{"id":13666,"date":"2023-08-02T13:48:16","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T12:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=13666"},"modified":"2023-08-02T13:48:21","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T12:48:21","slug":"cymraeg-2050-what-role-do-adult-learners-have-to-play-in-preserving-welsh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/cymraeg-2050-what-role-do-adult-learners-have-to-play-in-preserving-welsh\/","title":{"rendered":"Cymraeg 2050: what role do adult learners have to play in preserving Welsh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>As Wales aims for one million speakers in 2050, what are the motivations and benefits of adult Welsh learners across Wales?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jerseys of green and gold, black and white, green, blue and crimson descended on New Zealand as rugby fans from across the globe congregated on the small island nation to support their teams in their bid for Rugby World Cup. With them, an array of languages danced through the streets, languages of love, of Germanic descent, and even from distant Celtic lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Kierion Lloyd, a proud Welshman from Wrexham this was a watershed moment. He was far from home \u2013 some 11,000 miles in fact \u2013 and suddenly he was looking at himself and his national identity differently. He couldn&#8217;t speak Welsh and for him, that was not okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI guess there was maybe an element of shame in myself,\u201d he says. \u201cThese people who&#8217;ve heard of Wales or maybe never heard of Wales, wanted to hear me speak in my native tongue &#8211; and I couldn&#8217;t.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being in New Zealand, with its inevitable comparisons to Wales &#8211; a love of rugby, being the smaller sibling of a larger country with its own endangered native language &#8211; acted as an extra motivator. \u201cThey are fighting to protect their language. And there was almost a comparison,\u201d he says. \u201cWelsh is probably one of the oldest European languages going, certainly the oldest language in the United Kingdom. So why should I help kill it off by not speaking it?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"645\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1024x645.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1024x645.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-770x485.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1536x967.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-2048x1290.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-293x185.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1400x882.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"645\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1024x645.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1024x645.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-770x485.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1536x967.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-2048x1290.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-293x185.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/20230716_150052-1-1-1400x882.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kierion (R) is an adult Welsh learner who is passionate about the language Credit: Kierion Lloyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Keirion is not alone in his desire to keep Welsh alive. The Welsh Government want to ensure that Welsh is here to stay \u2013 so much so they&#8217;ve made it a policy, Cymraeg 2050, to ensure that there are one million Welsh speakers by the same year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, then, what do adult learners like Keirion have to offer for the preservation and rejuvenation of Cymraeg? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>T<\/strong>he Welsh coastline runs for 1,680 miles, taking in seaside towns like Tenby in the west and Colwyn Bay in the north before reaching the England-Wales border to the east. This line separates the two home nations for around 160 miles from north to south following roughly the same route as the 1,000 year old Offa&#8217;s Dyke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the southern end of the border lies the Severn Estuary and two towns \u2013 Sedbury and Chepstow. Though they are separated by just 100 metres of water, in reality, so much more divides them. One lies in England and the other, in Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The market town of Chepstow, Wales, is where Millie Hitchcock grew up &#8211; a place where a person&#8217;s national identity was always up for debate. \u201cPeople that are my age are much more likely to be either really strongly Welsh or really strongly English,\u201d says Millie. \u201cIt&#8217;s sort of like you don&#8217;t want to be in between and kind of need to pick a side, because it&#8217;s such a mixture of people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite growing up in an English-speaking household and by her own admission sounding \u201cEnglish\u201d Mille says: \u201cI&#8217;m Welsh, not English.\u201d This assertion may be rare, considering Chepstow is part of Monmouthshire, an area which would fit into academic John Balsom as \u201cBritish Wales\u201d &#8211; where people identify more with Britishness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Balsom&#8217;s 1985 model, Wales can be broken up into three \u201cfuzzy\u201d categories, Welsh Wales, British Wales and Y Fro Cymraeg. In Welsh Wales, people don&#8217;t speak the language but feel Welsh in places like Rhondda, Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly. In Y Fro Cymraeg, people speak Welsh and identify as Welsh in places such as Caernarfon and Conway whereas British Wales includes Brecon, Wrexham and Monmouthshire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Balsom also asserted that those who speak Welsh feel more Welsh, which is a view that Millie has experienced first-hand. She recalls a time when an orchestra teacher asked her where she was from, \u201cWales,\u201d she replied. \u201cDo you speak Welsh?\u201d the teacher asked. Millie said no, only for the teacher to quip: \u201cYou&#8217;re not Welsh, then.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is something that the Welsh Government would seek to address with Cymraeg 2050 \u2013 given the assertion that \u201cWelsh belongs to us all\u201d. The larger vision of the initiative can be broken down into three categories, increasing the number of speakers, increasing the use of Welsh and creating favourable conditions for the language to grow with infrastructure and community support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On this target, Martin Johnes, professor of history at Swansea University says: \u201cHaving a target makes some kind of sense, but a million is just a random number. To me, it&#8217;s the wrong thing,\u201d he says, adding that having speakers is one thing but using it is when a language really lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1432\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh.png 1640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-300x262.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-1024x894.png 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-770x672.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-1536x1341.png 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-293x256.png 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-1400x1222.png 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1432\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh.png 1640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-300x262.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-1024x894.png 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-770x672.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-1536x1341.png 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-293x256.png 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/HgpCw-percentage-of-people-aged-3-who-can-speak-welsh-1400x1222.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The numbers too have been disappointing recently. According to the Census 2021 by the Office for National Statistics, all local authorities except four saw a decline in people over the age of three speaking Welsh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Millie&#8217;s Welsh journey started by attending an English-medium primary school where it was \u201ctaught by teachers who didn&#8217;t even speak Welsh\u201d and views that the language was \u201cdead\u201d. She returned to it in a rather roundabout way in her early 20s, by studying French and Italian and then, linguistics and French minority languages. The latter made Millie think about another minority language \u2013 Welsh.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After starting with a tutor and then working with LearnWelsh \u2013 which, according to learnwelsh.cymru had 14,965 unique learners in the 2020\/2021 academic year &#8211; she now has new opportunities. Those are academic, as her dissertation focuses on the language in Gwent and Glamorgan. \u201cI&#8217;ve been able to reach out to so many different people and actually, like be able to communicate in Welsh,\u201d she says, \u201cthat&#8217;s been really good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s also a chance to speak to some of her Welsh-speaking family too but there&#8217;s also something deeper. \u201cBeing able to speak Welsh would legitimise me a lot more in saying, I&#8217;m Welsh,\u201d she says, \u201cit kind of adds this sort of, like a layer of authenticity to my Welshness by being able to speak Welsh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same is true for Kierion, who says the language is also about \u201creclaiming\u201d his Welsh identity. \u201cI don&#8217;t feel that this is something I judge others by. But I felt for me that I felt a little bit less Welsh by not speaking Welsh,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kierion started to learn Welsh in school but spent a some of his childhood in Essex \u2013 where Welsh, unsurprisingly, wasn&#8217;t on the syllabus. Returning to live in Wrexham after his time in New Zealand allowed him access into a \u201cclub\u201d that he didn&#8217;t have membership in before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI felt there&#8217;s almost there was maybe a little club that I was on the outside of by not being able to speak it,\u201d he says. But now he&#8217;s got several memberships. \u201c It&#8217;s opened me up to these new experiences,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He&#8217;s attended the Eisteddfod as a learner, he says: \u201cIt was getting a chance to practice my Welsh in the wild.\u201d Welsh music is also something that has been a massive plus for him. \u201cOne of the main &#8216;doors&#8217; that has opened is music &#8211; I was a music lover before learning Cymraeg, but have been exposed to bands and artists that I would have been oblivious to if I wasn&#8217;t learning the language,\u201d he says. This has led to lots of performances and helped build his confidence after more and more chances to practise Welsh in the \u201creal world\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"774\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1024x774.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1024x774.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-770x582.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1536x1160.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-2048x1547.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-293x221.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1400x1058.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"774\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1024x774.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1024x774.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-770x582.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1536x1160.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-2048x1547.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-293x221.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/IMG_2952-2-1400x1058.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen is now moving onto the advanced Welsh course after just two years Credit: Helen Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Kierion, Helen Murray is a Welsh learner who lives in Wrexham. after moving back home after working in Manchester for a number of years as a freelance journalist. Helen&#8217;s decision to learn Welsh includes a bigger challenge &#8211; completing a podcast interview completely in Welsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is something she completed in November 2022. In fact, Helen&#8217;s Welsh has come on leaps and bounds and is now entering the &#8216;Advanced&#8217; level after just two years of learning. This is despite Helen&#8217;s experience learning Welsh as a second language in school, where the atmosphere wasn&#8217;t exactly encouraging. \u201cPeople just didn&#8217;t really care,\u201d she says, \u201cI don&#8217;t think anyone really loved it. I don&#8217;t think it was hammered into us that, actually, it could be quite a useful sort of skill to have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She does, however, think that times have changed. \u201cThat was just the attitude at the time. Whereas now, clearly, there&#8217;s a such a huge push to actually speak it.\u201d One push is the Cymraeg 2050 policy which involves shorter strategies to reach the target. Education is a large part of the focus with the most recent strategy suggesting that a Welsh-medium Education Bill could be tabled.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"517\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-517x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-517x1024.jpg 517w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-151x300.jpg 151w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-770x1527.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-775x1536.jpg 775w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-293x581.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"517\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-517x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-517x1024.jpg 517w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-151x300.jpg 151w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-770x1527.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-775x1536.jpg 775w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050-293x581.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/Cymraeg_2050.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>But historian Martin Johnes notes that education is not going to be the key to increasing the number of Welsh language speakers. He says: \u201cEducation didn&#8217;t take it away and won&#8217;t bring it back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cChoosing to raise your kids in Welsh and sending your kids to Welsh schools. You know, those things are really important. But education alone is not going to save the Welsh language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor me, what&#8217;s important for the future of the language is that it&#8217;s a community language that people speak in the street, speak with their friends, speak in the pub. that&#8217;s never going to happen in the valleys or Cardiff or Swansea. The future of the Welsh language as a community language depends what happens in the north, on the west,\u201d he says. This is where the \u201cemphasis\u201d of the policy should be in order to keep the language \u201c vibrant.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years there has been a great deal of media attention on how Welsh-speaking communities have been threatened due to people buying second homes in the areas, pushing up prices so that locals can&#8217;t afford to live in the area. <em>The Guardian<\/em> previously reported that Welsh language group Cymdeithas yr Iaith, has argued \u201cdestroying\u201d Welsh-speaking areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>I think it is respectful to try.\u201d<\/p><cite>Cathy Jackson<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the areas affected by an influx of second home owners is Anglesey, the small northern island where Welsh learner Cathy Jackson lives. Cathy, who was born in Wales but brought up in Cheshire, came to Anglesey when Brexit took France off the table as a possible retirement destination for her and her husband. Wales, with its own language and unique culture, proved a valid second choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in truth, Cathy, who has Welsh ancestors, had always felt a pull to Wales. Now, she says: \u201cI don&#8217;t know why, this is the first place that actually felt at home.\u201d And to make it feel even more like home among the other residents of Anglesey &#8211; where 55.8% of the island\u2019s population speak Welsh as part of the ONS 2021 census \u2013 Cathy started to learn Welsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI want to be part of where I am,\u201d says Cathy, \u201cI think it is respectful to try and even just &#8230;please and thank you if nothing else.\u201d But her language learning journey has taken her much further than \u201cplis\u201d and \u201cdiolch\u201d &#8211; even if she first \u201cmangled\u201d the language when she tried to speak it. \u201cI think people too many people think you can just go to your two and a half hour lesson once a week and you&#8217;ll be able to speak. And it\u2019s just not like that, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so Cathy practised with neighbours on both sides, the receptionist at the GP surgery office who told her that they would help her \u201canytime\u201d and with good friends from her village even though they had to speak English to her \u201ca lot\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three years later, there was a moment with those same friends one summer evening over a glass of prosecco, Cathy says: \u201cI hadn&#8217;t really realised that they had been speaking Welsh the whole time. Just understanding it, to chip in&#8230;it was such an amazing moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, Welsh adds to her \u201clovely, friendly way of life\u201d but also speaks to something deeper. \u201cIt&#8217;s the very first thing I&#8217;ve done for myself,\u201d she says, \u201c[I&#8217;m] absolutely fascinated with languages and what they tell you about&#8230;the people and the culture.\u201d For Welsh \u2013 this is an innate kindness, reflected in the language and the people. \u201cWelsh doesn&#8217;t have any really horrible swear words,\u201d she says, \u201cIt&#8217;s just nice and gentle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"466\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1024x466.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1024x466.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-300x136.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-770x350.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1536x698.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-2048x931.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-293x133.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1400x636.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1024x466.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1024x466.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-300x136.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-770x350.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1536x698.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-2048x931.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-293x133.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/08\/humphrey-muleba-gSKCFdzGJIM-unsplash-1-1-1400x636.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Menai Bridge leads into Anglesey Credit: Humphry Muleba, Unsplash <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s also about her family history \u201cI suppose it&#8217;s like a missing piece,\u201d says Cathy, \u201cthis is something that I feel was taken away from our family generations ago. And I feel like I feel like it&#8217;s my duty to get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than moving into Wales to learn the language, some, like Steven Griffin, learned once they left the country. Originally from Merthyr Tydfil, Steven has lived in Scotland and worked as a music teacher for decades. He didn&#8217;t come across any Welsh speakers until he went on a summer course with a national choir and met attendees from all over Wales \u2013 Cardiff, Aberystwyth, north Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There, he felt \u201clooked down upon\u201d, he says: \u201cI really felt a lot of polarisation there because the Welsh-speaking clique very much looked down on us Saes (English speakers) because we didn&#8217;t siarad Cymraeg (speak Welsh).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than inspiring him to learn the language, it put him off for quite some time. That&#8217;s not to say his home life was without Welshness. \u201cWe didn&#8217;t class ourselves as anything other than Welsh,\u201d he says. Red shirts, leeks on St David&#8217;s Day and rugby were a big part of the culture. \u201cWatching Gareth Edwards, JPR. And all that bunch,\u201d he says, there was \u201cpride in Welsh identity via rugby\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, he&#8217;s a Welsh learner. He was prompted by time marching on, something to take his mind off the \u201cdifficult\u201d pandemic but also by a family friend who took up French. Learning Welsh was a positive thing. \u201cIt&#8217;s opened my ears to language in general,\u201d says Stephen. \u201cthe connections between different languages are something I find quite interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moving into his 50s and with the pandemic happening at the same time too, he says: \u201cIt really helped me suddenly have a new sort of sense of purpose, at a time when it&#8217;d be very easy to just stagnate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Purpose and motivation may be something that differs for every learner but remains a key question asked by non-Welsh speakers. To make things a little easier Kierion Lloyd apparently has a standard answer. \u201cWhy not?\u201d he says, \u201cwhy wouldn&#8217;t I learn the language of my father&#8217;s?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-genially wp-block-embed-genially\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"5 Welsh sentences for beginners\" frameborder='0' width='1200' height='675' src='https:\/\/view.genial.ly\/64c6963affd9850019e68759#?secret=XyBgB67zKW' data-secret='XyBgB67zKW' scrolling='yes'><\/iframe><noscript><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"5 Welsh sentences for beginners\" frameborder='0' width='1200' height='675' src='https:\/\/view.genial.ly\/64c6963affd9850019e68759#?secret=XyBgB67zKW' data-secret='XyBgB67zKW' scrolling='yes'><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Wales aims for one million speakers in 2050, what are the motivations and benefits of adult Welsh learners across Wales?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":798,"featured_media":13672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[48,346,318,347,233],"class_list":["post-13666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-culture","tag-cymraeg","tag-language","tag-wales","tag-welsh-language"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - 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