Relocating to Welsh-speaking Wales

Eliza_2

Am thinking of doing the above. Can anyone share their experience of doing it? There are various anecdotes around about local people not welcoming incomers, excluding them by deliberately speaking Welsh all the time and so on. I know the area and do feel a bit cut off in shops and so on, but it's no different to visiting France for example where I would expect to use my rather rusty French. However living there and becoming accepted could be different.

I moved to this very rural area (in England) about 20 years ago and became very involved in local activities, worked in village shop, parish council, local voluntary groups and so on and was recently told by an old hand farmer that he doesn't think of me as an incomer any more - a huge compliment. However it's taken me 20 years! How much longer would it take when I don't even speak the language? I've started to learn and it's going ok but I won't be able to take part for example in local meetings etc if they all speak Welsh. It's a bit intimidating, how would you get a foothold?

Can anyone give me the benefit of their experience please. I am planning on renting first for a while before buying.

Thanks

Liz

Mojisola

Eliza wrote: »

Am thinking of doing the above. Can anyone share their experience of doing it?

There are various anecdotes around about local people not welcoming incomers, excluding them by deliberately speaking Welsh all the time and so on.

Speaking their own language, you mean?

Do you talk in their language when you know someone is from a different country or keep talking English?

If you move to Spain, learn Spanish; if you move to Wales, learn Welsh!

gettingtheresometime

Can't think of any other way of phrasing this, so please don't take offence but what is it about the area that attracts you?

Eliza_2

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

Can't think of any other way of phrasing this, so please don't take offence but what is it about the area that attracts you?

Everything - the language, the culture, the history, the scenery, the community, the people and so on, in the same way as you decide to move to any area. As I said I would expect to speak Welsh in the same way as when I'm in France, I no way expect to be spoken to in English. I am also learning Welsh (both of which points I made in my original post) and it's coming along ok.

However I was wondering if anyone had any first hand experience of expediting that belonging (which I feel where I am now yet has taken 20 years of becoming involved), feeling part of and contributing to the culture, scenery, community, people and so on, without being a natural speaker of the language.

When I moved to Germany, with a passing knowledge of conversational German, I was aware I was excluded deliberately while out with a group as I knew 'just enough'. I quickly learned more and saw from the 'other side' that this happened. It's hard being an incomer so I want to show I can contribute as well as take from all the wonderful things about the area.

Oh dear, I obviously haven't expressed what I mean very well have I! My quote about others speaking Welsh and deliberately excluding others was anecdotal by the way, stuff I've heard and been warned about.

Liz

Missymae0

I'm Welsh and would expect and hope that they would try to speak English in your presence. When people get to know you they will accept you for who you are, welcome to Wales! Croeso y Cymru!

Mojisola

It depends on the area - there are parts of England where you could live for twenty years and still not be accepted - Wales is the same.

You need to get to know the actual area you are thinking of moving to. If you are willing to name the area, someone may have specific knowledge.

Fosterdog

The only properly Welsh speaking areas are West Wales and North Wales. West Wales is much more welcoming to "outsiders" than North. Up North they don't even like people from South Wales, Welsh speaking or not. Obviously not everyone is like that but as a whole it is not the most friendly nor welcoming place for "outsiders" unless you go to a uni area which will have less Welsh speakers and will be more diverse and accepting.

I'm in South Wales and I have lots of friends heading West with a number of them being English who have moved to the area and they have all settled well and seem to enjoy the rural Welsh lifestyle. I've been to North Wales three times and apart from the touristy area around Snowdon it wasn't very welcoming at all. I visit West Wales a few times a year and have never felt anything other than welcome.

PasturesNew

In general, while people are hesitant when an outsider turns up, it's just because you might not be "just like them".

If you are just like them and keep your nose clean ... after that it's that a lot of incomers up sticks and leave after 2-3 years and they feel "betrayed" at the efforts they made to welcome you.

After that.... it's down to personality and whether they like you.

They might not like you, this might be because you're not "just like them" and maybe because you run slip-shod over "the way things are done" and write your own rules.

Nobody minds incomers coming into a community if they stay - and if they're not there to change everything because "their way is better", or to disregard rules/ways and do things in a "superior to you; I'll do what I like" way.

The main thing though is .... people leaving once they've over-wintered a couple of times.

moneyistooshorttomention

I moved to "welsh speaking Wales" pretty recently.

How much you will be affected by the use of the Welsh language depends very much on which agegroup you are in. If you are working age group - then you might well have problems (particularly if you work in the public sector).

For leisure purposes then it depends on what leisure activities you have in mind. There are ones that basically one has to be able to speak Welsh to go to - as you will sit there not understanding a word otherwise (eg eisteddfod type activities). For more standard type ones - eg exercise classes/most voluntary work/visits to specific leisure type things like going to the cinema etc = the default language is English.

Local newspapers - I've got a choice of several. All of them have a small portion of articles in Welsh. I am unable to read those articles and work on the basis that probably the most "important/need to be read by everyone" articles will be able to be read by everyone (ie will be in the language the vast majority speak = English). I don't think I'm missing anything not being able to read those odd few articles.

All public sector correspondence is in both languages. So you just read your "own" language - whichever one you regard as being your own.

I find it takes a lot longer to remember names of places/etc if they're in Welsh and remember very few of them and just have to give a general name for them (ie "the shop that sells this" or "the place that does that").

All the normal tv and radio channels are still available. There is one Welsh language tv channel. I have two local radio channels available - one is totally in Welsh and the other is 99% English - so I listen to the one that is 99% English - as otherwise I wouldnt get all the local news that these stations give.

There are the odd couple of people that will start speaking Welsh in a "general" conversation - but most people understand that general conversations are due to be understood by everyone taking part in them - ie need to be in a language where everyone can join in.

Red-Squirrel_2

It sounds like you've invested a lot in the community where you currently live, are you not happy there anymore?

Eliza_2

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

It sounds like you've invested a lot in the community where you currently live, are you not happy there anymore?

Yes I absolutely love it but would like to try somewhere new. 20 years is the longest I've ever lived anywhere (I'm in my 60s) so time to try another part of the country. I can 'absolutely love' somewhere else too and we live in such a wonderful group of islands so would like to experience other places. Have lived abroad too.

Was thinking rural Gwynedd, not the towns. I have friends who live in Caernarfon and don't want to be up there. I'm used to very rural life.

Thanks, a really helpful set of answers. Lots of food for thought!

Liz