Hello, I'm Alpha and I'm studying postgraduate in Welsh at Swansea University. I had the opportunity this year to present a paper at the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Annual Research Conference, held at the National Library of Wales on 30 June.
Sharing an element of my research on stage with others and receiving questions from the audience was an invaluable experience. It made me consider elements and perspectives that I hadn't previously considered, and I will now be able to incorporate them into my work as I continue the research.
The experience of presenting at the Coleg conference was undoubtedly special, not least because the atmosphere was so supportive and friendly. In addition, there were loads of posters and papers from individuals from various universities that covered a wide range of topics, so it was an opportunity to understand and learn about other areas of research, which was fascinating!
Criminal history of Swansea
My research focuses on Swansea Quarter Court between 1891–1920 and aims to analyse the crimes committed and the various offenders who appeared in court to get a picture of Swansea's criminal history during this period.
The project is therefore a social study as it is possible to get a picture of Swansea society of the period through the legal sources used. A sub-aim of the research is to use the core sources in order to analyse the use of Welsh and any cultural-linguistic elements in court, in order to get a picture of the situation of Welsh in the area during this period.
As a result, this was the aim of my paper at this year's conference, which was to provide insights into the process of research in this area, before discussing a few examples of conflicts between people from different cultures, which highlighted the existence of cultural-linguistic tensions in Swansea society of the time.
In addition to the experience of presenting at the conference, the Coleg also offers students loads of diverse experiences and opportunities. One example is the Research Skills Programme, which includes a wide range of training sessions for research students, for example academic writing sessions; health and well-being; and research communication training which included information on how to communicate your research on television, radio and in articles for Gwerddon and Gwerddon Fach.
These sessions are a great opportunity to not only develop your interpersonal skills as a researcher, but they also provide you with the opportunity to meet research students from other universities and who are researching a broad cross-section of topics.
'Being a Coleg Cymraeg ambassador is a great way to develop your confidence and skills'
Another opportunity I have taken advantage of with the Coleg is the ambassador scheme. I was an undergraduate ambassador in my second year at university, and have now been a postgraduate ambassador for two years. This is another great opportunity that allows you to meet other students across Wales and beyond, and take on various tasks such as recording podcasts, doing takeovers on Coleg social media and working on the Coleg stand at the Urdd Eisteddfod and the National Eisteddfod. It's a great way to develop your confidence and skills, and have the opportunity to collaborate with Coleg staff and other students.
As a postgraduate ambassador, I have been working with our Branch Officer at Swansea University to try and develop the university's Welsh-medium postgraduate community. We have been doing this by organising postgraduate student forums which are an opportunity for postgraduate students to come together to make their voices heard about their experiences as postgraduate students and raise any concerns they may have, as well as offering them the opportunity to meet fellow students in an informal and social atmosphere. I was also very keen to collaborate with our Branch Officer to organise a Research Symposium for the university's Welsh-medium postgraduate students, as part of the Swansea Branch's tenth anniversary celebrations, which again provided an opportunity for students to present their research and meet others in a friendly atmosphere.
Without a doubt, I have received loads of incredibly valuable experiences from the Coleg that have helped me develop as a researcher and have developed my personal skills, and I am very grateful for all these experiences!
For more information on the Research Conference that took place on 30 June and to see a list of all of the presenters and their research titles, please go the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's Resource Portal
