'I want to be a Welsh speaker because...'

Just had my DNA analysed and found out I am 79% English, Welsh and North Western Europe (France, Germany and Denmark), 16% Irish and Scottish and 5% Swedish. I had no idea about the Welsh ancestors! Another reason to learn Welsh!

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I want to learn Welsh, because in amongst a shifting, chaotic childhood, a happy and kind woman called me Blodyn, and wished me Nos da whenever I stayed with her, and I felt her words more than I understood them, and I felt at home.

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Thanks so much! Weā€™re saving our pennies for a trip to Wales, hopefully next summer. Iā€™ve already been scouting out places to visit so hopefully the wait to go wonā€™t seem too long. I havenā€™t been on a vacation since 2002, so I am really looking forward to it - especially since weā€™ll be in WALES!

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Yours is the sweetest reasons Iā€™ve read in this thread, Amy whoā€™s a flower, most likely a rhosyn (rose). What a lovely reason. Iā€™m glad you had her in your life.

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I want to be a Welsh speaker as my partner is welsh speaking and I want to join in with family conversations in my native language!

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I want to be a Welsh speaker becauseā€¦Iā€™ve been living in Wales for nearly 20 years so thought itā€™s about time I learnt to speak the national language ā€¦but most of all I canā€™t wait to see the looks on my childrenā€™s faces (both in Welsh medium school/nursery) when I can actually have a proper meaningful conversation with them in Welsh :slight_smile:

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Iā€™ve been doing the same with my neice who is in welsh medium nursery at the moment. Good chance to practice new bits youā€™ve learned ha. Also because she associates Welsh with school it is much easier to ask her to do things and have her actually listen to you if you ask it in welsh; extra bonus!

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because a) I feel a like a part of me is missing not being able to connect to my culture properly b) to see joy it would bring my partner (and his family) and c) to be able to chip in confidently with lots of the conversations at work!

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Good luck with your learning :slight_smile:

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because I want to move to North Wales, because I love the landscape and language, and it inspires much of my poetry.

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Totally, living and working in Wales, it makes sense to learn the language and help sustain it too. I feel like it is already opening up opportunities to make or strengthen frienships and understand more cultural events. I hope your learning journey is a good one :slight_smile:

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I want to be a welsh speaker because I love languages, I live in a welsh speaking community and it would fill me with glee to be able to chat with my neighbours.

One thing i hope to achieve by speakibg Welsh is to gossip with the locals.

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Thatā€™s exactly what Iā€™d like to do as well! We go to Cemaes in Anglesey regularly and I am just beginning to test small sentences with local friends - and they are so encouraging. :blush::+1:

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I want to be a [fluent] Welsh speaker becauseā€¦ it pains me that Iā€™m from a Welsh speaking family (my grandmother spoke Welsh as her first language) & I yet I was not brought up bilingual for complicated reasons I never fully understood (but suspect it was related to a ā€˜Welsh Notā€™ incident in family history). One thing I would like to happen isā€¦ to teach my aerial yoga classes in Welsh or bilingually. So, no pressure :slight_smile:

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I want to be a Welsh speaker becauseā€¦ my Dad was born in Wales in 1923 and lived there until he was about 4 years old. He had about three phrases in Welsh (including Iechyd Da - not sure why a 4 year old knew how to say cheers!!) and it always fascinated me. I expect as a child he spoke a lot of welsh but leaving at a young age he would have lost a lot of it. I went to visit the village where he lived a few years ago and actually found the house where he was born.

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Growing up in a mining town in the valleys, my granddad found out at a later age that his mother was a fluent Welsh speaker whilst visiting her at a home. She said that she did not encourage it in my grandfather due to fear of systematic exclusion. Both my granddad and nan wore the Welsh Not in school, though my grandfather over 30 years ago chose to teach himself. Secondly, 2 years ago this July my father passed away at 48, to learn fluently was always one of his hopes, I have a 4 year old sister who is half English - and I am determined to become fluent for him, for myselfā€¦ And for her, to instill that pride in our country, culture and language that I feel myself.

Plusā€¦ She calls her nursery classmates ā€œmochyn,ā€ so whatā€™s not to love.

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Your story is so very moving. Thank you for sharing! :blossom:

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Thank you Anne, Iā€™m going to be meeting with her in August and I am so looking forward to chatting in Welsh with her!

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Thanks Sasha. Xxx

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because in 6 months time it will be my wedding anniversary and I want honour the memory of my husbandā€™s Welsh father (who spoke no English until he was 10 years old) by saying something in Welsh.

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