Launching a new series of free Selog yoga, singing and outdoor fitness apps, Menter Iaith Môn’s message was to enjoy gifting Welsh for Christmas this year.
There’s been a fantastic response to the ‘Ioga Selog’ yoga app as Leisa Mererid shows 12 yoga positions with memorable images and an easy-to-follow sequence. Selog’s new singing app ‘Canu 2 Selog’, includes favourites in Welsh, with English translations, eg ‘Pen, Ysgwyddau’ (‘Head and Shoulders’) as well as tunes to help Welsh learners remember the alphabet, weekdays and months. Families who tried out the outside fitness app ‘Symud Selog’ were also enthusiastic given the combination of spotting and photographing nature with the addition of fitness rhymes for skipping, ball-game and clapping to ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch’! The perfect app for an adventurous Welsh learner.
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- Ioga Selog
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- Canu Selog 2
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- Symud Selog
Head of Menter Iaith Môn, Nia Thomas, explained:
“The Selog apps are going from strength to strength. The first two singing & story apps ‘Canu’ and ‘Darllen’ were developed in 2017 in response to requests by non-Welsh-speaking parents in Holyhead who wanted a resource to support their children with Welsh at home. 19,000 downloads later, we realised that the apps’ appeal extended across Wales and indeed as far afield as Japan and Patagonia. So, we’re very grateful for the National Lottery Wales Community Fund grant that has enabled us to develop three new apps – ‘Ioga’ (yoga), ‘Canu 2’ (singing), and ‘Symud’ (moving) – and trial them with Holyhead families. Our appeal over the Christmas holiday is for families to allow the continuation of Welsh, from school into the home, by downloading Welsh apps such as Selog and Magi Ann on to the digital devices used by the children. Welsh is a gift that they will value long into the future.”
Selog’s five free apps are available for all to download on iPhone and Android phones, and on iPads and tablets. The resource is one of many strategies by Menter Iaith Môn and Mentrau Iaith Cymru to support the aims of the Welsh Government to attain a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
As parents increasingly recognise the social, educational and employment advantages of bilingualism for their children, fun Welsh apps, like Selog and Magi Ann, gain popularity as useful resources to support the children’s language development at home. The following feedback after using Selog’s resources, by a non-Welsh-speaking parent in the Holyhead area, is typical of the response: “My daughters and I had a great time! Please keep up the great work, we need more activities in the medium of Welsh for our kids to thrive in Welsh!”
The Selog apps are developed by Menter Iaith Môn. The 3 new apps, and 13 associated community activities, were funded by National Lottery Wales Community Fund’s grant Funding for All. SbectolCyf produced the apps and the yoga teacher, Leisa Mererid, and the fitness trainer, Eirian Williams, contributed expertise in developing the activities. Richard Owen, Bocsŵn led with the music input, with a special contribution by the composer Ceri Gwyn who shared her popular St David’s song ‘Mis Mawrth Unwaith Eto’ on the ‘Canu 2’ singing app.