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

christine-wyndham-th · September 16, 2019, 4:14pm

I want to be a Welsh speaker because it’s the language of Wales, where I was born and lived 'til I was 18, and I would love to be able to understand Welsh programmes when I watch them. It would be a sense of pride to be able to speak Welsh.

sara-12 · September 17, 2019, 11:03am

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I have three children growing up in Wales; and I want to model the global norm of being multilingual; I also need an intellectual challenge while I stay at home with children for a few years

linda-1 · September 18, 2019, 6:47am

Because I recently moved to Wales, my mothers side of the family is Welsh, and I now work across Welsh speaking schools so wanted a few key phrases to use at my meetings…But I am on Challenge 10 now and I am discovering that not only can I learn a new language (like others I thought I didn’t have any talent for it) but that I also really love the musicality and richness of the words and phrases. Listening to Welsh and attempting to speak it (mostly in the car whilst listening to the challenges at the moment) makes me smile!

kristina-young · September 21, 2019, 5:03pm

My children are in Welsh medium primary education and I want to be able to speak Welsh with them as well as understand the teachers when they speak in Welsh. Welsh language is important to the people I care about, so it is important to me. Also, I love it!

theo · September 22, 2019, 11:36am

I’m learning welsh because all of my family are welsh but most the kids have little to no understanding of welsh. Me and my brother want to revive its use in the family and hopefully be able to talk to one another in welsh which is so exciting!!!
P.S. I live in Australia now and am sick of people asking whether I speak Welsh and having to respond no :’(

kate · September 22, 2019, 11:49am

Me too! I’d love to be able to go on holiday and speak some Welsh.

sakina-murdock · September 22, 2019, 7:21pm

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I want my half-Welsh baby daughter to be a Welsh speaker

paul-jones · September 23, 2019, 7:40am

I want to understand the welsh commentary at rugby games without the subtitle translation

neil-humphreys · September 23, 2019, 2:32pm

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I live in Wales and my 5 year old daughter is educated in the medium of Welsh.

neil-humphreys · September 23, 2019, 2:36pm

I hope that with both me and my daughter both speaking Welsh it will strengthen the bonds between us.

CaroleB · September 24, 2019, 2:36pm

That is brilliant…after 33 years ! Pob lwc i ti!!

polly-pearshouse · September 24, 2019, 8:17pm

Thanks CaroleB - I like keeping promises - it would have made more sense if I’d learnt when I first moved, it was a Welsh-speaking area, now here in the middle of Wales I, sadly, hardly ever hear the language - I need to find someone to talk with

polly-pearshouse · September 24, 2019, 8:29pm

Brilliant - so difficult for a child to be learning Welsh when no parent speaks the language - there was no way I could help my son years ago unfortunately.

izzie-forbes-hurst · September 27, 2019, 5:43am

I want to be a Welsh speaker because…

I have lived here for years and never got beyond the basics.

My Mum’s family is Welsh - my Great Auntie Megan lived until she was over 100, and was totally bilingual all her life.

It’s a beautiful language and I want to understand its poetry, literature and song.

I’m glad to have found SSiW, it’s such a great way to learn.

Izzie

PS And I have a good friend called Justine who has encouraged me to do this…

karen-rice · September 28, 2019, 4:52am

I want to learn Welsh because that’s the language my ancestors spoke. Also I want to be able to read (and understand!) the letters I’ve inherited that were written to family members who moved to the US in mid 19th c.
I appreciate and enjoy reading posts on this forum.
Diolch yn fawr.

Camilla_Walker · September 29, 2019, 4:00pm

…it’s such a beautiful language and a wonderful way to get to know people

charlotte-cottom · October 3, 2019, 9:21pm

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I want to broaden opportunities in my community, through understanding and building relationships with others.

And… I hope that I will be able to support my son as he starts welsh-medium education in 2020, and not feel left out when he speaks to his friends!

zoe-wallis · October 5, 2019, 3:41pm

Because Ive lived in Wales most of my life!

dru · October 6, 2019, 10:46am

I want to be a Welsh speaker because I loved living in Wales, and I’d love to go back someday, and in the meantime, I want to feel the connection to Wales that comes from learning the language.

Also, it’s kind of cool to be learning the UK’s only official language

Jackie · October 7, 2019, 11:03am

I want to be a Welsh speaker because

Because Wales is home. I have lived in Wales since 1985 - 34 years now! That’s far longer than I have ever lived anywhere else. I love everything about it. I signed up for the Wlpan course some years ago, but I let other things take priority and dropped out - this is something I hugely regret. I should have prioritised it and stuck with it - and now I intend to do just that.
I feel like I am missing out - I think the language unlocks a whole other side to Wales and its people, which cannot be fully accessed through the medium of English.
I want to feel more immersed in the culture - especially the music and the poetry. And there’s some great drama on S4C!
I want to use Welsh, both at work (I work for the NHS) and in my everyday life.
Two of my grown-up “children” live and work in Wales - and if/when grandchildren come along, I want to be able to speak Welsh with them, and encourage them to use the language and take pride in it. ( Meanwhile, I’m practising on my dog! )