group classes are available online. To arrange for group or private lessons please contact me at potelobop@hotmail.com. All prospective students must contact me by telephone to start the registration process (602-509-5223).
