dysgu tra cysgu..... learn while sleeping....

As a learner I've tried many techniques over the years to try and improve my Welsh, one of which was to set our clock radio to Radio Cymru (perhaps more suited to couples learning together!). At saith o'r gloch yn y bore there is no music (good news for many..) and the gentle sounds of 'Post Cyntaf' are sure to wake you up as well as anything. To be honest the fact that the clock radio has still been tuned to Radio Cymru on those occasions when it has, has sort of been accidental, propably a result of me failing to tune it back to Radio 4 after listening to a football match the previous evening. Jill doesn't quite see the need for such dedication! However the effect of a torrent of Welsh disturbing my sleep from time to time did I believe help in some way. In recent years (and this is going to sound equally sad..) I've taken to downloading podlediadau Cymraeg (Welsh podcasts) and occasionally listening to them on my i-pod before going to sleep, which inevitably ends up with me waking up in the middle of the night amongst a tangle of wires.

I don't have any evidence to back up claims that this actually helps, but any familiarisation with the language has got to be helpful, and to do it on the edges of sleep can sort of take the pressure off any expectation that you should be understanding more than you are...

So: dysgu tra cysgu, so long as it's not in the class...