Welsh road signs ,Does anyone use the Welsh language

Gloomendoom

I was driving in France earlier this year and was surprised to see that some of the more important road signs were in English.

In fact, I have driven in several countries where the local language was supplemented with an English translation on road signs. I suppose if the main aim is to reduce road accidents etc. then it makes sense to use a language that is understood by so many of the world's population, either as a first or second language.

In a country that has two official languages, Wales, for example, it is not unreasonable to expect to see both on the road signs. Having said that, I spend a lot of time in Wales and I can't remember ever having an problem. Maybe I've never seen any signs where the meaning wasn't blatantly obvious... whatever language(s) they were written in.

popadom

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Which Act of Parliament is it which is driving hundreds upon thousands of parents to choose Welsh medium education for their children instead of an English medium school?

The last census showed that the number of young Welsh speakers was on the rise. By the time of the next census that figure is expected to be higher still, and that is before we take into account the fact that it is now trendy to have your children educated through the medium of, what is in your opinion, a useless language.

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But how many people put their relegion down when they dont actually practice it? Possibly the same thing..

pavlovs_dog

rgay1992 wrote: »

But how many people put their relegion down when they dont actually practice it? Possibly the same thing..

I understand your argument, but seeing as one of the single biggest reasons for the increase was the expansion of Welsh medium education, I would question your logic. How can they be educated through the medium of Welsh and yet not use the language?

cathij0269

I wasn't going to join in as I know this can be a very emotive subject, but as a woman who just has to give her twopenneth worth, here goes....
I have lived in Wales for nearly 20 years. My 4 children were all born here and I consider myself to be English and Welsh (my grandad was Welsh and a Welsh speaker) I would defend Wales to anyone (except when it comes to football against England - sorry!). I love this country and although I only speak a few basic words and numbers in Welsh which my daughter taught me, I think the language is beautiful and should be maintained. The signs should definitely be kept billingual, however I too question whether the large rainforest of billingual published material I receive is essential (surely a note on the front page in Welsh stating "If you would like this information in Welsh please call this number....." would be a better use of taxpayers money - double printing costs, double paper costs, higher postage costs etc etc all mean the money isn't available to be spent elsewhere. Despite living opposite a Welsh School, my children all attended English Medium Schools a) because they had no pre school Welsh and would have been on the back foot from the start b) because neither my OH or I speak Welsh and helping with homework etc would have been difficult and c)I have enough trouble understanding "kids speak" anyway never mind if they were doing it in a completely different language! I am a bit concerned that the emphasis now seems to be on promoting and developing Welsh Medium Education to the detriment of EM. EM schools around here are crumbling, however the Welsh Assembly are spending 30 million on new WM schools. The argument is that more children than ever speak Welsh (well they would be - it's compulsory in all schools!), in many areas where Welsh is not as widely spoken, numbers of WM children are up largely due to smaller class sizes and subsidized nurseries and breakfast/afterschool/holiday clubs (funding of which isn't available to EM schools) I have many friends who don't speak Welsh but put their children in WM education because our local WM School offers free full day Nursery places from the age of 2 1/2 (our EM school can't take them until the Sept after their 3rd birthday, and then it's only 1/2 days) and it means they can return to work a year sooner. I am surprised, however that despite this big push for WM education there is still no Welsh Medium University in Wales (unless you study Welsh as a specific subject obviously) so all these children coming out of WM education having been educated and learnt to study in Welsh will then have to learn to learn (?) in English at University which doesn't sound very fair especially as the WAG promotes Welsh Uni Education with brilliant grant subsidies.
OMG - just realised how long this is considering I wasn't going to get involved! - sorry! My point in a nutshell is that Welsh is a fabulous language which should be promoted, Wales has a fabulous pride in it's history and culture (I wish England was allowed to be so patriotic in this day and age!) and some Welsh words are fabulous loving "Popty Ping" for microwave (ok I think it's really "ffwrn meicrodon" - sorry Welsh Speakers!) but poptyping is brilliant! And Cwtch is the best word.......ever!

DdraigGoch

I have to agree with CathijO269 on the "cwtch" front, and the opt in/opt out for Welsh media. I was born 1.5 miles over the border in England, spent most of my life in Wales and have lost my Welsh *shame* but I am always glad to see the road signs in Welsh. Yes, if there's going to be only one option, it HAS to be Welsh. I'm grateful that there's English too. It HAS to be Welsh, because we're talking about using the NATIVE LANGUAGE, not about whether anyone can understand another one or not. That's not the principle, the principle is that in your own country you should be allowed to use your own darn language. It's been fought for for so many years, please don't set us back so many years...

and I promise to start taking Welsh lessons.

pinkmami

I'm a Welsh speaker & live in one of the most predominately Welsh-speaking areas in Wales. I know many of the older generation whom struggle to speak English. My children attend the local school which only had a handfull of English speaking kids there, but by the time they leave they're totally fluent. Being bilingual is a gift - & they should cherish it. Its certainly not a waste of money.

One thing gets my goat is the brown sign at Queensferry "Welcome to Wales - Croeso i Gymru"....I wish they'd change it to "Croeso i Gymru - Welcome to Wales".

antrobus

Gloomendoom wrote: »

In a country that has two official languages, Wales, for example ....

The Welsh Assembly recently unanimously passed legislation making Welsh an official language. I'm not sure that they accorded English the same status of an 'official language'. But then English isn't an official language of the UK as a whole, simply because the UK doesn't have any official languages. Not unless you count the Nationality Act 1981 which requires applicants for naturalisation to have "sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language".

Ladybirds

miss_corerupted wrote: »

Were i live most people are first language welsh. And i know a few that can't read English and 1 that can't speak english. To be fair these are mostly older people. Welsh/English everything can be time comsuming and a waste of money but i think it should be used on some things. After all if i want info of the Governemnt in Urdu i can get it by requesting why shouldn't i be able to get it in my home language?

With all due respect, why shouldn't everything be in bilingual if it is declared a bilingual country. If you go to Switzerland your get the different languages, Belgium is the same.
People from Wales are very proud of their heritage and their ability to have their own language. Having things in both lanugages does help with people who have taken the time to try to learn the language. Seeing the signes repeatedly is educating to some.
With regards to your Urdu, I am sure if you wrote to the government they would be able to provide you with the documentation in your chosen language, and would of course charge for the translation. Urdu is a beautiful language also but isn't a natural or national language of any of the British Isles.

Shotgun_Rider

To all the anti-Welsh posters on this thread, if Welsh was the dominant language in the UK and your first language was English, you'd see it our way pretty quickly!

miss_corerupted

rhosynbach wrote: »

this thread made me laugh also but it also made me cross with peoples atitude to the welsh language after all you would not go to france and tell them to speak english or have road signs in english. It is also wrong to say there is a pretence by some welsh people that they cannot talk english I know some older gereration welsh people who know nearly no english when i met my husbands nain she knew none. in north wales we have a high portion of welsh speakers my children are all first language welsh. We have a lot of english incomers to the area and some have terrible attitudes one lady told my husbands boss not to let him and a friend talk in welsh as they might be talking about him..
if welsh could be counted as an ethnic minority i am sure they would have a lot more respect and this very old and beatiful language would be protected and not treated in such a rasict way
CYMRU AM BYTH

Don't you believe it, In my village 2 welsh first language police officers stopped a woman speeding in her car, they spoke to her in english (she was from england) they then spoke to each other in welsh (both are first language welsh) and SHE made an official complaint against them!!! It wasn't upheld and she still got the ticket but she was in mid wales what did she expect!! Like you said I bet she wouldn't have complain about that in france or germany for example.