Challenging 5 myths about learning Welsh
- Cyhoeddwyd
Joe Healy
This is a translation of an article that was originally published in Welsh on BBC Cymru Fyw.
Joe Healy, Welsh Learner of the Year 2022, is passionate about sharing his love for the Welsh language.
"As someone who moved to Wales from London and lived in Wales for a few years before starting to learn Welsh, I have heard - and I have to say, I have believed, in the past - many myths about the Welsh language." said Joe.
"These myths are dangerous for the future of the language and its culture. They can separate our communities and act as barriers for potential learners. It's important to face these myths, and know how to cope with negative attitudes towards the language".
To mark this year's Celebrating Learning Welsh Week, in this article, Joe challenges five misconceptions about the Welsh language that might sound familiar.
1. 'No one speaks Welsh. Not here, anyway'
This is probably the most common myth about the language. Many people believe that the Welsh language is only spoken in rural Wales, and therefore, isn't useful or relevant in some areas, especially in towns and cities in South or East Wales.
It's true that the language is more common in communities in West and North Wales. However, the language is spoken in every single county in Wales, and there are more Welsh speakers in Cardiff than in every single county in the country, apart from Gwynedd.
This leads to other myths, including the idea that only white people or older people speak Welsh, or that the language is dying. The best way to dispel this is to make sure that people in every community hear and see the language around them. There is still a lot of work to do to make this a reality.
2. 'Welsh is a very difficult language to learn'
As someone who has learned Spanish and Catalan, and who has taught English to other people, this claim makes me laugh. Imagine having to explain to someone that you have to say thought instead of thinked.
One reason people think Welsh is complicated, is because it has less in common with English than some other languages. Welsh is a Celtic language, but English is a Germanic language, which also has many influences from other European languages, especially French. So the Welsh language might appear more difficult to learn for monolingual English speakers than other European languages with obvious similarities to the English language.
It's natural for learners of any language to see that language through the prism of those they already speak. It's worth remembering that many Welsh learners come from monolingual English backgrounds. But each language has complications, and some aspects of Welsh are relatively easy, once you get used to them.
Historically, it is not the language itself that makes Welsh harder to learn, but a lack of resources and cultural representation. This situation is changing very quickly. All languages are difficult to learn, but if anything, Welsh is getting easier.
3. 'Welsh education makes your English worse'
You might have heard this myth when talking to parents who are nervous about sending their children to Welsh language schools.
It's understandable that parents are concerned about their children's English language skills and we must recognize the fact that English is a dominant language globally. We see this strongly in Wales, as there is no way to grow up here without speaking English fluently.
Of course, there are people who feel more comfortable in Welsh because they speak it as a first language. But in reality, children who come through the Welsh medium education system speak English just as well as their peers. And of course, they speak an extra language as well!
4. 'Welsh speakers are the 'gatekeepers' of the language and the culture'
You might be familiar with the old cliché that goes something similar to: "I went to a pub in Wales where everyone spoke English, but they switched to Welsh once I walked in".
This myth feeds another falsehood: that people who speak Welsh as a first language want to keep the language to themselves, and not share it with people from outside of their communities.
Joe won the Learner of the Year prize at this year's Eisteddfod.
In my experience, the opposite is true. Of course, there are some people who have corrected my Welsh, and sometimes this has happened in a rather uncomfortable manner. But, I believe that this happens because people want to help me, and not to discourage me from speaking the language.
I've never met someone who wasn't happy to support and welcome me. These people might exist; if so, they are a very small minority.
5. My Welsh isn't good enough'
This last myth usually starts with Welsh speakers, but it is also very common with learners. We obsess over the standard of grammar and vocabulary, but in reality the Welsh language is so varied that it's impossible to say that one way of speaking is 'better' than another. In Welsh, like any other language, if you understand people and people understand you, that is more than enough.
Of course, we all learn new things every day, but the linguistic and dialectal diversity is what makes Welsh interesting and beautiful. We shouldn't try to change this!
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