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I agree with making Welsh language teaching available in all schools, and with Welsh cultural/heritage teaching. But I do not agree with enforced Welsh language to GCSE. My experience is of children who have no interest in using or wanting the language, they are forced into at least short course Welsh at GCSE. Full study is far more work and a diversion. Short course means a maximum grade C at GCSE, which can weaken the appearance of their overall GCSEs.

"First of all I must say I feel that every one is entitled to their own opinions but I feel that forcing children to learn Welsh is a total waste of time and effort. Where I live I never ever hear one word of Welsh spoken by local school children and I feel that the time wasted could be put to better use by teaching them to read and write English (or American if you like, as it is the monitory language of the world) to higher standards.

"Wouldn't it be better to have them learn a European language, i.e. French or Spanish, at least if they wanted to when they leave school children could either travel abroad or take up employment with local companies that buy or sell on the Continent. At the moment I feel children in Wales are being encouraged to be inward looking and xenophobic. The only encouraging thing I've heard recently is complaints of disinterested pupils being disruptive in Welsh lessons - possibly because they resent being forced to learn something that is a) of no interest and b) of no use to them in their every day lives."

"I have studied the Welsh language since primary school and I personally believe it holds great importance in today's Wales. Without the language, Wales would not be set apart in the same proud way that it is. The Welsh language is an inspiration to all people who live in Wales as it reminds us of our roots. To simply stand and sing the national anthem in our native language is truly an experience, which every Welshman holds in their heart. As long as the language continues to prevail Wales will continue to be exclusively united."

"I do not speak Welsh, but wish I did. If anyone has been to a Welsh rugby home game & heard the national anthem sung then they know why it is a very poetic tongue. One cannot help but be inspired by such a phenomena - I love Wales, & always will."

"As a Welsh speaker who currently lives in the USA, where people do not even understand that Wales is its own country with its own customs and culture, I feel that it is extremely important for children to learn Welsh so we can educate others in this world. I ask you naysayers who would have Welsh removed from our schools, how would you talk if English was removed? When in Wales, learn Welsh. When I lived in Holland I learnt Dutch."

"I got an A* in Welsh GCSE today! And I can now speak quite a bit of the language even though I don't get to use it much. But I don't regret it and am sure it will become a lot more prominent and useful in my life as I go to university where there'll be a lot of Welsh Speakers to socalise with, in work and when I have a family!"

"I must say I feel incredibly disappointed upon reading some of the comments on this website regarding our wonderful language - reference to it being dead and a waste of money only goes to show that these people are just too lazy to learn the language. I am sick of being ridiculed for speaking Welsh in public. I have been labelled ignorant and rude, is it I the one who learnt the language that is ignorant or is it those who have no inclination to learn? Mae rhaid i ni siarad Cymraeg pob amser!"

"As a student living in Wales and having Welsh forced upon me as a core subject for the past ten years, I think I am entitled to share my displeasure. Welsh is deemed by the Welsh assembly as an important subject and thus is now compulsory for children living in Wales to learn. The vast majority of students would strongly disagree. Welsh is by far one of the least popular subject amongst secondary school students and the fact that we must study it for a period of at least five years makes us very resentful indeed.

"The Welsh assembly may argue that it is an opportunity to learn about the Welsh culture, but unless I'm mistaken, Language and Culture are two very different things. Welsh has been forced upon us students by a very small minority group. Welsh speakers as a first language pressured the Welsh government to make Welsh compulsory in schools and also campaigned for bilingual sign posting.

"Myself and other citizens of Cardiff have recently realized that if there is not bilingual signing, a large sticker is placed over the English reading 'Ble ydy'r Cymraeg?' meaning 'Where is the Welsh?' In my opinion, these people are trying to cling to a fast disappearing language, and in today's day and age, cosmopolitan attitude and European politics, shouldn't we be looking at more of a world-wide spectrum?"

"To all the Welsh learners out there, keep it up! I decided that it was frankly embarrasing to not be able to speak Welsh at the age of 26, so I started a course and I'm soon to graduate from the University of Wales with a degree in the language.

"To all the nay-sayers, find something else to moan about. Please. No-one forces you to speak it, you don't have to read those parts of road signs, and clearly, Pobol y Cwm was not meant for your ears. I agree that Welsh hardly counts as an internationally significant language, but the same can be said for a vast number of languages all over the world and I don't hear you baying for their blood. A different language gives you a different perspective. Try it, you might like it."

"The Welsh language is as much a part of this nation's heritage as any old castle or battle site, yet many of our citizens want to see it dead and buried. You must promote the language above English else it will die (pleasing thousands, no doubt); if the announcements at Cardiff station were in English first this would render the use of Welsh worthless. Perhaps I'm digging myself into a big hole with that last sentence, but I do believe that as more generations of children come through our education system they will at least be comfortable with the language if not all of them fluent and these anti-Welsh rantings will become a thing of the past.

"I do accept that there is another side to the argument and I hold a good deal of disdain for the 'cracach' and others of that ilk with their arrogant Welsh-speaking attitudes, but that is another topic. I also believe that if all the bilingual road signs etc were swept away tomorrow we would not see a single extra hospital bed or teacher as a result - just live with them, they're not really that hard to understand.

"Finally, I would like to say to the poor boy from Welshpool who was dragged to Wales and forced to learn 'gobbledegook' to have a word with Ma and Pa - they brought you here! Nobody who moves to Wales from outside (no, not just from England) has any right to criticise the Welsh language; it was here long before you and if you don't like it, get out!"

"The Welsh language is of little interest to the vast majority of people in Wales. This is fact despite efforts of a hysterical, vocal minority of so called Welsh intellectuals living in and around Cardiff.

"The language has no international significance and merely serves a relatively small middle class sect of self proclaimed Welsh Culture guardians. The unreflective social mix of Welsh medium schools in the capital underlines this. Such people ignore the highly unattractive sound of the language and enjoy the promotion of silly outmoded ceremonies such as Eisteddfods. More boring events would be difficult to imagine.

"The fact that our children are forced to learn Welsh shows how popular the language really is. I wonder how many of our children would actually choose to learn it if they had a choice."

"I am Welsh speaking. I think that the Welsh language is great and shoudn't be dissed. It is brilliant and is our national language and we shouldn't lose it as it is part of our culture. I think in all situations the Welsh should be used if possible. I read one comment saying it gets too much support. So it should with the amount of slander it has had. All signs should be bilingual and important documents as the language is growing stronger and stronger."

"I'm a Welsh learner, and quite honestly feel sickened that our fellow citizens attack our national language. Though I'm delighted that the language does receive a great deal of support by non-Welsh speakers.

"It may be of little use outside Wales, but for heaven's sake neither is Dutch outside Holland, Danish outside Denmark, Swedish outside Sweden or Norweigan outside of Norway. But quite rightly, these countries are proud of their national herritage, and would not consider treating their own language so badly, even though the majority of these people are able to speak English.

"For all you non-Welsh speakers out there who do take an interest, join a class - it's great fun. You have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain; and I've never heard anybody saying they wish they hadn't learn it. In fact they're quite proud of their achievements. My only regret is that I never had a Welsh language education, something that is available to thousands of children today."

"I'm currently learning to speak Welsh with my daughter. I feel it's important to preserve your heritage how ever you can. So many things can be lost forever, and that's just a shame.

"I was born and grew up in Nottingham but my Dad is from Caerphilly. He was very proud of being a Welshman and he made me proud of my heritage/ancestry. He knew his Welsh history inside and out and loved sharing this with his kids. I was about as interested in all that as a typical kid would be - not very. Now I wished I paid more attention since he's not around anymore.

"But the pride stayed with me. That is one of the reasons I'm choosing to learn the language. I also want my daughter to see in me the pride I saw in my Dad. It's important to know where you came from, it's important that we take an active part in preserving our history especially when you hail from such a beautiful place with such proud, proud people."

"I grew up in Porthcawl and feel a great sense of pride in the region yet I am treated by some as some kind of idiot who has no knowledge of his roots because I simply cannot speak Welsh.

"The vast majority of the people of Wales - over 3/4 - cannot speak the language, yet it is slowly becoming the language of Government and Authority - road signs are bilingual, official documents are printed in both English and Welsh and interpreters are employed in the assembly so that those members who cannot speak Welsh are able to do so; all at a huge cost to the taxpayer.

"What kind of system are we living in when the language of the people is so radically different from the language of Government? We should never enforce learning a useless language - which serves no proxy for national identity as I see it - on our children. If they want to learn it in later life, so be it."

Gaynor Witchard from Cardiff responds:

"The comments made by Grant Davies betrays his feelings of shame of being Welsh. No language is 'useless' in this world. I learned Welsh at school from choice - and have never regretted it. The Welsh language belongs to Wales - it was the English who tried to destroy it!"