Aibu to feel sad that welsh is not compulsory in schools in Wales .

[Dowser]

Says it all really.

It's part of the heritage and it's a worry it will die out.

Don't understand it myself.

Doing a French A level without having heard of Moliere is a bit like doing English A level without having heard of Shakespeare. Just saying.
I apologise if I accused you of being closed minded but you do sound it.

I think your response was unintentionally revealing, actually. You have a extremely narrow and utilitarian attitude towards language acquisition.

It was 40 years ago Sunny. And as said I didn't like it so Moliere didn't make an impression. Just saying. I'm not closed minded. You're extrapolating because I'm not agreeing with you on the Welsh. Still confused why it has to be compulsory.

OK it is fair enough Annie, sorry if I sound over critical. I just do not really see the beef about it.

Wow Janine, another extrapolator - when I've just listed what I've done with the French language and what my oldest DC is doing for A level and did for GCSE. Really - we've extremely narrow and utilitarian attitudes no less to language acquisition. Righto!

Still confused why it has to be compulsory.

Because it's an official language?

I think you've been far more unpleasant than I have Sunny. Quite personnel too. You doubt I've ever had a French conversation in my life? That's so odd a thing to say out of nowhere.

Doesn't mean it has to be compulsory. Still don't see we there can't be a choice apart from the Welsh government is scared of what will happen if we do.

Well I did apologise Annie when I realised that actually I sounded quite nasty.

Why don't I? Because it's of no use or value to me.

But isn't it just interesting to know welsh in the same way it would be interesting to know french in france? It's on the signs the television and the radio it's part of the place names, it's in the literature and go back 100 years or so and it is part of every welsh person's heritage.

You might not have to speak welsh, but why not? There are many reasons to learn a language in school - problem solving, logic, decoding, understanding of how all languages work, understanding of a culture - why not welsh in Wales?

The alternative would not be a choice of languages, it would be a choice of 1 or at most 2 languages with little opportunity to experience it as a living language. This is what happens in England.

And the welsh government will do what the voters tell it to do.

Why is maths compulsory? Why are any subjects compulsory? Are you complaining about that too?

I'm sorry, but all your comments on language acquisition are framed very narrowly - you seem to dismiss the idea that learning a language can be culturally enriching in itself, regardless of whether you never use it again after school.

It has to be compulsory because it is an integral part of the national identity. It needs protecting from further erosion.

The oldest took French and Spanish to GCSE and is doing Spanish A level.

Perhaps aided by living in a multilingual household in a multilingual country where it is expected that children will speak another mfl to a high level.

Maybe you want something that doesn't exist in England or Wales. However, the grass isn't greener over the border.

Ok, fair enough Sunny. Apology accepted now I realise it was genuine. I wasn't sure if you were still being sneery.

In some ways merry, it is strange. I suppose changing people's mindsets on the value of it has a long way to go. But the current policy isn't working as it is. Better in my view that there is a choice - why be scared of that? I don't reject a lot of things - I love the history, kids enjoy the Eisteddfod etc.

fleur - it isn't part of the traditionally English speaking national identity (about three quarters). If it was it wouldn't need protecting.

merry - he ended up doing languages as rubbish at maths/science and arts.

My views on language only extend to Welsh so if that makes me narrow minded Janine so be it. But I can tell you it doesn't.

The current policy is working for my family. My ds wouldn't have become bilingual if it wasn't compulsory. Yes, it is hard to support him in his homework sometimes without speaking welsh to the same standard he does. But we manage. It's hard to support him with maths that somehow look nothing like the maths I did but we manage that too. That's just how it goes right?? There are many subjects that kids don't want to study or don't see the value of - shall we scrap RE then? My ds is unlikely to convert to another religion so why bother learning it?

it isn't part of the traditionally English speaking national identity (about three quarters)

Yes it is. Perhaps you don't realise that the adoption of English in those parts of Wales dates largely from the 18/19th c? Prior to that Welsh was the dominant language by far across the whole of the country.

" traditionally English speaking national identity"
but annie that is not even the case!

What matters is now Janine. The southeast where most of the population live don't speak it - only 0-5% do and that figure hasn't changed in years despite the money poured into it.

It is in my case Sunny. And in my father's. No one spoke where we grew up. Three did it at school and I went to the biggest high school.

Anyway, we'll have to agree to disagree as we're going round in circles. No one has given me an answer why it has to be compulsory. Merry - I wonder how this got voted in. I can only think voter apathy and the people that wanted it were out in force that day

well if you live in eg Monmouth or Chepstow those areas have always been disputed and cannot be said to be representative of the country as a whole.

I know the thread's moved on now, but I'm just going to wave at chemistc, seeing as it appears that we were in school together :)

I wish now that Welsh had been compulsory to GCSE. I wanted to continue beyond 14, but I wasn't allowed to do it at the same time as my other language options, & I decided that Spanish was probably going to be more useful.

You're talking about traditional national identity - i'm pointing out that you're mistaken on this and, unsurprisingly, a little myopic.

No, we don't live there Sunny. The capital.