@gisella-albertini posted a new topic, subject "Sound (of words) vs meaning". It read:

   These days I'm trying to practice listening in particular (by the way I noticed that the best moment for listening to the radio for me is while cooking!)
    
    I'm very happy to notice I recognize a few more words every day. Very few, but still a perceivable improvement.  
    However for at least half of them all I know is that I heard that sound before and I'm sure it means something, but…I can't remember what! 
    
    In a similar way, I pretty often have words or chucks of sentences randomly wandering in my head - for example when I wake up or while I walk - but, again, I can't remember what they mean. And although I did download a dictionary on the phone I usually can't remember how they're written either, so I can't look for them.
    
    For example the other day I was tormented by a really persistent “ar hyn o bryd” and it took hours to find it! 
    
    Did anybody go through such a phase?  
    And even if not…any tips?

@Macky replied

    gisella-albertini:
    
    > Did anybody go through such a phase?  
    >  And even if not…any tips?
    
    The same thing happens to me but it's getting less frequent. The last time it was 'siomedig' that I heard s few times whilst listening to the rugby  on the radio. I tried spelling it with a shw then an Si but couldn't find it. Very disappointing ha. I read it in s book a few days later and punched the air. It's happened with s few words that I heard first on the challenges.  
    It's a bit easier for me as I live in Wales and can ask people. As for a tip, start a new thread and spell the word/sentences as best you can. Someone on here will probably know it.

To which @margarethall replied

    I also have random words and phrases that wander around in my head without a meaning attached. I just assumed it was part of the process of learning a new language. I'm not sure whether it ever goes away, you just get new and different words doing the tormenting.

Then @Betterlatethan said

    gisella-albertini:
    
    > all I know is that I heard that sound before and I'm sure it means something
    
    Yes, I have that.
    
    gisella-albertini:
    
    > words or chucks of sentences randomly wandering in my head
    
    Yes, I have that too.
    
    Like @margarethall, I assume that this is part of the process. When I meet the phrases a few more times, with luck I will remember what they mean.

Then @robbruce said

    margarethall:
    
    > I also have random words and phrases that wander around in my head without a meaning attached.
    
    One of the things that happens is that (like a child does) you start to get the meaning of these words and phrases from the context. This is interesting, because you then find that you have trouble translating them into English, because you've never learnt them as the Welsh equivalent of something in English. This is when you know that your Welsh has taken on a life of its own!

So @aran replied

    Yes - I think even more than just a natural part of the process, this is a superb sign that your brain is starting to learn by osmosis, and that you're not far from the tipping point where your brain just gets better and faster at picking up new stuff, and it all starts to become a little more pain-free…

So @Sean-O replied

    At class tonight I spat out a sentence in response to a flash card…and then had no idea what I had said.

@gisella-albertini replied

    Ha ha, something like that happened to me a couple of times in Wales.
    
    I said a short sentence, and one second later, wondered “Did I really say what I meant to say?”. And had somehow to think back and listen to myself in order to translate back to Italian and make sure!
    
    I was thinking of mentioning it in my tour diary because it's a very weird feeling!

To which @JohnYoung replied

    I've just noticed this thread, so sorry about the timing.  
    As a side comment regarding tips.
    
    I find the GPC dictionary to be useful for words and phrases, and it will even get you back on track sometimes.
    
    I just deliberately entered “Diolch” and “ar hyn o bryd” but swapping the "i"s and "y"s . It found the correct entries for me.
    
    http://geiriadur.ac.uk/gpc/gpc.html

So @gisella-albertini replied

    Oh don't worry, I didn't even remember writing it   
    New tips and links are always welcome!


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