If you're learning Welsh and-like me-have infrequent access to native speakers to practice with, you can't have too many good audio resources. Of course, the most important resource is the internet, and access to Welsh-language audio such as Radio Cymru and the BBC Catchphrase and Cam Ymlaen lessons (see article on Online Language Lessons for more info).
Luckily for those of us who also like our learning materials to be portable, the BBC has also made their Catchphrase lessons available as a set of books and CDs or cassettes. There seem to be two incarnations of these available for purchase online. The most up-to-date versions that have been produced can be bought directly from the BBC's educational resources catalog, http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/education/resources/search.shtml.
Not only can you choose from 9 volumes of the Catchphrase series on book and cassette or CD, you can also buy the more advanced series of lessons, Cam Ymlaen, and a whole host of other learning materials and audio programs in Welsh. As I've mentioned before in the article on Online Language Lessons, the BBC has provided a comprehensive service that guides learners from absolute beginner-hood to near-fluency. All the materials are presented well, and include speakers from various regions of Wales.
The same is true of the earlier Catchphrase series on book and cassette, available from www.sain.org or from Amazon (scroll down for links. The original Catchphrase 1 is quite expensive new, but used ones are also available). I've been using the Catchphrase 2 - An Advanced Course for Welsh Learners book and tape, and I've found it a fantastic source not only for review and practice of high-intermediate grammatical concepts, but also for learning new idioms and concepts along the way. Though this set is, I believe, taken from the original Catchphrase radio series, the curriculum written by Basil Davies stands the test of time.
Firstly, the book itself is neatly structured and organized, with lessons that revolve around an initial dialogue (or monologue). After the dialogue comes a list of vocabulary and grammatical notes, and then a series of practice exercises based on the new structures, tenses, turns of phrase, etc. that were introduced in the course of the dialogue. There is great variety in the dialogues and monologues, which range in tone from educational to idiomatic. On the audio recording, many of them are presented twice, once with North Walian speakers and once with South Walian speakers. This is extremely useful for getting the ear accustomed to the rhythms of speech from both regions.
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