Hi, another South Welsh woman here, but now living in Switzerland where languages are protected...every Kanton in the German side had a different version of Swiss German, that can't be written only spoken, and it is furiously protected, as is Romansch the oldest language here, and basically how Ancient Romans sounded.
I took Welsh for granted, and being bilingual for granted too, nowadays I get quite angry about the arrogant assumption that all Welsh people should speak English. It is, for some people, not their first language. Most people are amazed that English isn't my first language, however I never used to think twice about it. Now, when I interview other Europeans who claim to have advanced business English, I inwardly scoff at the expectations compared to my Bilingual class mates of old.
3 of my cousins, all in their early 20's, are teachers in Welsh speaking schools in South Wales, the schools are packed and with waiting lists, they even have large amounts of Polish families attending, keen to pick up the languages.
My Uncle is an Ambulance driver, and I would challenge anyone in an emergency, over a radio, who hadn't learnt Welsh to pronounce the average Welsh address of an accident victim. You have to at least come to terms with the pronounciation for emergency services, law, GP etc...
My ds 6 will probably never use Swiss German if we move, but we are living in the country, and he will damn well respect the people and the language while he is here, and not arrogantly trample over the culture that we are living within presently.
Have people perhaps thought that the people they are speakng to are actually just talking back in English because that's the language you are approaching them with?