Blogging, vocabulary and eclectic reading

I have found it hard to find the time to post any entries this last little while. Probably mainly a function of getting close to Christmas so lots of work to finish off and the usual preChristmas jobs too. But I suspect that's not all of it. I think I have yet to work out a pattern for making the entries that works for me . We are not a household where the computer is always on - indeed I often take the role of environmental nag - turning off the comptuer at the mains when it has been on for a little while and not used - so perhaps that doesn't help. But I also think that maybe it needs a regular time slot from me. I'm not sure how others find it........blogging 'feels' like it is a bit more spontaneous than would be suggested by the regular slot - and this would not fit with the going for it when you have something to say approach. So still finding my way on this one.........

I have recently found myself reading the transcripts of the Welsh soap opera I listen to on my PDA. I don't do this very often - the whole point of the Brynaber (name of the hospital where it all happens...) episodes for me is that I can listen to them on my bike and they are accompanied by grammar points and vocabulary. But I have had a short bad run with the bike and hence was on the bus and reading. For some reason I read one of the episodes that I had already heard and I was really surprised to find that there were words in the transcript that I didn't know and sections I didn't quite understand. I really hadn't been aware of this when listening. I had clearly filled in the gaps myself, making-meaning and constructing the narrative quite successfully from the context - to the point where I had not realised that there were bits I had not understood. So it seems to me that having both the audio and written versions is really interesting and complimentary. For me, the South Wales accent in the audio is sometimes problematic, as I am used to a North Wales voice, and also of course, the text allows for looking and relooking at words and pondering about them in a way that just doesn't happen with audio.

I am still wanting to build my vocabulary up - and am impatient and wanting to do it fast of course. One device I have tried with some success is to listen to the news in Welsh on the web and write down all the words I don't know as I hear them - however I often then fail to follow it up by looking them up as there are too many. But it does focus the mind on trying to isolate the word. And for those who don't know Welsh it is not straightforward as there are numerous mutations - so often it is the mutated word that is being heard.

Over Christmas I thought I would concentrate on reading though. One thing with reading for language learning as opposed to just for pleasure is I find I need to be very eclectic in my reading given that there is a limit to what is available that is accessible to me. I now have a small pile on my table including two Blodwyn Jones 'diaries' (think Welsh Bridget Jones); Heather Jones's autobiography (singer who learnt Welsh) and two others from the contemporary novels for Welsh learners series. As a nature and wildlife lover I also have "Blwyddyn Iolo" - "Iolo's year". Iolo is a Welsh naturalist. This latter is really interesting - and a bit of a challenge. Apart from not being geared to learners, which most of the others are, not unsuprisingly it has a lot of specialist language for species not found in the Welsh dictionary. Nearly time for Christmas and Sion Corn (Father Christmas) so, Nadolig Llawen!