to think that most welsh people should speak some welsh

[mumof2children]

i am no way fluent in welsh by know very basic welsh.

but sould more welsh people speak some welsh

erdyFace, I have seen much of the country. And many people in it. And that is just my point. People are so concerned with the language that no one talks about the rest of the country at all.

And yes, we have a beuatiful country with great mountains that keep us in great shape. I have rock climbed in Snowdan, abseiled and kayacked in the Brecon Beacons, Caved in the slave mines of north wales, and stayed in various parts of the country. And no one spoke to me in Welsh.

But that asied, the arguements of the language irritate me more because no one outside Wales seems to no anything about us besides that there is a Welsh language that is not the first language of the majority of its inhabbitants.

I mean, hollywood made the story of Braveheart. But they haven't done Glyndwr, to name buit one. He defeated the English army too, right?

Proud of the language? No. I'm proud that the people of wales once marched all the way to London in the Chartism riots and paved the way for proper democracy. But again, no one mentions that.

And before you say anything, I learned most of the history myself, as I found this interesting.

Hahaha...You and half the population of America...

I swear to christ, the day I drive through the village and not get run off the road by some gigantic "Silver Cock 5000" motorhome will be a happy day for me!

I do sound rather bitter for 22 I have to admit...

lauriefairycake The last 'Cornish speaker' has not died, my Father, Uncles and Grandfather all speak Cornish. Roadsigns are now appearing in Cornish, it is beginning to be taught again and my Auntie goes for 'lessons' in the pub.
Anyway that is another matter. My DH is a fluent Welsh speaker, he is speaking to our DS in Welsh (mainly so he can converse well with his Nain and Taid) even though we don't live in Wales. But no, I don't have a problem with Welsh people who can't speak Welsh; It's not the most useful language in the world (my DH would agree with me there).
KERNOW BYS VYKEN!

I think it can depend Where you were brought up- I used to have to go via Conwy castle everyday and know alot about that region and all the fights that happened there.
This sounds weird but I can usually tell by looking at someone if they speak welsh or not!
Bessie- oooh I went there for two years! When did he teach??

Oops, that should have said "Slate Mines".

TheAtomicBurn

You cannot be proud of The Welsh people or Wales without being proud of the welsh language.

A country is not a country without it's language.

Well done you for mentioning the tourist areas of wales where people are BOUND to speak english.

You Learn French in France, German in Germany, Italian in Italy.

So you should learn Welsh in Wales!

How again do you KNOW children will never need Welsh hmm?..have you ever tried getting a Local Government job and NOT be able to speak welsh?..It's nigh on Impossible!

We have the right to give a child ever possible advantage in life and that advantage in wales is being able to speak Welsh. I will admit it is not a HUGE advantage but it's an advantage none the less.

Frankly anything that is likely to help someone in later life should be encouraged not thrown away by people like you.

D'you mean my mother Hedgeblunder? Ummm... She taught the youngest ones from about 1994 to about 2000. Pretty, slim woman with curly red hair...

It's odd that in your experience, TheAtomicBum, outsides know of the language and nothing else- My experience is totally different. Most people I have met from abroad, and even some English people, didn't know there was a language. I always get Tom Jones and rugby. And I am proud off all aspects of Wales, not just the language. But I am proud of the Welsh language. Very, very proud, and I love it. Truly love it.

Nerdyface, I'm sorry for blocking up your road for scones. And for blocking up your roads when I was learning to drive. Llanfair was on the test route, and that's where we used to go to practice emergency stops.

:o

I live in Wales my great great grandad was born in Wales I agree with everything TheAtomicBum said. I have relatives all over Wales and have been to all parts of my beautiful country I have never had to speak Welsh (I speak a little, odd words) I have only been to one place where they spoke it (Newquay) my Nan lives there.

I have never had a job ask me to speak Welsh or found not speaking it a disadvantage. I think they should let people learn it by all means but I don't think it should be compulsory at G.C.S.E because my year were the first to have this introduced do you know what 70% of the teenagers I knew decided to do, they decided to use that lesson to have a break.

As soon as it was forced on them they refused to take it serious and decided instead to concentrate on our other G.C.S.Es and coast it we hated it being forced on us and subsequently hated learning it the subject became a joke to all my friends.

As for other languages I would say a language is important but if someone has dreams of moving abroad French or Spanish would be much more use, but children are stupid and cant decide what they want can they. Make a language in G.C.S.E compulsory but don' force people to learn Welsh or you are doing what was done to my grandad ( not as inhumanely) forcing a language on to children. Sorry to offend but this is my culture to and I have a right to a opinion based on my experiences.

hahaha..I'm very flattered bessie!

We could have a rendevous over Scones!

Btw, you should of said "After reading HIS most recent post"

My Nan and three of my cousins and 4 great uncles work in the council and dont speak a word of Welsh

Sorry bessie that should have been 'she'
ooh I wasn't there then but I'm sure I know her- I used to work in the local shop (for local people!)

does anyone remember the name of the tearoom in betwys y coed that does the barabrith? That was luuuush!

Aw the last time I heard welsh I cried- I broke down in Manchester in the middle of the night, no idea where I was, and I nice lady pulled over and said 'you ok cariad?'
I do slip into it occasionally but usually muttering 'iesu grist!' and 'BOBBL Bach!' and 'awww be si'n bod?' to babies!

TheAtomic Burn- I liked your post and agree with it. Lived in Wales all my life, went to a Welsh speaking primary school for a year, can barely speak more than a stock phrase or two.

You can be very proud of Wales, as am I, without thinking everyone has to learn or speak Welsh. Not one person in my wide circle of family, friends, and colleagues speaks Welsh instead of English. The main language spoken in Wales is English. A minority of Welsh people speak Welsh. An even smaller minority speak only Welsh and no English.

Nerdyface- you don't need to learn Welsh if you live in Wales. My DC1 (age 4) is learning at school and I support it, but it doesn't mean that I should start learning at age 40 as I wouldn't have anyone to speak Welsh with. My son'r first language is and always will be English.

I speak French and German when I am in France and Germany. I speak English when I am in Wales because around here (South Wales) that's what everyone else speaks.

Oh God... I've expressed a desire to marry a man...

Lol team Edward- I didn't know that either!

Dor dy fys yn dy dîn a chwibanna
(put your finger in your arse and whistle).

That was essentially what i said TeamEdward

Chwiban= whistle :)

Also I have the smae experience abroad no one knew anything of Wales other than our language. I sometiimes wonder if there are two Wales

I always tend to get in America.

"Oh your from wales...Did you know Princess Diana?"

NO!! NO I FUCKING DIDNT! YOU PEOPLE ASK ME THIS EVERY DAY IN EVERY STATE!

Aaaah Hedgeblunder. Mam loved that school. Sadly, she died a few years ago, but she had really enjoyed teaching the little ones at Capelulo.

I know that in some areas of Wales, Welsh is seldom spoken. I think this is sad. If you go to the tourist hotspots, there is little Welsh there precisely because of that- I went to Tenby this Summer, and didn't hear word of Welsh. I also went to Cardigan, and heard a lot! There are areas of Wales which are Welsh strongholds- Go to Caernerfon if you don't believe me!- And just because you haven't been to those areas doesn't mean they don't exist.

I think, as with most things on mn, we shall have to agree to disagree. I just hope that the respect for the language will continue to grow, as it has done in the last few years.

In America I got the Priness Diana but also the do you speak Welsh? and finally do fish and chip shops really only sell fish and chips?

I have been to cardigan and caernarfan with my nan but this is still a very large minority of the country speak Welsh the majority speak English.

Also I enjoyed learning Welsh and may have taken it for G.C.S.E until they forced it so my issue is purely with it being forced.

The ancestors of many people in South Wales originally came from England and relocated here during the Industrial Revolution, so it wouldn't necessarily have been 'their' language in the first place.

When I was at school, I was taught about Chartism (and nearly died of boredom), but my DCs are taught about their local history (much more interesting and relevant to children imo).

I don't speak Welsh, but am English so don't feel obliged to. If I was living in North Wales where it is the dominant language then I definitely would. My mum is fluent and my children are also learning Welsh. They are Welsh and so I consider it important that they learn the language.

I get angry when people who can't speak the language continue to blame the English for this fact. No one is stopping them from learning it now. They can't speak it because they can't be bothered to learn it. If the situation in the past had been reversed and English had not been valued as the language necessary for business etc, my parents would still have ensured that I could speak it and I would have done the same for my children.

I can't imagine not being bothered to learn English. I would be ashamed of myself, which is why I am insisting that my DCs learn Welsh.

I Agree with you Bessieboots (and not only because you proposed )

I do think children should learn the language, but im not gonna force the issue, I shall teach my future children untill they can make their mind up about wanting to speak it!

I just love my country, my language and everything about it!

So their we go, i am bowing out of the "serious" discussion