{"id":13643,"date":"2023-08-02T13:47:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T12:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=13643"},"modified":"2023-08-02T13:51:25","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T12:51:25","slug":"dr-cymraeg-gives-his-diagnosis-on-how-to-learn-welsh-and-the-future-of-the-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/dr-cymraeg-gives-his-diagnosis-on-how-to-learn-welsh-and-the-future-of-the-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr Cymraeg gives his diagnosis on how to learn Welsh and the future of the language"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Wales aims for one million Welsh speakers, we take a look at a case study of Welsh learner turned online personality, Stephen Rule, to find out the secrets to learning and what the diagnosis for Welsh is for the future.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stephen Rule sits at his computer in a red jersey. Something, he admits, is not an uncommon occurrence, \u201cI’m mostly found in some sort of football shirt,\u201d he says. Whether for his home nation of Wales or his home town of Wrexham it doesn’t matter \u2013 after all both are on the up these days. \u201cEveryone knows where Wrexham is now,\u201d he says, after the team was taken over by Hollywood actors, got promoted, and even starred in its own Disney Channel documentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wales men’s team saw success too when they headed to the Fifa World Cup in Qatar \u2013 their first in 64 years. That, however, came after a long period of struggle. \u201cIn the early 2000s, they essentially got rid of the old guard and they brought in all these young lads at the same time. And they were getting battered,\u201d says Stephen, \u201cthen they came together as this one group. And they’re still seeing success from that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his passion, Stephen isn’t a football pundit, he’s a Welsh learner turned Welsh teacher, turned Welsh personality, Dr Cymraeg. He writes books about the language, is a moderator for the Welsh Duolingo course, and is even raising his son in a Welsh-speaking home. He has, it is no exaggeration to say, had his whole life changed by the language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He mentions football for a good reason though. For him, the plight of the Welsh football team mirrors another home grown challenge \u2013 preserving and regenerating the Welsh language. \u201cThere has to be like a catch-22 generation for this to come back,\u201d says Stephen, \u201cwe are the people who have to be that sacrifice, we have to be that young Welsh team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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