Cheer up, Bridget, your lucky day is nigh!

British Council
Language Trends Wales 2024

• Nearly 70 per cent of responding secondary
schools reported that none or less than 10 per cent
of Year 10 students were taking an International
Language for GCSE or other Level 2 qualification;
• Secondary school teachers report a lack of
funding in International Languages and a need
to revise harsh grading boundaries in public
examinations;
• All responding post-16 colleges use AI technology
in the teaching of International Languages.

A generation or more who have been subjected to political decisions which inhibited rather than enhanced their future opportunities.

People also ask
What percentage of Wales speak Welsh?

(17.8%)
According to the 2021 census, the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024.

More people will speak Welsh now as it has been a compulsory subject in state schools since 1990.

True.
Only useful in Wales though.

Quote FriedGreenTomatoes2 Thu 02-Jan-25 11:01:18
However, forcing it on people as a first language, which is what several public bodies in Wales do, is wrong

A friend retired to North Wales. Sold up from Yorkshire and bought a bungalow there. Says it drives her to distraction when she needs to phone any government department or 111 and has to listen to everything in Welsh first before English. Says it’s drives her nuts and to be honest most of her Welsh friends too, who are not fluent. I suspect only a very tiny minority are so the tail’s wagging the dog here.

Your friend can move back to England

Funnily enough Anniebach that’s her plan for 2025! She’s getting older (aren’t we all) and isn’t impressed with Welsh healthcare so it’s back to Yorkshire for her.

I know.
You won’t miss her. (I said it first 🤣).

Your friend doesn’t think I should hear my language because she chooses not to speak it ? Still that sort still around sadly

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Funnily enough Anniebach that’s her plan for 2025! She’s getting older (aren’t we all) and isn’t impressed with Welsh healthcare so it’s back to Yorkshire for her.

I know.
You won’t miss her. (I said it first 🤣).

If you phone the dwp you are directed to press a particular button if you would like to hear the messages in English.

Anniebach

Your friend doesn’t think I should hear my language because she chooses not to speak it ? Still that sort still around sadly

People don't want the Welsh language to disappear, quite the contrary.

I know a couple of people who did not speak any English until they went to school, one became a teacher but even she found it difficult to teach Welsh to reception class children as well as teaching them English because their first language was neither.

However, when the majority in a country do not speak the language, should it be the first language of Government and public bodies, or should it be the second language on official documents, road signs?
In a country which relies on tourism for income, should Welsh be dominant on road signs?

I'm not asking to be contradictory, it's a genuine question.

Your friend can move back to England
😯

Or she can press 2 for English.

Quote Allira Thu 02-Jan-25 12:46:40
Your friend can move back to England
😯

Or she can press 2 for English.

Nooo, she couldn’t do that , she is English, it must be as she wants

I can recite it all in Weldh now as long as it's Araf.

Allira

I can recite it all in Weldh now as long as it's Araf.

That’s all Greek to me Allira are you sure you aren’t reciting it in Klingon?🤭Which sounds like Hebrew and Welsh combined.