Something like English?
Free alcohol but only for the Welsh
- Thread starter ericmark
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But in Mold the students taught in Welsh in general do better than those taught in English, it may be the teachers are more dedicated, but facts are children do better in the Welsh medium school.
My son-in-law has English as his second language, he was in his 20's when he learn English, in Oxbridge and Cambridge to start with, then Aberystwyth, and final Liverpool before moving to Mold area, there is no way you can work out where he comes from by accent, it is hard to remember he never watched the clangers on TV, so some times we talk about things from the 80's and 90's he has never heard about, but his daughters do not seem to have learn his first tongue.
My daughter can read Welsh, but not speak it, same with Latin, her job needed her to read it, but not to speak it.
My son-in-law has English as his second language, he was in his 20's when he learn English, in Oxbridge and Cambridge to start with, then Aberystwyth, and final Liverpool before moving to Mold area, there is no way you can work out where he comes from by accent, it is hard to remember he never watched the clangers on TV, so some times we talk about things from the 80's and 90's he has never heard about, but his daughters do not seem to have learn his first tongue.
My daughter can read Welsh, but not speak it, same with Latin, her job needed her to read it, but not to speak it.
Someone learning English in their 20s would definitely be at a disadvantage to native speakers. Your son-in-law is undoubtedly very intelligent, but it's unlikely he's typical.
I studied at a uni where many foreign students spoke English as a foreign language. They definitely struggled, they could barely converse in English. I think they used to group together and fill in the blanks for each other in their own language (Greek in this case). I'm sure they were intelligent, but they were attempting to learn through a veil of fog.
I studied at a uni where many foreign students spoke English as a foreign language. They definitely struggled, they could barely converse in English. I think they used to group together and fill in the blanks for each other in their own language (Greek in this case). I'm sure they were intelligent, but they were attempting to learn through a veil of fog.
There's a lot to cover there.I agree, learning a second language is very good for the mind, those taught any second language when they're younger will probably be able to pick up other foreign languages easier later on.
The issue is that they're not learning welsh as a second language. Many schools are now teaching other subjects IN welsh, they call it "Welsh-medium" education.
Remember the first time you learnt about algebra in maths, or photosynthesis in biology. It took a bit of understanding. Now imagine that you're being taught it in a foreign language that you only half understand, that doesn't even have words for many modern things.
Welsh-medium education - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
This is what I mean by Wales crippling itself. Not only can nobody understand them, many of them are missing out on properly learning about other subjects.
Many contributions to this thread confirm the stereotype that the main purpose of Welsh is to privately bitch about the English.
It's very sad to see a country intentionally destroying its future prospects.
Welsh has a word for everything. You just assume we don't, so just use an English one. Welsh is phonetic, so mathematics = mathemateg, for example. Science though: Gwydoniaeth. History: Hanes. Don't you just hate when people pinch your words? Like Pharmacy, chocolate, pyjamas, hospital. Bummer innit!
Agree that all the research supports the premise that learning ANY additional lingo is positive.
Welsh medium schools. The vast majority who go to them have no Welsh to begin with, so they ARE 'learning' Welsh.
Welsh medium schools do very well in the league tables here.
No subjects are 'not properly taught'.
When we bitch about the English, we do it openly. We are inclusive that way.
This makes me sound like a strong supporter of Welsh medium education, and road signs and bilingual official mail etc. I have some strong anti views in fact. But facts are facts and I tend to like to be honest about them.
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Could you point out these many contributions please?
As far as I can tell there was only one 'privately bitch' ing post, and that was from @Koolpc.
As for this vehmence of feeling towards the Welsh language - it would have more impact if it wasn't coming from someone with such a good Welsh name like Ivor (Ifor)
OK, let's get back to facts then.
What advantage does learning maths in Welsh bring to anyone?
My belief is that most would learn maths best in whatever language is their main language, and for most in Wales that is still English.
This leads me to my conclusion that the Welsh nationalists are using enforced learning of Welsh as propaganda, and this is at a big cost to those who have to endure it.
What advantage does learning maths in Welsh bring to anyone?
My belief is that most would learn maths best in whatever language is their main language, and for most in Wales that is still English.
This leads me to my conclusion that the Welsh nationalists are using enforced learning of Welsh as propaganda, and this is at a big cost to those who have to endure it.
You're missing the point: keeping a language alive is essential to maintain the cultural integrity of a nation. Do you doubt that?
Go ask the French. Or the Irish.
When you allow a language to die out you lose the connection to a living culture that cannot easily be retrieved.
*The Cornish language died out at the end of the 18th century and is only now being revived, as best they can, by native Kernow speakers.
I hope the Welsh language continues a revival that helps keep their ancient culture alive for future generations.
*edit: a better example than the Olmec.
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Could you point out these many contributions please?
As far as I can tell there was only one 'privately bitch' ing post, and that was from @Koolpc.
As for this vehmence of feeling towards the Welsh language - it would have more impact if it wasn't coming from someone with such a good Welsh name like Ivor (Ifor)
No, i was joking! Lol....
I am welsh!!
Particularly for non-Welsh-speaking motorists. By the time you've not understood the Welsh first part of a road-sign you've already driven past the sign, so don't know what the English second part was.
Considering that only ~25% (IIRC) of the population of Wales understand Welsh, democratically, and for safety, you'd expect the English part to come before the Welsh part of the sign. But hey, that's politics for you.
Fine, keep it as a subject to study, as we English do with Shakespeare and Henry VIII. That would be fine.
But making all other education suffer to promote it doesn't seem fair on the next generation.
Dinnae panic, man. Had 20 limit for years in Bristol. Only the occasional Molehusband takes any heed. Lots did stick to it at first, but average drifted upwards to 30 ish. At least at that speed you have a change of getting into 4th gear.
You're just picking letters out of a hat now, aren't you?
They started it. Looks like Conny's well on the way to becoming fluent. In what, I don't know - but definitely fluent.
Strange. He usually exaggerates everything.
Lol There's a blast from the past £20 gets you a tshirt.
Remember that public info film from my childhood. They made great info films in those days, eg. Charlie's cat, Petunia or Green Cross Code Man, AKA Darth Vader. Unfortunately the tape of Reggie Molehusband is lost, so he only exists in our minds.
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