There is a lot of Welsh spoken where I live (Gwynedd), but it's frightening how quickly it disappears once you go to other places in Wales. Bob lwc i chdi efo'r Cymraeg.
From an outsider perspective, Englishman living in South Wales late 90s, visited all over and came back recently to do a similar tour of North and South. I was surprised at the extent Welsh has become more omnipresent throughout S. Wales especially there is a stronger influence in Cardiff, to the extent I heard several people in the street speak it in just a short stay. In my 3 years living in the area before late 90s I remember perhaps once or twice hearing it on the street in the Cardiff area. As for North Wales I remember late 90s going to Caernarfon and literally everyone was speaking it in the street (winter time). This time I remember hearing plenty of English. May be because it was summer and tourists. So I left a it confused about the state of Welsh, I think in general it is stronger nationally but maybe a little weaker in the heartlands. Hope I'm wrong on the latter. Tbf my 90s Welsh tour was in winter and this recent one was in summer when it fills up with tourists so not te best comparison.
Something I noticed regarding Welsh speakers in England... When completing the 2011 Census, the question regarding language asked something along the line of "what is your main language". Whilst I'd consider myself conversant in Welsh, it isn't my main language, so I won't be included in the figures. I'd hazard a guess, there's a lot of other people who fall into this category, and the number of Welsh speakers in England is significantly higher than the data suggests.
Plenty of welsh speakers like myself have had to move out of the countryside to find work in English cities. Plenty of people like myself want to return when houses in the Welsh countryside become affordable.
It's an odd pattern--English and others buying expensive houses in Wales, but then the Welsh having to seek work outside of Wales. Hopefully things will become more affordable for y'all.
Questions surrounding the language really are poorly worded. I remember being 11, just starting secondary school when the 2011 census was being conducted, and being asked in a survey whether I could, 'Speak Welsh well'. Despite being fluent in the language and speaking it daily at home and in school, I didn't feel that I spoke it as well as my peers, so I answered, 'No'. That being said, we can't put all the blame on questions. More needs to be done to not only teach the language, but also to keep people speaking it, whether that's through new schemes, creating spaces where people feel comfortable and confident using the language, or boosting Welsh media; video games, TV, social media etc. Things that appeal to the younger generations. *also, to clarify, the survey I mentioned above wasn't the census, just a school-wide survey.
I am from south Wales and I am learning welsh. The issue with getting new adult learners on board, is the perceived commitment needed. If people used apps to learn welsh for just 15 mins a day (not everyone can commit to classes) then we'd see far greater numbers speaking welsh in the future. Learning welsh isn't that difficult in my opinion, it's a marathon not a sprint.
I totally agree. People think they have to be children to learn languages easily, but adults also have advantages over children when it comes to language learning. If people will focus on a little at a time consistently, they'll be fluent eventually.
I started learning Welsh in my mid 20s. I didn't learn to get a career, but that's what happened and I'm now retired from it. It has enriched my life in so many ways, and I certainly can't imagine living in Wales without it. Pob lwc i bob dysgwr.
Hi interesting insight 👍. Just an observation as a first language speaker with children attending a Welsh medium secondary school. They have friends who have a similar educational standard in Welsh, however iv noticed there is a huge difference between them in the confidence and likelihood of using the language outside school in an informal environment. I fear that the emphasis of keeping the language alive is focused on education as opposed to a wider community based approach
Diolch! I agree. WME is important, but it really needs to be encouraged outside of a classroom environment. Any tips for me raising a child speaking minority languages?
@@CarlsLingoKingdom hi I'm no expert to be giving out tips. All iv done is to speak with them in Welsh every day without fail, even when the reply I get is in English 😁
@@CarlsLingoKingdomI am English lived in Wales for a while, dabbled in learning Welsh and can relate in terms of teaching another language to your kids. I speak Spanish to my kids as is wife's native language and I'm fluent. My first child spent holidays there so is pretty fluent but intersperses more tricky words with English a lot. My youngest due to covid spent very little time there and as a result despite always speaking Spanish to him and wife/kids at home he always replies and speaks in English despite trying to get him not to! He sometimes uses the odd Spanish word without realising it and understands but never speaks fluently. I can also see the other side in that it has affected both the kids English progress at school. I can see how difficult it is to keep the other language alive when the environment is so English based. I remember going on holiday and there was a Welsh family. The mum was clearly fluent and committed to speaking Welsh to her kids but they mainly responded in English. The Dad seemed less bothered. It's a shame and just takes a lot of dedication and must be nearly impossible if one parent is not fluent although I do have a Spanish friend who is married to a Italian in the UK and the child speaks all 3 languages pretty much fluently. I'm not sure how they managed it.
This is a grim picture. Not only has the absolute number of Welsh speakers decreased, but it's also decreased the most in Y Fro Gymraeg (Welsh-speaking heartland, where the everyday language is Welsh)!
It is a bit grim, but like I said in the video, it's not being measured as accurately as it could be. I think if Wales continues to build Welsh-medium schools and encourages the language, it has a better chance.
Can't remember if I messaged you before. I'm American of Welsh descent living in NC and learning Welsh primarily with Duolingo thus far. Would be nice to try communicating and putting what I'm learning to use. If you have time; I know you're busy and have new family. If interested I'll give you an email.
@@CarlsLingoKingdom Thank you. I assure you I'm a beginner too, and short on time, so any exchange would be rudimentary and brief. But your channel is interesting, and your enthusiasm is engaging. I will work on getting an email alias to you since I'm not sure whether this reply is public.
Diolch Carl! Llawer o bobl'ma siarad/deall dim ond tipyn bach o Gymraeg. Mae'n rhan integral o ein diwylliant ni. Lots of people speak/understand just a little bit of Welsh. It's an integral part of our culture.
I don’t really speak much welsh but I can offer understand general context in conversations ether in person or via welsh media, like you said they way they asked people was far too restrictive and binary, as a person like myself wouldn’t be recognised
I think they're doing the right thing in Wales. If they can pass the language on to children who become fluent speakers even when Welsh is not spoken at home those children might hopefully grow up and have Welsh speaking children where Welsh is the language of the home. When I went to school in the 1980s it was still a rarity to find fluent second language speakers of Welsh but now there seems to be loads of them!
Comparing Welsh language situation and Breton language shows clearly that the situation in Brittany is appaling bad : 20000 young people altogether learning the Brezhoneg. A poor radio broadcasting, a worse TV offer and pratically nothing in the daily environnment. Yhe realoty is that french goverment does it's best to destroy the Breton language prrtending that a strong breton speaking area is a danger for the " Unicity of french Republic" and it gives the way to separatism ! So seen from Brittany the Welsh situation is a magnet for us , we Breton native or not speakers. Croeso- Kenavo.
I had a friend who went to a Welsh medium school but never spoke Welsh to her family or not I'm aware of. I think material could be better in term for fluency.
@@CarlsLingoKingdom The material part was a serperate paragraph, I mean there isn't enough welsh material in the shops or enough to be a high B2 or low level C1 at best.
fel person o'r wlad. Rwy’n credu mai’r siaradwyr Saesneg sy’n achosi’r gostyngiad, gan eu bod yn dal i dawelu wrth ymgartrefu yn ein gwlad a ddim hyd yn oed yn trafferthu siarad. mae angen i fy nghronfa arian gael gafael, a dylai adeiladu wal i'w cadw allan, yn ogystal â tholl bwth i hybu ein heconomi
Want more analysis? Watch @BenLlywelyn's Welsh Language Census Breakdown: ruclips.net/video/gDEHWA_-tYM/видео.html
No, don't. Ben Llywelyn hasn't got a clue what he's talking about.
There is a lot of Welsh spoken where I live (Gwynedd), but it's frightening how quickly it disappears once you go to other places in Wales. Bob lwc i chdi efo'r Cymraeg.
From an outsider perspective, Englishman living in South Wales late 90s, visited all over and came back recently to do a similar tour of North and South. I was surprised at the extent Welsh has become more omnipresent throughout S. Wales especially there is a stronger influence in Cardiff, to the extent I heard several people in the street speak it in just a short stay. In my 3 years living in the area before late 90s I remember perhaps once or twice hearing it on the street in the Cardiff area. As for North Wales I remember late 90s going to Caernarfon and literally everyone was speaking it in the street (winter time). This time I remember hearing plenty of English. May be because it was summer and tourists. So I left a it confused about the state of Welsh, I think in general it is stronger nationally but maybe a little weaker in the heartlands. Hope I'm wrong on the latter. Tbf my 90s Welsh tour was in winter and this recent one was in summer when it fills up with tourists so not te best comparison.
I am a Ukrainian refugee who is now in Wales learning Cymraeg, so it's true that other people come to Wales and learn Welsh)
Dal ati!
Digital cwtch, “hug” I really appreciate you learning!:)
Something I noticed regarding Welsh speakers in England...
When completing the 2011 Census, the question regarding language asked something along the line of "what is your main language". Whilst I'd consider myself conversant in Welsh, it isn't my main language, so I won't be included in the figures. I'd hazard a guess, there's a lot of other people who fall into this category, and the number of Welsh speakers in England is significantly higher than the data suggests.
Diolch. I hope you're right!
Diolch am awgrymu.
Plenty of welsh speakers like myself have had to move out of the countryside to find work in English cities. Plenty of people like myself want to return when houses in the Welsh countryside become affordable.
It's an odd pattern--English and others buying expensive houses in Wales, but then the Welsh having to seek work outside of Wales. Hopefully things will become more affordable for y'all.
Questions surrounding the language really are poorly worded. I remember being 11, just starting secondary school when the 2011 census was being conducted, and being asked in a survey whether I could, 'Speak Welsh well'. Despite being fluent in the language and speaking it daily at home and in school, I didn't feel that I spoke it as well as my peers, so I answered, 'No'.
That being said, we can't put all the blame on questions. More needs to be done to not only teach the language, but also to keep people speaking it, whether that's through new schemes, creating spaces where people feel comfortable and confident using the language, or boosting Welsh media; video games, TV, social media etc. Things that appeal to the younger generations.
*also, to clarify, the survey I mentioned above wasn't the census, just a school-wide survey.
Diolch! I agree.
I am from south Wales and I am learning welsh. The issue with getting new adult learners on board, is the perceived commitment needed. If people used apps to learn welsh for just 15 mins a day (not everyone can commit to classes) then we'd see far greater numbers speaking welsh in the future. Learning welsh isn't that difficult in my opinion, it's a marathon not a sprint.
I totally agree. People think they have to be children to learn languages easily, but adults also have advantages over children when it comes to language learning. If people will focus on a little at a time consistently, they'll be fluent eventually.
I started learning Welsh in my mid 20s. I didn't learn to get a career, but that's what happened and I'm now retired from it. It has enriched my life in so many ways, and I certainly can't imagine living in Wales without it. Pob lwc i bob dysgwr.
@@drychaf Diolch yn fawr.
Hi interesting insight 👍. Just an observation as a first language speaker with children attending a Welsh medium secondary school. They have friends who have a similar educational standard in Welsh, however iv noticed there is a huge difference between them in the confidence and likelihood of using the language outside school in an informal environment. I fear that the emphasis of keeping the language alive is focused on education as opposed to a wider community based approach
Diolch! I agree. WME is important, but it really needs to be encouraged outside of a classroom environment. Any tips for me raising a child speaking minority languages?
@@CarlsLingoKingdom hi I'm no expert to be giving out tips. All iv done is to speak with them in Welsh every day without fail, even when the reply I get is in English 😁
@@CarlsLingoKingdomI am English lived in Wales for a while, dabbled in learning Welsh and can relate in terms of teaching another language to your kids. I speak Spanish to my kids as is wife's native language and I'm fluent. My first child spent holidays there so is pretty fluent but intersperses more tricky words with English a lot. My youngest due to covid spent very little time there and as a result despite always speaking Spanish to him and wife/kids at home he always replies and speaks in English despite trying to get him not to! He sometimes uses the odd Spanish word without realising it and understands but never speaks fluently. I can also see the other side in that it has affected both the kids English progress at school. I can see how difficult it is to keep the other language alive when the environment is so English based. I remember going on holiday and there was a Welsh family. The mum was clearly fluent and committed to speaking Welsh to her kids but they mainly responded in English. The Dad seemed less bothered. It's a shame and just takes a lot of dedication and must be nearly impossible if one parent is not fluent although I do have a Spanish friend who is married to a Italian in the UK and the child speaks all 3 languages pretty much fluently. I'm not sure how they managed it.
PLease, please, please turn your home into a welsh speaking home. Your children will thank you.
This is a grim picture. Not only has the absolute number of Welsh speakers decreased, but it's also decreased the most in Y Fro Gymraeg (Welsh-speaking heartland, where the everyday language is Welsh)!
It is a bit grim, but like I said in the video, it's not being measured as accurately as it could be. I think if Wales continues to build Welsh-medium schools and encourages the language, it has a better chance.
Can't remember if I messaged you before. I'm American of Welsh descent living in NC and learning Welsh primarily with Duolingo thus far. Would be nice to try communicating and putting what I'm learning to use. If you have time; I know you're busy and have new family. If interested I'll give you an email.
I'm still a beginner but go for it! :)
@@CarlsLingoKingdom Thank you. I assure you I'm a beginner too, and short on time, so any exchange would be rudimentary and brief. But your channel is interesting, and your enthusiasm is engaging. I will work on getting an email alias to you since I'm not sure whether this reply is public.
@@ioanstokowski1647 Just send me an email. My address is in my channel's About section.
I can help you too, if you like! Dw i'n byw yn Efrog Newydd.
Diolch Carl! Llawer o bobl'ma siarad/deall dim ond tipyn bach o Gymraeg. Mae'n rhan integral o ein diwylliant ni.
Lots of people speak/understand just a little bit of Welsh. It's an integral part of our culture.
I'm glad to hear that.
I don’t really speak much welsh but I can offer understand general context in conversations ether in person or via welsh media, like you said they way they asked people was far too restrictive and binary, as a person like myself wouldn’t be recognised
Quite a disservice how they worded the survey!
I think they're doing the right thing in Wales. If they can pass the language on to children who become fluent speakers even when Welsh is not spoken at home those children might hopefully grow up and have Welsh speaking children where Welsh is the language of the home. When I went to school in the 1980s it was still a rarity to find fluent second language speakers of Welsh but now there seems to be loads of them!
Comparing Welsh language situation and Breton language shows clearly that the situation in Brittany is appaling bad : 20000 young people altogether learning the Brezhoneg. A poor radio broadcasting, a worse TV offer and pratically nothing in the daily environnment. Yhe realoty is that french goverment does it's best to destroy the Breton language prrtending that a strong breton speaking area is a danger for the " Unicity of french Republic" and it gives the way to separatism !
So seen from Brittany the Welsh situation is a magnet for us , we Breton native or not speakers.
Croeso- Kenavo.
Yes, all the Celtic languages are in danger.
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Hi
Howdy!
I had a friend who went to a Welsh medium school but never spoke Welsh to her family or not I'm aware of.
I think material could be better in term for fluency.
What do you mean? Not enough Welsh materials in a Welsh medium school?
@@CarlsLingoKingdom The material part was a serperate paragraph, I mean there isn't enough welsh material in the shops or enough to be a high B2 or low level C1 at best.
Good video. Will you do a similar one for Gaelic?
Thanks. I suppose I could, although the census is done at a different time in Scotland.
Mae Cymraeg wedi dirywio'n ofnadwy yn y trefi rownd Rhydaman a Crosshands yn y 30 blynedd diwethaf. Bron neb yn siarad Cymraeg erbyn nawr 😢😢
Ofnadwy! :(
fel person o'r wlad. Rwy’n credu mai’r siaradwyr Saesneg sy’n achosi’r gostyngiad, gan eu bod yn dal i dawelu wrth ymgartrefu yn ein gwlad a ddim hyd yn oed yn trafferthu siarad. mae angen i fy nghronfa arian gael gafael, a dylai adeiladu wal i'w cadw allan, yn ogystal â tholl bwth i hybu ein heconomi
I used to be called by my English name Dick Hard but now I prefer the ancient Welsh version of my name!
That's an unfortunate anglicization bud 💀
@@internetual7350 coc caled suas!