Eisteddfod 2013: Welsh learner of the year unveiled

The winner of the Welsh learner of the year has been unveiled at the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh.

Martyn Croydon, a website business owner from Llannor, Gwynedd, beat three other finalists to take the annual prize.

John Leslie Thomas, for the adjudicators, said: "The standard of competitors this year is extremely high, not only among those who reached the final round, but also those who competed in the earlier round in May this year."

Here Mr Croydon and the other finalists describe why they wanted to learn Welsh and what they have done since. You can also listen to them speaking to BBC Radio Wales about their experiences.

Martyn Croydon

Martyn Croydon's interest in Welsh and Wales dates from family holidays

Mr Croydon, of Llannor, Gwynedd, is originally from Kidderminster in Worcestershire but fell in love with Wales while on family holidays on the Llyn peninsula.

It inspired him to want to come to Wales to live and work when he set up a website business.

He began learning Welsh using books and by going online but started Welsh lessons in Pwllheli. He has passed his Welsh A-level exam and has been working as a Welsh for adults tutor since last September.

His community activities mean he uses his Welsh every day, including as a volunteer with the local papur bro (a Welsh language community newspaper), Llanw Llyn.

"It's becoming part of my life now, I do everything through Welsh now - socialise, work," he said.

He said it had changed his identity almost and helped him become a part of things.

Craig ab Iago

Craig ab Iago starting learning Welsh while a student

Although coming from a Welsh family, he was born and brought up at RAF bases across England and Europe. At a family funeral he was reminded that he did not speak the same language as many of his extended family and decided to take an intensive course in Lampeter.

After university he found work as a physiotherapist at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, and lives in Llanllyfni.

He said learning Welsh had changed his life completely, from his politics to his outlook on the world. Active in his community, he wants to follow an MA course in language planning and policy at Bangor University in the autumn, and currently runs Prosiect b3, a food project in the Nantlle Valley.

He is also a county councillor.

The language in the family home is Welsh and he also speaks Welsh with his mother and sisters.

He said he had lived on five different continents "but now I feel like I've come home".

Kathleen Isaac

Kathleen Isaac started reading Welsh to her children

Swansea-born Ms Isaac moved to Crosshands in Carmarthenshire five years ago, and decided to learn Welsh because of the number speaking the language there.

She also wanted to make sure her children were brought up as natural Welsh speakers.

At the beginning, she spoke Welsh to her children and the dog.

But her brother-in-law's decision to speak to her only in Welsh very early on forced her to use her Welsh.

She started to create a Welsh life for herself, attending regular lessons at the local Welsh for adults centre, practising by reading Welsh books with her children, watching S4C, listening to Radio Cymru and reading Welsh signs in shops.

Her partner was surprised when she even asked for a Welsh grammar book for Christmas one year!

"He can speak Welsh but he never spoke Welsh to me [before]," she said.

Ms Isaac is currently studying intermediate Welsh and also attends other Welsh classes.

"I've learnt my own history, traditions and learnt there's a lot of fun to be had with the Welsh language," she said.

Darran Lloyd

Darran Lloyd entered the competition in memory of his grandfather

Mr Lloyd, from Aberdare in the south Wales valleys, has been learning Welsh for three-and-a-half years.

A trainer with South Wales Police, he now teaches the force's entry level Welsh course and this allows him to share the language and help other people to start learning in the workplace.

Although he studied some Welsh at school, he did not use the language outside the classroom at all and he soon started regretting the fact that he could not speak Welsh.

He has now got to the standard where he is following an advanced level Welsh course. Two years ago he won the Welsh learner of the year award at work and this inspired him to continue with his studies.

He said he had learnt much about himself, his country, his local area and his family since he started learning Welsh, and was pleased he had the chance to speak Welsh to his grandfather before his death last year.

His grandfather had asked him to compete in the Welsh learner of the year competition at the Eisteddfod and he decided to enter this year in his memory.