I decided to learn Welsh because of my oldest child. I was keen to send him to Plas Coch, the Welsh school in Wrexham, and I wanted to be able to help him with his homework. So I needed to understand the questions he was being asked. My Nana was a fluent Welsh speaker. She married an Englishman and her four sons were brought up speaking only English. I learned a bit at school but it was very basic. So I wanted my children to grow up knowing the language.

I started off in Yale College, where I studied the Dosbarth Nos course for four terms, then GCSE Welsh. I continued with the Dosbarth Nos course and took AS level Welsh. I then went to NEWI and took the Dosbarth Uwch course before taking A Level Welsh. I've just found out I passed with an A grade! Also this year I reached the final four in the Welsh Learners' competition at the National Eisteddfod. All this started in 1999. People think it's taken me a long time but my studying has all been part-time and I also work one afternoon a week as well as being a mum to two children under seven years old. I'm going on to do an NVQ Level 3 with the aim of becoming a Nursery Nurse in a Welsh school.

Learning Welsh was fine when I got started. All of a sudden came the past tense and that's when people started dropping out! But once I'd got over that hurdle I persevered. You have to take your studies home - it's no use just looking at it in the classes. I go to the monthly Menter Iaith meetings with my friends to speak to, or just listen to, fluent Welsh speakers.

I've found the more you learn the more you want to know. I've learnt about Welsh history through my A Level course. You learn more than just a language on these courses and you make loads of friends. As well as learning Welsh myself I try and encourage others with their learning. I run a Sesiwn Sgwrsio for Year 1 learners. We meet in the library or the college to chat informally in Welsh. Sesiwn Sgwrsio helps people to keep going with their Welsh learning over the summer and other holidays when many drop out of their courses because the break's been so long and they think it would be too difficult to go back.

I also sing with a Welsh Choir, Lleisiau Clywedog. I joined it when I started to learn Welsh because I thought it would help. Most of the members are Welsh speakers so just listening to them helps. My advice to other learners would be: keep at it! Don't give up and don't let things put you off. It will go in in the end! Something just clicks and you get it. Start on something like Dosbarth Nos - it's basic but thorough. Go to Menter Iaith or CYD meetings or do what we did - organise to get together between classes to practise. Good luck!