Product Description

Unique in its combination of detailed grammar and challenging exercises, this workbook is an important supplement to any study in modern Welsh language. With emphasis on colloquial, spoken Welsh as used my modern-day native speakers, Basic Welsh is intended as a grammar-based self tutor for those in the earlier stages of learning Welsh.

Features include almost forty grammar points with full explanations; a wide range of increasingly challenging exercises; an answer key for each test; and a Welsh/English-English/Welsh glossary. Used together with its sister volume, Intermediate Welsh, these grammars will support study of the language up to the advanced level.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #941449 in Books
• Published on: 1996-01-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Review
"This impressive opus constitutes a solid, much-needed and most welcome contribution to the descriptive grammar literature on modern colloquial Welsh and a considerable achievement..." -- Alan R. King, LINGUIST

Gareth King, an experienced teacher of Welsh to adults, has in the short space of three years published a comprehensive reference grammar of spoken Welsh; a lively, up-to-date introductory language course; and now two further 'grammar-workbooks'. This impressive opus constitutes a solid, much-needed and most welcome contribution to the descriptive grammar literature on modern colloquial Welsh and a considerable achievement....For more than one reason, both the beginner and the professional linguist alike who approaches spoken Welsh with books such as these to hand is a far luckier student than were those of my own generation, and Gareth King is to be thanked....I am sure that for many people these books will have had the effect of putting modern spoken Welsh firmly on the map; let no one underestimate the importance of that.
–Alan R. King, LINGUIST

Gareth King, an experienced teacher of Welsh to adults, has in the short space of three years published a comprehensive reference grammar of spoken Welsh; a lively, up-to-date introductory language course; and now two further grammar-workbooks. This impressive opus constitutes a solid, much-needed and most welcome contribution to the descriptive grammar literature on modern colloquial Welsh and a considerable achievement....For more than one reason, both the beginner and the professional linguist alike who approaches spoken Welsh with books such as these to hand is a far luckier student than were those of my own generation, and Gareth King is to be thanked....I am sure that for many people these books will have had the effect of putting modern spoken Welsh firmly on the map; let no one underestimate the importance of that.
–Alan R. King, LINGUIST

About the Author
Gareth King teaches Welsh to adults in Dyfed, Wales. He is the author of Modern Welsh, Intermediate Welsh and Colloquial Welsh, all available from Routledge.

Customer Reviews

Not for absolute beginners
As someone who has been studying Welsh for over a year, I have found King's book helpful in reviewing basic grammatical concepts. The book is organized in units with each unit briefly discussing a specific grammatical point (e.g. "soft mutations" or "the perfect tense"). It helps to have some basic knowledge of gramatical terms as well as a grasp of the basic structures of Welsh before delving into this book. I highly recommend it as a review for the beginning student of Welsh, but it is not an introduction to the language for absolute beginners.

For the advanced or precocious student
I am not crazy about this book. It does have some terrific points and points of view about handling the mutations and regional dialects, and as the other reviewer said it is not for the beginners. It covers a lot of points and details in what really is not a large volume, but they are points and details that I think should have been titled something other than "Basic Welsh." "Details of Modern Welsh" might be a better description. This might be a good candidate for an audiobook instead of text, for some of us. I am both a beginner and not really... I have been poking at the language off and on for twenty years or so. The best books I have found for beginners are actually booklets put out by Teledu BBC Cymru called Dechrau Siarad Starting to Speak Welsh. I also have enjoyed a booklet called Speak Welsh, by Gwen Pritchard Jones. Unfortunately these little booklets can be hard to come by. A nice fat dictionary is also invaluable.