Studying Canolradd 1 or 1&2?
Our new homework course is for you
Based on the Dysgu Cymraeg coursebooks, and suitable for both North and South students, this program will help you learn key vocabulary and grammar for each unit via series of fun games and quizzes, plus reading and listening practice exercises.
If you miss a lesson, there's no need to stress because you can use Ymestyn alongside the official materials to catch up.
Content for all intermediate learners
If you're learning independently or via other courses, you can practice your Welsh and expand you vocabulary with Ymestyn's broader structured practice course.
Learn at your own pace, focus on the grammar you need when you need it, and develop your personal word library by reading interesting articles written with intermediate learners in mind.
"Ymestyn has been great for tidying up my (slightly shaky) knowledge of Welsh grammar, and the bite-sized lessons & interactive quizzes are much more fun than ploughing through a grammar book. Diolch yn fawr!" — Phil R
How Ymestyn works
Research has shown that repetition is the key to successfully learning a language, so Ymestyn returns to core concepts and vocabulary frequently using different types of games and exercises, including:
- Flashcards
- Games
- Quizzes
- Writing exercises
- Listening
- Transcription
Before you know it, you will find the words you need on the tip of your tongue.
Practicing with Ymestyn will build your confidence, help you speak more fluidly, and make reading and writing a cinch.
Grammar
Clear and simple grammar exercises and quizzes to help you memorise core concepts and patterns that are essential to becoming a fluent speaker.
Vocabulary
Learn vocabulary about everyday topics, activities and hobbies, so that you can talk about what interests you, and not just order a pint at the pub.
Reading & Listening
Opportunities to read and listen to simple passages about interesting topics to help you get used to the cadence of the Welsh language.
Writing & Speaking
Use what you've learnt to write your own short passages, which you can read aloud, to help cement your learning and increase your confidence.
"I've only just started the course, and I already feel like I'm making real progress. Diolch!" — Winnie H
As seen in...
Get started!
Subscribe to Ymestyn today for just £10 per month. You'll immediately be able to access practice exercises on:
- Canolradd — Homework support for Canolradd 1 and 1&2 students
- Unit 1 — Revision unit using a variety of grammatical constructions and a wide range of vocabulary from the Sylfaen course.
- Auxiliary and Inflected Verbs — Learn the three patterns for creating auxiliary (helper or periphrastic) verbs and inflected verbs.
- Stems — The different stems used for common auxiliary verbs.
- Pattern 1 — Will, can, & the inflected future.
- Talking about sports — Vocabulary builder & practicing will, can and the inflected future.
- Pattern 2 — Was, could, would, would like, should/ought to, if (I) were to.
- Things To Do In The Garden — Vocabulary builder & practicing was, could and would.
- Things To Do Around The House — Vocabulary builder & practicing would like, should/ought to.
- Things We Know Aren't True — Vocabulary builder & practicing if (I) were to.
- Pattern 3 — Simple past & have been to.
- Talking About Travel — Vocabulary builder and practicing the simple past & have been to.
- Simple past tense of Mynd, Gwneud, Dod and Cael — Overview of how these verbnouns form the inflected past tense.
- Simple past of Mynd — Practice, vocabulary, listening and reading.
- Simple past of Dod — Practice, vocabulary, listening and reading.
- Simple past of Gwneud — Three version of gwneud, practice, vocabulary, listening and reading.
- Simple past of Cael — Three regional versions of cael, practice, vocabulary, listening and reading.
- Simple past using Gwneud — How to use the inflected past of gwneud to create the simple past tense of other verbnouns.
- Adar yr Ardd — Short articles about twelve common (and not so common) garden birds, with annotated illustrations and vocab list.
- This, That, These, Those — How to use the more formal hwn/hon/hyn system to say 'this thing', 'that thing', 'these things' and 'those things'.
More content is being added all the time, so please take a look at the content roadmap on the blog.
What Adar yr Ardd readers say
Some of the Ymestyn content is drawn from my first book for learners, Adar yr Ardd, which was praised by readers:
Sue B
“Interesting and beautifully illustrated book. Challenging enough that I felt I’d achieved something, while enjoying reading it. I could guess many of the words that were new to me from the context and illustrations, and look up others in the vocabulary. I would love to read more by this author.”
Maarten
“This may well be the cutest way to improve your Welsh. The book covers a dozen garden birds which each have a lovely picture to introduce them (with key visual characteristics), followed by a short description of appearance and behaviour. The use of simple – but not too simple – language is excellent for learners of the language, and the extra word list provided by each bird comes in handy to expand your vocabulary. Would thoroughly recommend!”
Melanie
Adar yr Ardd “is such a beautiful, colorful book with so much information! I was surprised at how many words I recognized as a beginning Welsh learner. I am also excited to start learning so many new words. I love birds, and I’m happy to have a chance to see and learn about Welsh garden birds. I’m looking forward to the next book!”
Meet your host
Suw Charman-Anderson
Hi, I’m Suw Charman-Anderson and I’m a Welsh learner. I started learning Welsh in 1998, using Gareth King’s Colloquial Welsh book. In 2001, I started a website, Clwb Malu Cachu, to help other learners by collating basic grammatical information and sharing short simple stories, song lyrics and other resources. In 2024, I wrote Adar yr Ardd, an illustrated ebook for learners. I'm now focused on developing Ymestyn to help other learners become more confident when writing and speaking Welsh.
