So the Welsh MP who refused to talk in English

[Beetroot]

On the BBC news?

WHY?

Oi! Who's being highly charged and emotional??? hmm??? HMM??? effin ell.

Re subtitles versus voiceovers, this might be because they want to use the report for the radio as well and maybe they couldn't' be arsed to do separate subtitles?

Ah yes Ron Davies, that was him, I've always got them mixed up for some reason. Have no idea why.

discoverlife - no I'm down south. Are you in the North?

I don't think that translation costs should really be an issue here. The BBC must have Welsh speaking staff who could have translated what was being said - it's not as if they would have even had to employ someone especially. Councils all over the UK spend lots of money translating written material into languages that are not traditionally used in the UK, and I think that there would be uproar if it was suggested that immigrants should not have access to translation facilities (Citizens Advice Bureau etc).
I just don't think that it should be an issue. It is one of the 2 official languages of the country and should therefore have equal standing, and if an MP wants to speak in Welsh in parliament then he has every right to do so. It is not being forced on anyone - there was a translation available. I don't see what the problem is.

By 'lynched' I meant verbally bollocked/told off... not hung drawn and quartered!
(That's what lynched meant when I grew up!)

And I think it would be deserved as it would be like being in France (as everyone else seems to be using french as an example) and declaring that most of the world speaks english so they should stop speaking french, where I live it is far from a dead language (Welsh that is)

He was a politician - of course he spoke English - he just choce not to as he was Making a statement (yawn)

I have no problem with Welsh speaking but this seemed ludicrous

OK, but have you read the other responses on your own thread? Haven't we done this?

I didn't see the news report, but out of interest, beetroot

1. was the interviewer talking in English?
2. was the interview taking place in Wales?
3. was he being asked about a welsh topic?

I think he was being asked about Peter Hain's scandalous corruption honest mistake. (Not sure though)

oops, haven't got the hang of te hypehn thing.

do you know answers to 1,2?

what is Hain thing? )(I don't keep up with the news very well)

He's not declared some of his campaign contributions. He's Welsh Secretary isn't he?

MB - my grandmother tells the same stories of being beaten at shcool if she spoke Welsh .

Cod - if you're still around, I hate to disillusion you but its not a "steady march of the englsih language" but a steady march of the American language. Internationalisation of certain words has more to do with Microsoft and Hollywood and feck all to do with anything English. Yeah yeah, I know, the English invented it, but you can't be dwelling on past glories forever you know

I don;t doubt that the man was being a bit pigheaded but on the other hand the BBC don;t assume that French politicians will automatically be interviewd in English even if they are being asked about an English subject.

1. was the interviewer talking in English?

Yes

1. was the interview taking place in Wales?

On phone I think

1. was he being asked about a welsh topic?

Corruption (surprise surprise) univrsal topic

on phone, so welsh bloke prob in wales?

hmm.

MB!!!

I just read your post about the onions sellers from Brittany. We used to have an old lady and her family come over to Llanelli every year to do the same. She only Breton and I found that with my Welsh and a bit of French I could understand her well enough.

Pointy, Welsh only declined because the English tried to kill it off, by force. The fact that people stood up to the bullying and managed to keep the language alive, when their children were being beaten for speaking it, is quite impressive I think. Speaking Welsh cost you status, money and the chance to do well in life. People of my grandfather's generation talk about the language as a handicap - being a Welsh speaker would 'hold you back'.

Given the historical and political responsibility the British state bears for throttling the language, it seems only right that we make some small effort to putting right that wrong.

Sadly, as some of the posts on this thread demonstrate, prejudice against Welsh is still a real issue.

As I personally don't agree with languages being given large supplies of political oxygen to ensure they stay alive, i would've raiaed an eyebrow at his political point but there are far greater things to take issue with on this topic so it really wouldn't have bothered me.

I know the history, edam. I know the harrowing history and of course I have sympathy. I am Scottish after all. I just happen not to agree that nowadays, in 2008, we have any political obligation to keep any language alive. I don't think we are redressing any balance by pumping money into the language.

I do not believe a langauage should be, or even can be, manipulated like that.

But the numbers of people speaking welsh is increasing, So how are we not readdressing the balance?

What expenditure exactly do you object to? Give me some practical examples.

I mean that genuinely and so I'll start.
Simultaneous translation for internal meetings of 14 people where only one person speaks Welsh. That happens twice a year in the place I'm thinking of.

But there are more shocking things in the world to be fair and one man being translated on the BBC does not cause me such irritation.

I meant I do not believe there is any point in redressing the balance in this way.

I am more aware of scottish than welsh where the situation is different as there is hardly anyone whose first language is gaelic and large parts pf scotlanf never spoke gaelic in the first place.

Most obvious cost I always think of is gaelic tv. It's seriously crap.

There clearly is a point, as the number of Welsh speakers is now growing.

THe language didn't decline because it's useless, or difficult, or somehow not up to the needs of today's world. It was because of a concerted campaign of oppression. The least we can do is honour the bloody-minded, awkward and honourable people who kept it alive by doing what we can to redress that wrong.

You don't have the monopoly on crap tv .

I think the point is that people feel really committed to it. It's bizarre (I don't get it incidentally but am quite happy to defend them). People are voluntarily signing up to classes, encouraging their children to grew up bilingually, actually wanting the languages to be treated equally. That's what makes it important.

I didnt see the politicians report but this guy could well speak welsh as a first language, hence his interview was held in welsh..there are still many places where welsh is spoken as a first language. I get fed up with all the welsh bashing(although I take no notice if it comes from cod), its one of our oldest languages and im proud to speak welsh..my grandparents were from south wales and couldnt speak a word of welsh because it wasnt encouraged, hence my mum and her siblings couldnt speak welsh..I was the first one in the family to speak welsh fluently after attending a welsh speaking primary school anbd living in a part of north wales where welsh was still very prevelant..however, after 20 years in cambridgeshire..I spoke conversational welsh for the first time at the eisteddfod last year and it felt great..im proud to be welsh and deeply saddened that the part of wales i have moved back to seems to be struggling to maintain the use of the welsh language, im yet to meet a welsh speaker round here.