The second year of free Welsh lessons for 16- to 25-year-olds and school staff has helped even more people learn the language, with over 2,000 young people and school staff estimated to have taken up the offer during 2023-24.
Melody Griffiths, 17, from Wrexham won the Learners’ Medal at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Maldwyn earlier this year. Melody started learning Welsh in Year 11 and has organised a ‘Clwb Cymraeg’ (Welsh Club) at her college.
She said:
“The club meets every week. Students come to learn more about the Welsh language, culture and history through quizzes and informal conversations.
“I think the best thing about speaking Welsh is that I can connect with Wales better - through culture and literature. It’s difficult to understand these if you do not speak Welsh."
Free Welsh lessons can also help school staff inspire learners. A group of teachers at Langstone Primary School in South East Wales started their language journey at the beginning of lockdown and are now enjoying learning and teaching the language at the school.
One of the school’s teachers, Paula Watts, said:
“I love speaking Welsh and I take advantage of every possible opportunity to introduce the language to the children across the school. We have several new games in Welsh to help the children build sentences, introduce new vocabulary, and hold a simple conversation.
"I also share Welsh instructions with staff that they can use in class while teaching and offer them ideas when they are planning their Welsh lessons.
“We have a 'paned a sgwrs' (cuppa and a chat) session every Tuesday morning at 8:15am which gives staff the opportunity to chat in Welsh.
"Welsh Wednesday is one of our and the children's favourite days - we have a lot of fun and start the day with games and songs in Welsh."
A range of Learn Welsh provision is available free of charge for young people aged 16-25, and is delivered by the National Centre for Learning Welsh.
Provision includes taster and Entry level courses for beginners, through to Advanced and Proficiency levels for experienced learners and Welsh speakers. Courses are available face-to-face and in virtual classrooms, while a wide range of digital learning resources is also available. More information can be found on the Learn Welsh website.
The National Centre also provides a great choice of Welsh courses for school staff, with courses tailored for education practitioners as well as online self-study courses and Learn Welsh courses in the community.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford, said:
“Cymraeg belongs to us all. This initiative means it’s easier than ever for people to learn Welsh. I’m pleased to see so many young people and education practitioners taking up the opportunity to learn the language.
“Improving young people's Welsh language skills so that they can use Welsh in the workplace and in their everyday lives is really important. This is part of our vision to ensure that Welsh is a living language, and a modern language which is used every day.
“Developing the Welsh language skills of the education workforce is key to reaching our goal of one million Welsh speakers by 2050. Providing opportunities to learn Welsh and improving levels of ability in Welsh for the education workforce is crucial so that they are more confident to teach Welsh, to use Welsh when teaching other subjects, and to use Welsh in the wider school environment.”
Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said:
“The Centre’s work has expanded in recent years to include Learn Welsh training for both young people and the education workforce – two vital audiences for realising the goal of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
“The Centre’s work with young people is going from strength to strength, with bespoke courses and resources developed by the Centre’s language experts. Additionally, partnerships with schools, apprenticeships, Further Education and organisations such as the Urdd and Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards are providing new, flexible learning opportunities for young people.
“The Centre has also developed a comprehensive package of training for the education workforce - from beginners to Welsh speakers who want to build their Cymraeg confidence. Teachers and assistants are also introduced to methods that can help them teach Welsh to children and young people."