Why do these WELSH ppl feel the need 2 publicise their language? Is it because they know it's dying?

Question

In favour of English

Answer 1

I'm English and I think the Welsh language is one of our true heritages and should not be forgotten.

Many people around the world are having their root languages placed aside in favour of learning English, this is fine as a second language but the primary language must not be ignored.

Answer 2

It WAS dying, it's on the way up now, but the demographics of our little country keep changing and so the insecurity remains.

The main changes in my lifetime have involved a significant increase in young people in S. Wales not only learning but using the language day to day. At the same time you have English speaking retirees, business people and holiday homes in N Wales diluting a small, fragile population.

It's hard to underestimate just how proud Welsh speakers feel to be part of these changes. I have a t-shirt "Cymraeg - plentyn y chwyldro" "Welsh - child of the revolution" and the weird part is that I don't feel political or reactionary about it - it's a statement of fact. Things have changed so much and Glyn / Imogen are a demonstration of this. Along with a welsh speaker fronting the news (Huw Edwards) - unthinkable when i was kid amongst lots of other proud welsh speakers who are either making or delivering the news agenda.

So, yes, Welsh speakers feel insecure. The great thing about BB was that this has done so much to educate the rest of the UK that the language is a real, living thing - not some socio-political construct, that it is valid and that there's no reason to fear it, just let it be.

If matters continue to improve and UK public opinion moderates to accomodate this sort of opinion, then maybe Glyn and his ilk will feel more British (unlikely, but hey!) and less inclined to make a big deal of their abilities (I reckon Welsh speakers find learning other languages easier than mon-linguistic types).

Within Wales, English and Welsh will and can co-exist quite happily. Once Glyn gets his dream and starts to teach incomers the language, then we'll REALLY see progress.

If you want to learn more about a little world that is closed off to you and which explains your question, just drop me a line.

Answer 3

You need to go in to North Wales more mate. Everyone speaks Welsh, you can't get a job in a North Wales School unless you speak Welsh. We get coach loads of shoppers here at Christmas, and they all speak Welsh. I think we should start a campaign to speak ye olde english, good on all the other countries in the UK for keeping their national language, we have allowed ours to become a mongrel dialect!!

Answer 4

The Welsh and Irish only maintained their language by keeping the verbal form strong. We English have a lot to answer for. We were determined to outlaw their language and books. The culture of Wales and Ireland is so strong due to the strength they showed in honouring their language and culture and passing down their customs over the generations.

I love hearing the welsh language in particular (and Welsh choirs)!

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Here here thecharleslloyd!

Answer 5

I opted to do Welsh at school because I thought I ought to speak the language of the country I lived in, though, because of the boom in the iron and coal industry, we were a mongrel race in the twentieth century.

I had Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Irish and English friends at school.

When my history teacher told us about the imposition of English on Welsh speakers in the nineteenth century, I was as incensed as I was about the treatment of Catholics in Ireland.

As an adult, however, I have researched the insistance of English in schools.
The motivation was altruistic. Allowing the Welsh to carry on with their minority language was letting them stagnate, and denying able pupils the opportunity to participate in careers in the governance of the British Empire.

Wales is a lovely theme park, full of quaint people with funny accents.

Let them play with their defunct language, it amuses the tourists.

Stop teaching English in schools, insist on everyone in Wales speaking Welsh, let them wallow in the mythical, misty past.

It could be very interesting.

P.S. My sister still lives in Wales, and despises the Welsh speaking minority inflicting their language on the majority English speakers.
Channel 4 in Welsh is a particular bug-bear.
The only Welsh perogative she wants is free water, on the grounds that she has to put up with persistant rain, so that the Brummies get their water, so why shoukd she have to pay for it!

Answer 6

Probably. It just does my head in as a Welsh man that we have to have everything printed twice and nobody seems to agree on the correct translation. By the way, does anyone know the Welsh for Helicopter ?

Answer 7

I'd like t learn Welsh, It's not very practical but when this land was invaded and the Celts were defeated, they retreated to the highlands of Scotland and the impenetrable hills and valleys of Wales, so this is the closest to Celtish we can find.

Answer 8

OK I'm Welsh so here's a Welsh perspective.

I'm not a fluent Welsh speaker. The problem I had was I left school before the Welsh Language act came in. These days there are many more Welsh medium schools, all kids study Welsh up to age 16 etc and so there are lots more of the younger generation who can at least get by well in Welsh. But I'm 34 and that all came a bit late for me.

In Wales you either learn Welsh through your family or through your school mainly and I did neither. My dad only did 1 year of Welsh at school and my mum did none so they were in the same boat. In my grandparents' day it was banned in schools (the days of the "Welsh Knot!"!

As a result I don't feel as passionately for the Welsh language as someone who is bi-lingual. I find that they are usually very vocal about their Welshness and want to promote their language as much as they can. But they can also be condescending to those of their countrymen - 100% Welsh people like the - who do not speak fluent Welsh - they seem to think we are "Less Welsh" than them, which I find very insulting.

I can get by in Welsh at a basic level but I think its kind of bad manners to speak it in front of people who don't understand. I would only really speak it with other Welsh speakers. if I was in a group and say only two spoke Welsh then I wouldn't sit there speaking it in front of people who didn't know what we were on about because its kind of inconsiderate and rude.

Its a regional thing mostly. In the North and the Rural Areas you will get many people who are bilingual and very very vocal about their language and culture. Go to the big cities like Cardiff, Swanse and Newport and people will be more anglicized and more relaxed about it. And there is conflict between the rural.north Welsh speakers and the city dwellers as well!!!

I think its unfair and a misconception to say Welsh is "dying" because it is really becoming a necessary part of education for all kids in Wales. Everyone has to study it up to age 16 these days.

For older people who are not fluent there are evening classes etc. I'm hoping to take one next year as I have to try and get fluent to get into the line of work I want to do. Not being able to speak Welsh can be a real disadvantage in some careers in Wales. So its not dying but those of us who did not learn it at school are a little disadvantaged sometimes and it breeds some resentment between those who are fluent and the rest of us.

I hope Welsh never dues, its part of the UK's heritage and should be treasured as such. My baby boy (when he's older) will be learning it!!!

As for incomers learning the langiage, Welsh people need to get over their bigtory and hatred towards the English. My boyfriend is English but he is constantly made to feel unwelcome in Wales by Welsh speakers who are rude and anti-English to him and so there is little incentive for him to learn Welsh language and culture. I think it would be great if he did because our little boy is going to learn Welsh and it would be nice if both his parents could speak it with him. I'm going to evening classes next year to brush up and I hope he will think of coming with me, but he will no doubt be confronted by some small minded idiot who wants to insult him all the time. Sad.

Answer 9

In this country they teach many minority language's and religions , so why not try to keep our own roots going. I'm from Manchester but I have been living in the south east for 37 yrs, yet I still speak with my Northern Accent its my heritage

Answer 10

did you know that when matthew arnold set up the (english) school inspection service (ofsted) a major theme for it was going to be to eradicate the welsh language?

no, of course you didn't know that.

if i were as ignorant as you are i would feel just as bitter.