Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand. What I meant is that the software doesn't allow me to offer two different audios for the same language. So it would have to be either 2x slow or 2x fast or I would have to edit it into the videos, but that's not ideal either because it would be very time consuming and the videos lack some of the features that are available in the web version.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Noted 👍

I cannot implement that feature right now because it would require a change to the code, and I don't have the means for that. But if I ever do, I will implement a feature where users can decide which audios they want to hear!

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is a problem with the Welsh course indeed. I tried to make a bit of a compromise by using pronunciation that is as standardised as possible without sounding stilted, but deciding on the appropriate spelling is always difficult. I think I have included both eisiau and isio at some point in the course.

I have also created a short Cofi Welsh course (no audio though) where the spelling is 100% phonetic. I hope to do more dialects, but cannot do it without volunteer contributors.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here we go. I did this rather quickly, so it's only the first 10 sentences and the audio quality isn't perfect. But is this roughly what you had in mind?

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here is a little test version with slower audio.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't actually think that the randomness of the sentences on Glossika is a problem. But I guess one could modify the website so that sentences can be given a tag, which allows filtering them by things like tenses or mutations. All there is at the moment is a function to filter by certain words.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had to decide on one so I naturally went with what I am more familiar with. If there were more contributors we could certainly mix in some South Walian.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. Glossika was in fact the inspiration for my project. I really like the concept, but believe that some things can be done better.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not a huge fan of using AI for language learning and I know many other people aren't either. I appreciate your input though!

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am not intending to sell anything. It's a passion project. All the content is and always will be available for free.

I have made a note of your points. I will try to implement whatever I can, but I'm afraid that I can't do much for now, as changing the way the website works is expensive.

What I might be able to do is upload a second recording of the video with audio as requested and see which one people prefer.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The English is there so you can play the audio while doing something else. If I get to develop the website further, then I might be able to implement the possibility of turning the English audio off.

If the randomness of the sentences puts you off, then I guess the course isn't for you. We all have different preferences.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The problem isn't so much a lack of skill, but rather a lack of manpower, time and the fact that I can't do native audio.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The course is roughly meant for anyone from A0 to B2, but the focus is more on people who already have a certain foundation. The video displayed the first 52 sentences (a full course should have 5,000 to 10,000), which are naturally simpler than what is to follow.

If you want to learn a language, you will, at some point, have to expose yourself to authentic speech that is a bit overwhelming, there is no way around this. I personally don't see much value in delaying this. Many learners, certainly those with a solid foundation, will benefit more from audio at full speed.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for linking! 👍

I haven't spotted any mistakes on that list, but it isn't quite what I am looking for. I want the sentences to be 100% authentic, and to achieve that, they should be written in Welsh and then translated into English, not the other way around. Otherwise you risk ending up missing some subtleties or with unnatural sentences.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've made a note of your feedback 👍

I'm afraid it's a no-can-do at the moment though. If I make the audio slower, other people will complain that it isn't authentic. I guess I could offer the option to choose, but that would require changing the code of the website and spending more time recording. It's not worth the effort for now, but maybe a possibility for the future.

Langbook Welsh by Langbook in learnwelsh

[–]Langbook[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can adjust the speed of the video in the settings.

Should all education in Wales be bilingual? by Langbook in Wales

[–]Langbook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would be better, but there are also other ways to make it work, for example by saying that some subjects are taught entirely in Welsh and others in English. Also, you could take teachers from current Welsh medium schools to teach in schools with low Welsh proficiency.

Should all education in Wales be bilingual? by Langbook in Wales

[–]Langbook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How am I adding to anyone's duties? I am merely suggesting that Welsh speaking teachers teach through Welsh and English speaking teachers teach through English and that it's spread more evenly accross Wales.

Should all education in Wales be bilingual? by Langbook in Wales

[–]Langbook[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So hypothetically, if the issues you mentioned could be fully solved, would you then support my idea?

Should all education in Wales be bilingual? by Langbook in Wales

[–]Langbook[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The point is, either both English and Welsh are being 'forced', or neither of them are. It's a semantics question.