Basic Welsh, along with its companion Intermediate Welsh, is a workbook of grammatical points and exercises meant to accompany Colloquial Welsh or a similar full course of study. Though it isn't a comprehensive grammar reference, it is extremely helpful for beginning students who want additional explanation of particular points as well as extra practice putting the grammar to use. And because it's tailored toward English speakers, the book is very helpful for those learners who want a better understanding of how the underlying grammar and syntax of Welsh works and how it differs from English.
As in all of King's Welsh books, what really stands out is the author's thoroughness, his encouraging tone, and his non-prescriptive attitude towards the Welsh language. The informal, chatty style of the text makes it much less intimidating for those who are put off by the mere thought of grammar. Dense blocks of explanatory text are kept to a minimum, the grammatical explanations are clear and simple, and a glossary of grammar terminology is provided at the back of the book for those less familiar with the more technical vocabulary. This alone makes it a great companion volume for those learners using self-study courses.
Moreover, King's emphasis in this text-as in Colloquial Welsh--is on helping the learner to sound like a native speaker. Rather than insisting on "perfect," literary Welsh or using the right mutations all the time, King takes a much less heavy-handed approach. In Unit Two, for example, on nouns and noun plurals, he notes that "getting the gender of a noun right is not of vital importance-it does not affect the meaning; rather it is something to aim for in one's natural aspiration to speak as much like a native as is possible." He goes on to reassure the reader: "Don't worry, then, about getting gender wrong-and above all don't panic if you don't know the gender." This is a very helpful attitude especially for those just starting out learning Welsh, who might at first be intimidated by the various unfamiliar grammatical features.
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