To send DS to Welsh School?

[saturdaynightgin]

DS is almost 3 and due to start nursery in September. His older sibling goes to the local Welsh-medium school and it’s our intention to send DS there (his place has been confirmed).

However, my parents and a few other family members have expressed concern about his going to a Welsh-medium school due to his speech delay. DS has been discharged by SALT as they were happy with his progress, but he’s still not speaking in full sentences. Our instinct is that he’ll catch up when he’s ready and going to Welsh-medium school will be no different to English-medium in terms of speech development. But now family have planted seeds of doubt and I’m beginning to question our decision.

For context, DH doesn’t speak Welsh at all, but I am able to hold a conversation and try my best to speak Welsh at home with our older child. There are no other development concerns with DS.

So, AIBU to send him to Welsh-medium school?

I've seen this worth the opposite way, welsh 1st language speaker who spoke purely welsh at home and nursery with speech delay having to learn english at school. If I recall he was a little slower to pick it up than some of the other children (who may also have been exposed to english at home) but by the end of primary school there was no real difference

I'm glad you've decide to send him to the WM,

He's not even three yet, lots of toddlers get help with their speech, it doesn't need to impact their life choices going forward.

As you know, being bilingual has many more advantages than simply speaking two languages.

My nephew is due to start WM in September. He has a speech delay but was discharged from SALT. I’ve never doubted my sisters choice for WM. The school is much smaller and nurturing that the local English medium schools which I think will be far more beneficial to him and outweigh any concerns. I’m sure he will be absolutely fine as will your son be.
worst case, he doesn’t settle/ develop well and you make a decision to move him later down the line. Which I’m sure would be exactly the same if he didn’t get on in an English medium school for whatever reason

How have you found it? My child is due to start ysgol cymraeg in jan and has a similar speech delay and im considering moving to english medium

@Iawn , it's ysgol gymraeg.
Pick the school that you suits your child best. You know him better than anyone.

Dacwmam, I'm sure you meant well, but it's correcting like that that puts people off learning Welsh sometimes. Effing treiglio is the bane of my life - and can stop people from using the Welsh that they have.

@Brightongin , the correction was because the use of Welsh in that post wasn't correct or necessary.

If you are learning a language, you will almost certainly get corrected, or how will you learn?

The mutations aren't easy to learn, and I would probably not corrected you in conversation, unless you asked me to. I hear a lot of bad Welsh, including from teachers (usually grammar not vocabulary). Just practice and if you don't know the word, use a substitute and carry on. If you mess up a mutation, keep going - if you get your message across, that's the main thing.

My Welsh is strong because, back in the day, my parents and teachers corrected me.

Da iawn chi am ddysgu Cymraeg. Daliwch ati!

“Wasn't correct or necessary??’ Wtf- are you going to police and give blessing or correction on every Welsh phrase used and judge if it is necessary??
I thought it was a lovely use of Cymraeg.
I am a Welsh tutor, linguistics graduate and first language Welsh, and I ask politely- could you please stop policing people’s creative and lovely use of Welsh, please? You are neither their tutor or parent, this is a casual forum and I thought it was a great example of how people use language in the real world. I am so tired of meeting people that say ‘Oo- I’d love to speak Welsh but I’m too afraid to use the little I have as it’s not good enough/ up to standard or pure enough’ because people like you immediately judge whether it is ‘correct’ - I actually can’t believe you thought it was ‘unnecessary’ like who are you to deem what language is NECESSARY. If language was judged in terms of necessity- Welsh wouldn’t get a look in at all.

I won't begin to correct your English, @Brightongin .

Ah, this is an example of the snobbery that puts people off speaking and learning Welsh… da iawn! Keep up the good work

Hi, i went to school in wales i am aware of the mutation i am just lazy with grammer, in both welsh and english no offense meant. Quite right it is this attitude that makes people feel isolated when it comes to first language snobbery esspecially in Ceredigion right now

Why wouldn't they live in Wales when they're older???
Presumably the family lives in Wales now.

By the way, I'm a Welsh person living abroad. Being a Welsh speaker has helped me learn other languages and is still useful even not living in Wales.

"Welsh language is very politicised in Wales and the view one gets from SLT may reflect their commitment to the welsh language or their fear of speaking an honest opinion if they do think it would be disadvantageous."

Equally, an expert who expresses a negative opinion about Welsh medium schools may be displaying a personal prejudice against the language.

Hello there!
Sorry to jump on this post but I'm about to move to Cardiff (non-Welsh speaker) and looking to start my little one at in a WM primary from September.
Does anyone know anything about Ysgol Hamadryad or Ysgol Pwll Coch? Or Treganna?
I would really appreciate any comments/experience of schools in Cardiff Central and Bay area. I am a single parent so makes decision making doubly hard for me as I constantly doubt myself! X

Speaking more than one language is so good for the brain. I’d definitely send him if I had the chance (if I lived in Wales!)

It doesn’t matter which languages it is, it’s still great for them. Plus they’ve got English as a very widely spoken language when they go abroad, they don’t need their second language to be. It will also make it easier for them to learn any third language when they are older, regardless of the language family.