Learning Welsh
Share your thoughts and stories about learning Welsh here. Did you learn Welsh at school or as an adult? How was it for you? Is there a particular song or story you remember from your school days?
If you're learning now - how is it going?
Have Your Say by emailing us or filling in this pop-up form.
There's more about learning the language in our Learn Welsh section or chat with other learners on the Learn Welsh messageboard.
Joshua Evett says,
"I live in Boise Idaho, U.S.A., and my last name is 'Evett' so I suppose I'm biased. I heard Welsh being spoken on a travel program. What a beautiful language! It made my hair stand up on end. It is wonderful that there are people devoted to speaking Welsh and to passing the language down."
Leigh from Spain says:
"My parents are from the Swansea valleys and most people still speak Welsh there. I, however, was brought up in the Vale (where there are few Welsh-speakers) and my parents never spoke Welsh at home or "taught" me Welsh. Now as an adult I find this a real shame. There is no problem whatsoever with bringing up a child to be billingual and I would encourage any parent to do so! For me it was a missed opportunity."
Harriet has these thoughts:
"I've been learning Welsh with my boyfriend, I am currently in school but I find that its easier learning Welsh with him. I live in a small village and I dont think that anyone speaks fluent Welsh. I speak Welsh to him in little phrases such as 'dwin caru ti' which means I love you and ask him how he is. It's much more conveinent learning Welsh with him because in school you learn the full sentances such as how are you (sut wyt ti) but for short you can say ti iawn which means you ok I think. It also brings you closer to Welsh unlike in schools where everyone learns the same things all the time.
Not being able to speak fluent Welsh is annoying because all of my boyfriends friends and family speak fluent Welsh and in a way you feel left out. I think that if you are proud to be Welsh and don't come form a Welsh family but you would like to be able to, speak fluent Welsh it should be more of an option and more lessens in schools for those certian pupils. Futhermore we should be taught Welsh as people speak it naturally - not the way it is taught."
Chris from Baltimore says:
"
If I (as a total outsider from across the Pond) may be excused for barging into a local dispute, I do feel my view may be of some interest exactly because I am an outside party. I had the luck of happening by pure chance into a Ten-Day Welsh Intensive being presented at my university, and I took to it like duck to water. The main thing I wish to say is that I found the Welsh language, especially the southern dialect, to be unspeakably beautiful and the closest I've ever heard to singing. Should this language disappear into history's failing mists, it would be an unutterable tragedy, the way any loss of beauty is."
Michael says:
"It's difficult to keep a language alive unless you are living it! First you need to learn the basics and gain a level of confidence. Then you need lots and lots of practice. I became fluent in German only by living in Germany, and finding lots of opportunities to converse in it. Since moving to Wales, as my children were enrolled into a Welsh-speaking primary school, I've had to learn some Welsh myself. It's tough going when most people in Swansea speak English primarily. I'd not be the least offended, if everyone here defaulted to the language of the country (though it might take a very long time to get the newspaper in the morning....)"
Wayne from Canterbury says:
"As someone from Kent with, however, a passion for our island's oldest language, I think that what Julie and Terry, a born and bred Swansea man and a Welshman, are saying about Welsh is a great shame. The way my native language English was forced down the throats of Welsh people (who may even include their ancestors) is also very shameful. Teaching all children Welsh in Wales goes some way to redressing this. I would go so far as to say that their parents should be encouraging the kids in this way, and they should learn the language themselves. Anything less is, in my view, a disgrace."
Terry from Swansea says:
"I agree with Julie, the Welsh language should not be forced on anybody... I went to school in the heart of Swansea 'St. Davids RC School' and we were given a choice of learning Welsh or music. I took the latter and I must say, I have not one regret, in fact, the opposite. I love music! And never have needed the Welsh language, even though I am a born and bred Swansea man, and a staunch Welshman, let no one say anything different..."
Julie in Swansea is angered by the situation she finds herself in:
"I have a little boy who has just started full time school. I am told by the Education Authorities and the Welsh Assembly that I have no choice in the education of my son when it comes to Welsh lessons. All my family, going back three generations do not speak Welsh and have no interest in the language. I think it is appalling that other people's ideals are being forced upon us. My son's time in school would be better spent learning the 3 R's instead of wasting time on a language he will not be using ...".
Siarls of Abertawe says:
"I too live in Swansea and I hear a lot of Welsh. I think that because Welsh speakers also speak English, it's difficult to tell who is actually Welsh speaking. But if you ask around, you'll be surprised how many people speak Welsh. I make a point of it before continuing with my purchases!"I do agree with Denzil about Welsh lessons. The policy is to have everyone bilingual by the end of the primary stage! Hah, rubbish! The policy's failing and it's because of lack of support from both authorities and teachers.
Denzil from Swansea says:
"I basically reached eleven years of age before I had any true school classes in Welsh. I am Welsh and proud of it but have several times given up learning Welsh due to lack of time etc. How can time or any other reason stop someone learning their own language? Unfortunately, though it does in the same way as family life is not the same as I had growing up, changing lifestyles will only make matters worse for the next generation.
"Living in Swansea it is seldom you hear much Welsh and I grew up in a solely English speaking family. My son will likely follow in my non-Welsh speaking footsteps unless I can learn to speak it and pass it on to him.
"Unfortunately I believe that the majority of large town and city folks are similar in this respect to myself. Many of course will never even think about the loss of their true language in their lives, yet it is in the masses that Welsh needs to be re-established so as to survive in the increasingly Anglicised information age. I hope in years to come Welsh re-establishes itself but fear that Welsh will lose its battle against other subjects within schools.
"I hope I am wrong about this and I intend to start the learning process once again and hopefully this time learn it to an acceptable - at least to myself - level.
"All the resources provided by the BBC are invaluable. Good luck to all Welsh learners. Many thanks."
Nike Hamilton is an expat living in Maryland, USA and she has these recollections:
"I spent my childhood in Skewen and we learnt Welsh in school. We sang 'The Lord's Prayer' (forgive the spelling) 'Ein Tad Ananevodd'. I sang a song in front of the whole school 'A-wel-sock-wee Hin-von ver-nine'. I still know 'Calon Lan' ... I remember 'Een - die - tree - pedre - pimp'. "We are talking almost 40 years ago but I think it is important to keep the language alive. I walked into the store here in the US a couple of years ago and asked for a book in Welsh. The sales assistant said 'Oh there is no such thing as a Welsh language or Wales ... they were conquered centuries ago!"
Claire has contacted us from Swansea:
"I remember learning Welsh in primary school - the highlight of this was being chosen to sing 'Mynd A'r Y Bws I Abertawe' - I sang this with a group of pupils in front of the whole school. What fame this brought me! It's one of those childhood memories that has stuck with me!"
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