Sending child to Welsh speaking school

[WeEE]

Hi,

My son is 3 and will be starting school in September. He will be going to a Welsh speaking school.

I can speak a little bit a Welsh. A few sentences, but on the whole my Welsh isn't great.

I'm now panicking in case I have made the wrong decision. Has anyone else been in this situation? Did your child pick up the language quickly?

He is very clever, switched on and confident, so I'm hoping this won't affect his confidence and that he will pick up the language quickly.

I'm not in Wales but have heard that Welsh is compulsory in all the schools, is this correct?
If so, will it just be Welsh lessons, I know this is what friends dc have in a North Wales primary.
They speak English the majority of the time.

Hi,

Yes, they do Welsh lessons in all of the English schools in Wales, however this will be a First language Welsh school and therefore all lessons etc will be conducted in Welsh.

Just worried as he only knows a few words at the moment.

Unless you are in North Wales or Carmarthenshire I think you will find that most children come from non Welsh speaking homes. I've put both of mine through Welsh schools and have never had a problem.

Hi OP. I was educated through the medium of Welsh and speak it fluently. (Non Welsh speaking parents). It doesn't suit every child though but I think if you send him there, you and the school will know if he's struggling at all.

I loved it but then I am a 'Welshie' as my sons tell me! Pob lwc

@Northernsoullover

Amazing, thank you!
I know it's the right decision. I'm just so scared for him. He probably won't care at all 😂

Do it. Most schools expect a good proportion of the parents not to be Welsh speaking, more-so in secondary I think, and are set up for bilingual home communication etc.

I wish I had gone to a Welsh speaking school, loads of Welsh speaking advertised jobs I can't apply for. It will be fine.

Nope, he probably won't. :)

He won’t know any different and they pick it up so quickly.

Our dc go to a Welsh Medium school. I have learnt up to conversational level but there are plenty of families in school who don’t speak Welsh at all.

I was raised in a non welsh speaking home but my sisters and I went to welsh schools - we loved it. I’m very glad and proud to be able to speak Welsh now. I never remember learning it particularly... at that age you just soak it up like a sponge and become bilingual effortlessly.

My husband is a non-welsh speaking Welshman and we are planning on sending our son to welsh schools. He’s 4 days old at the moment so it’s a little while away yet!

He will be fine OP! I know a lot of parents who speak very little or no Welsh that send their kids to a Welsh school. He will soon pick it up, and it will be amazing for him to be bilingual, there are many benefits.

Bilingualism is a gift to children - you've made the right choice! When was the last time you heard someone say 'Oh, I wish I wasn' t able to speak this language that I know fluently '?

My ohs nephew goes to a Welsh school and no one in the family is fluent, he manages brilliantly without the language though none of us know what hes saying! apparently he has the opposite issue where he struggles with reading English.

I've downloaded the duolingo app to do a Welsh course so I can vaguely help out as my son goes through school (hes coming up to year 2 and has to do some welsh due to curriculum but its generally english). Something like that could help out particularly for primary school x

Hi Op South Wales here and I'm sending my DS to welsh school he starts this September as well.
I don't speak welsh fluently I can say a few phrases but that's about it.

I wanted my DS and my DD when her turn comes to have the opportunity to be able to speak fluent welsh hence why I've sent my DS it doesn't matter that I don't speak Welsh the school communicate in both welsh and English to the parents so that's lucky however I may look to learn welsh myself stupidly I never took an interest in it when I was younger and now I'm regretting it.