Ask Charlotte Nolan

Here, we chat to Charlotte Nolan, winner of the Basil Davies Memorial Prize.  This award is given to the person who achieves the highest mark in the WJEC Welsh for Adults exams each year.

Where are you from?
I’m from Mold, but I live in Surrey now.

Why did you start learning Welsh?
When I was living in Mold, I wanted to speak Welsh and felt that something was missing.  So, in 2022, I started learning Welsh.

Which level are you?
I’m following an Advanced Level 2 course.  I’m learning online with Learn Welsh North West and Learn Welsh Ceredigion-Powys-Carmarthenshire. 

Do you speak Welsh outside the classroom?
I speak online with a tutor every week.  I also speak face-to-face with another learner who lives locally.  I often go on holidays to Wales.

You’ve won the Basil Davies Memorial Prize – how do you feel?
Very happy!  I want to thank the wonderful tutors for their hard work.  The award shows how far I’ve come since I started learning Welsh.

Do you have any advice for Welsh learners?
Learning vocabulary is important, and I like to use the learning website, Quizlet.  BorrowBox is great for borrowing audiobooks and practising pronunciation.  Lastly, learning a language is like playing an instrument – you need to practise!  So if you can, go to Welsh conversation sessions.

What’s next with learning Welsh?
I want to follow an Advanced Level 3 course next.  In the future, I want to move to Wales so I can speak the language every day.