So, this million speakers thing - what are we going to do about it?

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Fair play to the Government for setting the target of a million Welsh speakers.

Some people will trust them to deliver - others might be a bit more sceptical.

I’m thinking…

This is what SSiW exists for, isn’t it?

There are only 3 sources for the extra half a million speakers…

  1. particularly fertile Welsh speakers

  2. Welsh medium education, and

3) adult learners.

1 and 2 aren’t really up to us - but there is nobody, anywhere in the world, individuals or groups or organisations or communities, who knows more than YOU do about learning Welsh as adults.

It really is the SSiW community’s greatest area of shared expertise.

You’re world leaders in this stuff.

===

So what do you reckon?

Shall we take it on?

I reckon we can do it.

We’ll need a combination of ideas, discussions and actions.

We’ll need to be clever about sharing the load, and clever about the tools we use.

We’ll need to talk in different ways - on the forum, in video chats, in real life - and we’ll need to be organised - and we’ll need to be determined.

But if there’s anyone who can hit that target ahead of schedule, it’s you folk.

===

If you’re up for it, let us know in the comments (and say if you’re ready to contribute to ideas, discussions, actions or all three!)…:slight_smile:

Who’s in? :star2:

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Your first steps - and Welcome to the Million Speakers Project!
#2

In!

But I’d be very glad this time we’re really guided about what to do and how to do (as you’ve said). And, particularly, what we, who don’t live in Cymru, who have no ancestors Cymreig + living in the countries with practically 0 Welsh speakers can do and more particularly, how.

I many times wonder when posting in social media: “I can spread the word but what effect will this really have? Will I really acheave what is needed to be acheaved? + Does Welsh nation really needs me, the only one in the little (much more little country than Wales with less inhabitants) country who speaks Welsh (well, there are two of us actually)?”

Yes, I need to be guided in this matter so if there’s anything I can do, I’m in whatever needed from me to be done (well in the range of my ability of course).

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#3

Yes, this is hugely important.

If we just complain about a few things and share a few links on social media, we’ll be wasting our time.

At the moment (and subject to change depending on what the team thinks) I’m expecting that we will:

1 - go through a process of discussion to identify core targets for change

2 - (perhaps in smaller teams) develop a list of possible actions to trigger those changes

3 - take those actions

4 - measure the results

5 - decide whether to continue each action or test a new one

#4

Yes. However this all sounds more to me like the best to do this is living in Cymru or in the areas where pobol Cymreig are living.

However I can still recommend SSiW to everyone who’s willing to learn the language and if (ever again) visiting Cymru, stubbornly speak Cymraeg with whoever speaks the language (or I think should speak it).

(I’m actually sorry for that matter, I don’t live in Cymru …)

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#5

I don’t think so. Any large scale piece of work will always need people to play lots of different parts, many of which will be possible wherever you live… :slight_smile:

#6

On a slightly related note… I’m totally new to this so I have no real idea… It seems there might be some short term synergy opportunities with the Eisteddfod in Cardiff next year… There are so many people there… if we could recruit X number of people in Cardiff to start SSiW now, as a group, as part of a promotion/program so that they would be functional next year … Just an idea…

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#7

Looking forward what’ll be in to take action.

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#8

Maybe it would be something uncomplicated like each Welsh speaker or learner persuading just one or two other non Welsh speakers to take a 10 lesson SSIW challenge. I think if people get to challenge 10 then there is a good chance that they might be “hooked” and would then carry on ? My nephew is going to do a 10 fight karate challenge in August to raise money for a little boy with cancer. He doesn’t know it yet but I am going to challenge him to do 10 SSIW lessons and then he can tell me/us which was the hardest thing to accomplish.:blush:

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#9

Count me in!
I’m not entirely sure what ideas I could contribute if I’m honest, but I’m certainly up for discussion and participation of any good ideas that come from the discussions.
I’m already using Welsh on social media, but as mentioned before, this isn’t going to make too much of a difference (other than confuse my non-Welsh speaking friends!), but I guess I live in hope that at least one person will be inspired!
But I absolutely want to help achieve this goal and be part of a bigger force behind achieving this goal.

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#10

Thanks for the ideas coming in already! - just for clarity’s sake, what I think would be best for us to achieve in this thread would be:

For you to say ‘I’m in!’ if you want to be part of the team (and ‘Ideas, discussion, action, or all three’ for what you think your contribution will be)…

And then once we’ve got an understanding of how many people we’ve got on the team, we can start figuring out the right environment for the initial idea generating stage… :star: :star2:

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#11

I’m in! :slight_smile:

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#12

I think it would be a good idea if every village or town , no matter how big or small had somewhere designated for people to go and speak Welsh , such as a coffee shop . Some of them could be self sufficient and some would probably need to be subsidised but this would mean that every community in Wales had a place they could go and have a chat in Cymraeg. They would be particularly useful in majority English speaking communities as they would bring the few Welsh speakers together for a sgwrs in their native tongue . They would also be very useful to adult learners who would always have somewhere to go and use/practice their Welsh . They could be a focal point for the language in every community .

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#13

Thanks for the idea, Sam! :star:

Are you up for being part of the team? :slight_smile:

#14

Yes I’m definitely in and part of the team Aran :slight_smile:

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#15

Gwych! :star: :star2:

#16

I have the same problem as Tatiana! I am good at contacting politicians, but that isn’t much use for this. Lwc ddda!

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#17

I’ll be on the team too.
I don’t know exactly how to help. Everything that has helped me learn Welsh has been through the SSiW courses and the forum. The forum leading to chat groups, going to Eisteddfoddau [Eisteddfods in English!] and other events with a language focus.
To achieve more adult learners will be partly pointing more types of people towards SSiW, but what the other parts are, I don’t really know.

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#18

“Cawntiwch” fi mewn :laughing: I want everyone to talk Welsh as tidy as what I do.

This is what SSiW exists for, isn’t it?

Exactly! Our positive outlook, energy and commitment suit us ideally to this mission. I see the SSi ethos as “Always encourage, Always support, Never reproach”. It works beautifully for us and will do, I’m sure for the rest of the “target”.

I’m standing by. / Bant a ni. :smile:

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#19

I’m in! I live in London but am often in Cardiff. I haven’t read the targets, have they issued anything about how they are going to measure this target? Is it only speakers in Wales? Will I even count? Still I am planning to move us all back to Wales in 5 years or so.

In terms of experience I’ve worked as an editor and am now working in a charity doing social media, comms and some fundraising so I know a little about those if that helps. My husband is a copywriter for an agency (sadly showing no signs of being converted to learning himself, but might be helpful with brainstorming ideas).

Kate

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#20

Let me get this weekend over with, and I’ll be in!

… having said that, I’m working at the Snowdon Race, so as usual in between duties, I’ll be SSiWing the heck out of anyone I hear saying "no, I don’t speak Welsh insert excuse here " :wink:

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