Indeed, I lived near Ammanford (Rhydaman) for 19 years and most people I know are good or fluent Welsh speakers. A high proportion of those are first language Welsh.
Bilingual clap trap.
- Thread starter Diesel
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Indeed, I lived near Ammanford (Rhydaman) for 19 years and most people I know are good or fluent Welsh speakers. A high proportion of those are first language Welsh.
Welsh is my first language and I use it every day. I wouldn’t say it's a dead language. I agree some people go too far, but I feel it should be protected and promoted. It's a very important part of Welsh life here.
The road signs need to be in two languages so the English understand them when they visit
Would you go to France and expect everything to be in English for you? What makes Wales different?
Very surprised at some of the comments here, it seems you have no appreciation of other cultures and languages.
The road signs need to be in two languages so the English understand them when they visit
Would you go to France and expect everything to be in English for you? What makes Wales different?
Very surprised at some of the comments here, it seems you have no appreciation of other cultures and languages.
I am surprised at the level of "Anti-Welshness" in this thread by you guys. Is it any wonder that a percentage of the Welsh dislike the English attitude towards them when that is the attitudes you have?
You have to remember Wales is a country of its own. It does have its own Parliament and collects a vast majority of its funds by taxes from people living/working in Wales.
I live in England myself although I am Welsh. It seems like all the English do is moan about other Ethnic groups in England and got so fed up about it, their moaning about the Welsh living by their own culture in their own Country now. Im pretty sure that if you were to move to India then you wouldnt start moaning that Indian people speak Indian in front of you or that your forced to learn a bit of Indian to get by? Or would you? Is it just part of been English?
Giving us Welshies a hard time isnt going to help the rift between the two countries. We need England and England needs us. Even if it is only for Pot Noodles
Edit- While writing my post I see that some Welshies have jumped in and stood up for us, Good on ya guys
You have to remember Wales is a country of its own. It does have its own Parliament and collects a vast majority of its funds by taxes from people living/working in Wales.
I live in England myself although I am Welsh. It seems like all the English do is moan about other Ethnic groups in England and got so fed up about it, their moaning about the Welsh living by their own culture in their own Country now. Im pretty sure that if you were to move to India then you wouldnt start moaning that Indian people speak Indian in front of you or that your forced to learn a bit of Indian to get by? Or would you? Is it just part of been English?
Giving us Welshies a hard time isnt going to help the rift between the two countries. We need England and England needs us. Even if it is only for Pot Noodles
Edit- While writing my post I see that some Welshies have jumped in and stood up for us, Good on ya guys
Soldato
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I was going to tell you how to reply, but not sure if I'd get banned or not....
It is, in Welsh, **** off you sheep ******. A welsh friend told it me
It's my first language and all of my families. I'd say 90% of the village I live in is the same. So obviously it's not important at all.
Many children in Wales do not even know English until they go to school and learn it, the only time they'll ever speak English is in school lessons depending on where they live, so English is not really a first language in Wales.
'Many' is perhaps the wrong word, 'a small number' would be a better description.
Gotta kinda disagree there though matey.
My wife is from Guildford, she moved her when she was 6. Went to a school north of Carmarthen at a small place called Cynwel Elfed. She was taught Welsh as her FIRST language. At 33 years of age, she's now fluent in both languages, and while of course English is "her" first, a lot of her friends at primary school were taught Welsh above English. It's very very very true to say though that this perhaps wasn't carried on at the home, and indeed some of Sophies friends went home from school and spoke English to their parents. But the fact is, for a lot of parts, Welsh is on the curriculum before English.
Likewise as has been said above, I actually worked at Ammanford which again is in the Carmarthenshire county. A lot of people there were taught Welsh as a first language, and indeed even here at Swansea, there a many schools that teach Welsh as a first (if I remember rightly, Haly who use to frequent these forums once went to a Welsh speaking school in Gorseinon which is literally 2 mile down the road.)
There's also a school about 5 mile away at a place called Llaneddi, which again I believe is a Welsh speaking school (although I believe there is a choice to which comes first).
It's something I've got use to now, I'm certainly not fluent in it, I can 'get by' in understanding, and I think the term is "Wellish" where I can understand what people are asking me in Welsh, but I'll respond in English.
The one thing though that wound me up (and there ARE still places that do this) is "I" can go into a shop, say a bakery, and ask for 5 scones. It'll cost me £1.00. Sophie can go into the SAME bakery, ask for 5 scones (but say it in Welsh), and they'll charge her .90p.
That DOES happen.
I also remember one time going to Llanelli market and asking for a Scotch Egg and having a mouthful of abuse about how I was in Wales and that they only serve Welsh Eggs, which is Lamb instead of Pork and the shape is more "Rugby" ball shaped! Crazy!
But having said that, there is one thing fortunate about living in Wales - no prescription charges!!
I was going to tell you how to reply, but not sure if I'd get banned or not....
It is, in Welsh, **** off you sheep ******. A welsh friend told it me
I know 100% what it is, and rhymes with "bant"
No, many IS the right word, the further West you go from the Border the more likely the families main language is Welsh. It's only really the Border towns and the bigger cities that are mainly English, I live in Flintshire, AKA Little Liverpool, there's more scousers here than there are Welsh, so yeah English is probably a first language here, but even so I know families whose main language is Welsh here too.
If 800 years isn't long enough, it's time to split. England conquering Wales has not resulted in unification. It isn't like, for example Wessex, Mercia, the Danelaw et alia. Split it now. Treat it like the USA and Canada - a very relaxed border between two different countries.
The main reason why Welsh has become more common is because it has been pushed so hard. It isn't an old thing. It's a new thing. Welsh is spoken more in Wales now than it was in my grandfather's day.
The main reason why Welsh has become more common is because it has been pushed so hard. It isn't an old thing. It's a new thing. Welsh is spoken more in Wales now than it was in my grandfather's day.
Soldato
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I know 100% what it is, and rhymes with "bant"
I was dubious when she told me at first... I thought she was telling me to say I like men or something, but apparently it is right. I did try to learn Welsh at one point, and have all the books... but I figured... I live in Manchester so, WHY?!?!?!
Welsh speaking in schools was discouraged using the Welsh Not.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/language/pages/education.shtml
I still dispute the use of the word 'many'.
Only a fifth of the Welsh population speak Welsh, that in itself is a small number. Take away the large number who only learnt it because its the cool thing to do (and whose real language is English) and I think you will find that not many children in Wales are brought up speaking only Welsh before they go to school.
I know quite a few garages on scheme that answer in Welsh, its nice to hear... after all it is there country isn'tat? 
Its a very robust language, its a challenge to pronounce some of the places.. Llanfairpwllgwyngyll for instance lol,although its always funny when we get a recovery in Llandewi-Breffi... before I started here I didnt know it was a real place
Its a very robust language, its a challenge to pronounce some of the places.. Llanfairpwllgwyngyll for instance lol,although its always funny when we get a recovery in Llandewi-Breffi... before I started here I didnt know it was a real place