Apparently, Anglesea Council has got plans along these lines…
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A quick thought on what I think could be a very modern twist on studying the so-called classics and a subject that could be very useful for students applying to certain universities. What about something in the curriculum to inspire an interest in languages and how this links to culture, national identities and communication; covering the history of languages - Indo European and Non-Indo European.
This is something that could give context to languages and create a lifelong interest in languages. You could look at language families on the Indo-European side of things - including Greek, Latin, Celtic, Slavic and Germanic - also linking to things like Sanskrit etc.
Tolkein provides a great role model for someone who loved languages and became one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century - his love for languages created immense value on a global scale - once ranked by Forbes magazine as the fifth top earning “dead celebrity”. Google translate provides an example of how knowledge of languages can lead to the creation of technology outlets that create and derive value, leading to career opportunities for those who have high level skills in understanding of linguistics and related IT skills.
You could also include people like Edward Lhuyd from a historical perspective and many, many more. A lot of the early linguists were also scientists - botany and physics, people like Thomas Young - famed for Young’s Modulus in science. So many links it could be a very rich subject in terms of science, history and communication, not to mention the workings of the brain and psychology.
Being one of the few survivors of the Celtic languages, Welsh would have a prominent role and it would be a very useful subject to have alongside other languages as more discrete subjects.
This would be a very contemporary and valuable subject in our modern world of mass communication and social media - it does link very nicely in my mind. Things like coding at the end of the day are just contemporary languages, very, very useful, albeit never spoken. In my eyes, sciences are also languages and any subject that can consider all of these things from a language perspective would be a very valuable thing in the current era.
How does this link to the goal of 1 million Welsh speakers, well the key thing to learning languages is the motivation to learn. This provides a motivation to learn which is very outward looking in terms of understanding the importance of all languages. Students doing a subject like this should be motivated to learn languages from different language families and appreciate that this enhances their knowledge of communication and appreciation of other cultures. It is possible to export using solely English, but you can export better knowing local languages and cultures. Surely it is important when trying to understand other cultures that we also have in-depth knowledge of our own; this is surely a foundation step.
All of the worlds knowledge is wrapped up in languages - it is a part of the knowledge economy and it is important to understand that no single language can possibly encapsulate the breadth of human knowledge. Celtic languages have a place in understanding the modern wold and learning Welsh has significant importance, beyond our communities and our borders.
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I don’t believe it’s been mentioned earlier, but Y Lolfa’s bilingual book ‘Gwneud y Pethau Bychain/Do the little things’ edited by Ffion Heledd Gruffudd could be good source of suggestions for what could be done to boost the language. While it’s principally aimed at what individuals can do in their own lives, this includes persuading schools, colleges, businesses etc to take on board a variety of suggestions which perhaps the government could equally press for ‘top down’.
More than likely any suggestions contained in the book would find their way into the consultation process anyway, but it’s usually wise not to take these things for granted!
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I think your thoughts on micro-commitments is a great idea. It allows people that may feel ‘beyond the learning years’ to be more comfortable with bite sized pieces of Welsh to learn.
I am Canadian and one thing that we do is have any mandatory information on labelling (warnings, directions for use etc) in both english and french. That way it becomes part of everyday life in an unobtrusive way but it reinforces the bilinguality of the country. I don’t know if the labelling is the same in Wales, but it is a handy way to pick up vocabulary.
I think that it is very exciting that the Welsh government is looking at this. I wish that I was there.
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I agree. Welsh needs to be seen everyday everywhere in Wales. If not Wales then where else? There needs to be more Welsh websites, popular TV, music etc all in Welsh and promoted by the Welsh. This can’t just be a quaint movement. I think there should be programs on TV for pre-school children in Welsh only. I don’t live in Wales so I don’t know if you have these programs or not. But shows similar to Sesame Street that are in Welsh only. Ingrain it early and subliminally as you mentioned.
Fight the good fight people. For what little it is worth, you have my support.
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29 posts were merged into an existing topic: A quick collection of off-topic stuff from the Government opinion thread
Some great suggestions in this thread and I am glad to say that I had already seen and responded to the consultation.
I largely echo what has been said previously; important points which I feel could help achieve 1,000,000 speakers:
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A Welsh first approach on public announcements/correspondance
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An emphasis on conversational Welsh in English-medium schools over formal written skills (which will inevitably develop from speaking and listening)
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Incorporating Welsh language history and Welsh history (i.e. pre-England/UK) into Welsh language lessons
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Make Welsh more interesting by recognising the global influences it has had e.g. Tolkien’s Sindarin, World of Warcraft etc
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Using ‘Cymraeg’ instead of ‘Welsh’
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A positive Welsh media to counter the current England-dominated media which we overwhelmingly hear in Wales. Which, incidentally, seems to jump on every chance it gets to patronise the Welsh and our language (views which accurately reflect White middle-class English attitudes in my experience).
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Promote resources such as Duolingo and SSiW which make learning in your own time far easier than commiting to classroom sessions
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Promoting cool contemporary music artists such as Kizzy Crawford, Swnami and Candelas (particualrly on English language programmes in Wales) which I think are fantastic adverts for Cymraeg and could appeal to young people
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A Welsh subtitle option on Welsh language programmes
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Using Welsh language interviews on BBC Wales news with English subtitles would definitely help normalise hearing Welsh
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Welsh speakers continuing to be supportive of Welsh learners and recognise that many of us weren’t fortunate enough to be brought up with Cymraeg spoken at home etc
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Promoting all Welshies (learners and first language alike) to try to use Cymraeg on Dydd Dewi Sant
That’s my two pennyworth - if you agree with any of these points, please feel free to add them to your own when completing the consultation form 
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Reposted from another thread.
I’ve been learning, or have learned Welsh over the past several years, starting on my tenth year now. So I started before SSIW existed, possibly even before it was a twinke in @Iestyn and @aran’s eyes.
So in that time I’ve met dozens if not hundreds of people learning Welsh on the way. Over the past month, as we are getting to ‘start of term’ time, I’ve been asking if they have signed up for classes.
No, I’ve given up.
No, the classes are too far away.
No it’s too hard.
Somebody told me that for every 100 people who start at Mynediad 1 only one gets to Uwch. Now I know that some get to a level that they are happy with, but so many fall off the wayside thinking they are failures.
They are not failures. The system is failing them.
Now I know I am preaching to the converted here, but by golly it’s making me angry.
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With all do respect, I believe you who of those authorities are checking this topic, it might worth to check this topic too. You might get some suggestions and picture of the whole situation with classes and courses for adults.
Maybe it comes the time for just doing something not calculating too much if your country is about to get that 1.000.000 speakers in the future. Implementing Welsh in schools in Wales, teachers training for doing that job … all this opens new jobs and gives perspective to the language. What about to go from this point on rather then looking into the past and calculating how many teachers there was/is to teach the language and how likely would kids and their parents agerr with learning Welsh. It’s Wales so the country of the language …
(will not go further as it was all said already …)
I think that a hypothetical schedule will help with decision making, because if we need a certain number of additional pupils enrolled per year, we can look to see which areas will be the easiest to start with, where there is likely to be the most support and focus our efforts and resources there initially, rather than spreading things thinly over the whole of Wales.
Some parts of Wales simply won’t want it initially, so don’t force it when there is no real need. Also get people in areas that buy in to this, to tender and campaign for it to happen in their area.
doing things this way, we will be reponsive to demand and not flogging dead horses in places like Tredegar for example and risk stirring up resentment and vocal opposition.
Ladies and gentlemen, please leave this thread for your actual submissions to the Government, and put any discussions over in the other thread (it’s very tricky for me to unpick discussions which may have elements in them which you’d like to submit formally).
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-encourage buy-in from younger people by promoting Welsh websites run by young Welsh speakers dealing with topics that interest their generation
-promote Welsh poetry submissions by youth in public spaces ie buses, bus stops, in local newspapers etc
-promote local Welsh talent with contest submissions for skits, singing, music etc, all in Welsh on TV. Winners can get 30-60 second spot on TV or some such.
-ensure labelling on products is in Welsh and English
-ensure tourism industry is bilingual
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3 posts were merged into an existing topic: A quick collection of off-topic stuff from the Government opinion thread
A further thought: All businesses, large and small, serving the public should be required to display prominently a standardised notice/sticker saying something along the lines of one or other of ‘We speak Welsh’ or ‘Sorry, we don’t speak Welsh’. It would underline that the language is an important issue, in a similar way to the food hygiene gradings displayed by cafes etc, and it might also provide a nudge to businesses to consider seriously whether they could try to offer a service in Welsh.
Rather than people wondering if they’re wasting their time trying to spot some voluntary ‘We speak Welsh’ sticker which may or may not be there anyway, with every business displaying one or other notice the standardised notices would soon become familiar, and so quicker to spot. Also a requirement for all businesses to display one or other notice would ensure they were all treated equally as well as being amore practicable to administrate.
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This is an excellent idea and should certainly be passed on to the Government!
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I’ve submitted my comments and am going to do the young person’s version with my students on Wednesday. I shall feed back!
I think this is a brilliant idea. (Or ‘Some of us speak Welsh’, of course, which would encourage people to wear the little orange badges maybe.)
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Just as the NHS do!
I learnt Welsh five years ago and a now pretty proficient, but when I go to Wales, even in the North, the first language used to me is English. When I reply in Welsh then sometimes I get an answer in Welsh,but sometimes in English again! Yet I know these people can speak Welsh. They just choose not to. As well as encouraging more people to begin to learn Welsh, we need to encourage those who already can do to actually use it! They don’t seem to see the point, or value their native tongue. Somehow we need to stir up some National Pride in the language of heaven. It is the motivation we need to work on. If people really want to speak Welsh they will do so, even if they have to spend time learning it. How about having some roving Welsh language spotters? These people would mingle in crowds, incognito and occasionally give out say £100 when they heard someone speaking Welsh. If this became known I bet the frequency would rise.Those who can speak Welsh but generally don’t might take to speaking welsh in public just on the off-chance they might be lucky and be overheard, in a cafe, or at a match, or in a shop etc… After all, why not? It would not cost them anything. The names of the “winners” could be announced, or if they did not wish this, they could be referred to, like with the lottery, as " a resident of Cardiff".
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