I often feel I am the only one learning a language!

[busybusybee]

Which is ridiculous because I work with lots of people who speak languages from all over the world - But they are all improving their English

I spend ages every week learning Welsh -with the aim of being fluent eventually - very early days though

I hardly ever get the chance to talk to welsh speakers even though I live in Wales because i live and work in a rural location

I was just wondering if any other MN were learning a language and finding it lonesome!

Hausfrau, you wicked, wicked girl!

busybusybee, I'm hopeless at Welsh though I've lived here for thirty (cough)- sorry about that- years. I'm on the Welsh thread sometimes and I'm still a novice. You'd be very welcome, I'm sure!

longwaytogo - my ds is in a Welsh secondary school (having gone to Ysgol Feithrin and a Welsh primary) and dd is following the same route. It would be so useful if I could speak Welsh properly. Ds finds it hard to pronounce some letters but even so, he loves speaking in, listening to, writing in and competing in Welsh. There is so much more to it than a language, I feel. The English secondary here is as good a school as the Welsh but there is such a strong sense of belonging in the Welsh one and ds wanted to be a part of it. It's much more noticeable now he is in secondary school (and loving it!) and is mixing with kids from half a dozen or more primary schools who are all in Year 7 secondary. The Urdd club is a big draw with trips to football and rugby matches and then there's the competition side with music, drama and stuff. I found it hard in some ways to start with, encouraging people to speak to ds and dd in Welsh when a) English was their (ds and dd) first language and their Welsh was very much second (until they were about 7 or so, I'd say, and then they were equally fluent) and b) if the adult spoke to ds and dd in Welsh, I wasn't able to understand much of it and the adult felt awkward doing so, even with my blessing. Ds and dd can switch from English to Welsh in a second and can speak in the dialect of the listener if necessary, with ease. Oh, and btw, dh is a fluent Welsh speaker which has helped enormously as they speak Welsh to each other whenever he is around. That is, ds and dd speak Welsh to dh but would turn to English to each other if he dropped out of the conversation, as ds and dd first spoke English to each other and that's how it continues throughout a lifetime, so I've been told. I don't know if that helps or if I'm just waffling! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Thanks ivortheengine, Still in a quandry as to what to do with dd. Dh says send her to welsh, he has spoken to his mums neighbours both welsh teachers one a head and they have said send her as flintshire teachers have always been very up on special needs provision. Not that shes not bright because she is and interacts brilliant with her 20 month old brother - she just refuses to speak toanyone outside the immediate family.

Thing is we are going to have to move house and the schools outside of the catchment area to which we live now are not as good.

Think I will have to give the welsh school a visit and see what they say.

You're welcome, longwaytogo. I think it's a good idea to visit the school and see what you think. Do they have a prospectus available for you to read beforehand? Do you happen to know any parents whose children go to that school so that you can chat to them about the school? Don't worry if not, just do whatever homework you can i.e. ask for the latest school inspection report etc and take your time looking around, making notes if you want to. I'm sure you'll find them very helpful. Good luck!

I'm not learning Welsh, i'm learning german.
I'm currently 7.5 months preganat and baby seems to respond in much the same way to German being spoken as English ( by kicking me hard) which is promising. We plan on taking him to Switzerland in the summer and I'm hoping he'll be cool with our friends baby talking to him auf duetch. my main reason for continueing to take classes this year (3rd year) is keep my german brushed up so i can cope with small baby in Switzerland and find the nappy change place/ chemists/ flat access routes etc , oh and chat a bit to swiss mums too, so far its been very handy being able to do all the hotel enquiries by e-mail in german, only one hotel have replyed in english which is reassuring about my language ability.
UniSarah