Welsh language snobbery

[JaffaMCCakey]

Welsh thread just got me thinking…

I’m Welsh but am not bi-lingual. I work across different schools in my area, some are Welsh speaking, some English speaking.

I was recommended by one of my schools (Welsh speaking school) to another school (also Welsh speaking) to carry out some work.

I wrote a very polite email to the HT of the new school about my proposal and received a lengthy response in Welsh. I got it translated so I could reply and in my opening sentence apologised for not being a Welsh speaker. Their response then began with ‘Oh I didn’t realise you didn’t speak Welsh’

Isn’t that a bit rude? Would you take that as they would prefer a Welsh speaker to work in their school?

I think being a Welsh speaking school they probably just assumed you did speak Welsh, especially as the recommendation came from someone from another Welsh speaking school.

I would ask them if it is a requirement. I don’t see it as rude, though (the reply you received). It’s a Welsh speaking school, why would their default be to write to you in English? Particularly if the recommendation came from another Welsh speaking school.

No, I would t take it as that’s what they’d prefer. I’d take it as that’s what they assumed.

I would take it that it's the first language of the school so their default for correspondence. Are they going to hire you?

Not rude. They just assumed you were Welsh speaking because you applied to a Welsh speaking school.

It is an environment where Welsh is the first language ( even if it isn't the first language of all the pupils - it will be the language they use throughout the school day) . Why would it be snobbery to reply in the language of the school ? Maybe you should have made it clear that you don't speak Welsh and then they would absolutely have replied in English . It really isn't snobbery or rudeness to reply in Welsh in a Welsh medium school in Wales

I think it's a reasonable assumption for them to have made, considering they are a Welsh speaking school and you've been recommended by another Welsh speaking school.

They probably do prefer a Welsh speaker - and I think that's understandable.

I mean if you wrote the email in English them not replying in English is a bit weird. I wouldn't expect an email to Renault to be answered in French

Yeah this

Surely they should reply in the language used in the original email.

I don’t understand. You applied to a WM school and are surprised that they replied in Welsh (and might want Welsh-speaking staff)?

Well that’s what I would have thought- anyway seems I’m reading too much in to this and hopefully they will like me enough to hire me if we get the chance to meet. I use a lot of Welsh words and phrases in my work (I know it’s not quite the same) but I do make an effort to blend into my environment, hopefully I’ll win them over it’s a lovely school.

Surely they should reply in the language used in the original email.

That's what normally happens, isn't it? Unless they assumed that you only wrote in English, in case the recipient of your email didn't speak Welsh (bit odd if they work in a Welsh-speaking school, mind), and this was their way of saying "No need to worry - you don't need to use English on our account".

What was the nature of the job? If it's interacting with the children, Welsh is probably very important; but if you're tendering for the contract to maintain their boiler, less so.

I suppose it's always a little bit presumptuous to take it that a Welsh speaker will be equally comfortable speaking in English. I'm sure there aren't any Welsh speakers who can't speak English, but if they spend much of their life in a Welsh-only environment, it might be that they are less confident with their English, especially when crafting a formal business email.

I don't think snobbery is the right word here. It's a Welsh medium school in Wales communicating in Welsh...

If you wrote in English and they replied in Welsh, I would interpret it as a bit hostile and making a point. (Presuming they understood your English). I am not sure i would be comfortable working there. But of course I might be wrong.

I don't think snobbery is the right word here. It's a Welsh medium school in Wales communicating in Welsh...

Yes, I agree. Maybe they see it that they clearly set out their stall as to what they're about and they don't like always being expected to be the ones to change to accommodate people who can't/won't use their clearly-stated language.

Maybe they expected you to have your email translated before sending it and believed it to be rude not to do so? Maybe their reply is just their standard 'thanks but no thanks' fob-off for whenever they're not interested for any reason, and they don't see why they should go to the hassle of translating it just for somebody who has contacted them in a different language?

Yes that’s a fair comment- I hadn’t thought of it that way

Maybe it’s a way of immediately finding out whether the sender can actually speak Welsh to a useful level or not. Weeds out anyone claiming they know Welsh when actually they know a little bit but not enough to be any use to a Welsh Medium school.

I think general etiquette would be to reply in the language that the original communication was made.

I'd assume from their reply (I didn't realise you didn't speak Welsh) though, that they just replied in Welsh because that's their first language and it didn't click in their mind that you wouldn't understand - particularly if you'd mentioned you'd been referred from another welsh medium school.

I guess I had assumed that my current Welsh school had mentioned the fact I wasn’t a Welsh speaker- but maybe not so the new school may have assumed I was bi-lingual?

Maybe it’s a way of immediately finding out whether the sender can actually speak Welsh to a useful level or not.

Yes, that's a very good point. When I was at uni in North Wales, most signs and notices would be strictly bilingual; but you would see the odd job advert 95% in Welsh and then, at the bottom, in English, it would say "This is a job for which fluency in the Welsh language is essential".

Even if your job is for something like a maintenance person, cleaner or whatever - where you don't really need to communicate much at all with other people - the school (unlike your current one) might prefer to keep everything monolingual - warning signs, information signs, general communications, employment contracts etc.

Also, as English is still so dominant in Wales, there will often be a specific reason why parents send their kids to Welsh-language schools. The kids will be bombarded with English everywhere else - TV, SM, internet, books.... - maybe they've made a conscious choice for school to be an exclusive space where everybody speaks the native language.