And having graffiti written on them by the Welsh liberationists might have had something to do with it. Still you pay the taxes now.

You should take a leaf out of the Finns where 6% of the population are Swedish speakers. They don't throw their toys out of the pram every time someone uses the wrong language - they are too busy learning English and earning money.

Red

The percentage of Swedish speakers in Finland has steadily decreased since they independence also you being rather patronising since who speaks Swedish in this global market ?

Should your language be allowed to die ? I would hope not but judging by your comment’s I guess you would think it should.

Welsh is in recovery gaining more use than its seen since the its extermination as the next generation grow we will see a majority once again speaking Welsh.

It's an important part of national identity and it does no harm whatsoever if a person who lives in Wales or even Outer Mongolia wants to have their national tongue as part of their socialising armoury.

Few will argue that English is not the world language now - as I already said - but I see absolutely nothing wrong with being able to speak as many languages as ones mind can handle.

I have often felt terribly jealous of the ability of "polyglots", ( look it up ), who seem to have no problem in learning and holding many multiple languages in their heads.

YES, that’s another benefit of being bilingual you find picking up other languages much more easier because you understand better how other languages work learning another language gives you a insight into another culture or your own if it was lost like Welsh was for so long.

I feel jealous watching the Urdd on the TV with my little understanding seeing all those kids that now have the benefits and schools that were not available even when I was in school.

Lol - and Welsh resembles what other language?

Although you may think otherwise I do not have a problem with people using whatever language they want to. What is wrong is forcing people to learn it which however you try to dress it up is essentially what you do in Wales. You are handicapping a generation of people from learning a useful language in school like Spanish in the name of national pride. You can try and justify it as much as you like but just as forcing religion on people is wrong, so is forcing a useless language on them.

Red

Although you may think otherwise I do not have a problem with people using whatever language they want to. What is wrong is forcing people to learn it which however you try to dress it up is essentially what you do in Wales.

There is such a thing as choice Wales aims to be a dual language country in fact both English and Welsh have equal status people have a choice to send they children to either a Welsh or English school. English school’s are in decline but that’s because people choose to send they children to Welsh schools rather than the English schools so can you give a example of Welsh being forced ?

You are handicapping a generation of people from learning a useful language in school like Spanish in the name of national pride.

So what’s the point any country speaking they own language! What’s the point speaking Swedish, Spanish any language other than the most spoken language that’s not English by the way.

You cant handicap a generation by making them bilingual as ive already shown bilingual children have higher IQ’s and the enhanced ability to learn other languages or is your only reason because they are learning Welsh it seems that way.

What would handicap Wales would be to ignore 40% of the young and 25% of our adults first language losing our cultural identity in the process.

Studies have shown - and any any person that has watched a child learning a language - will see, that children pick up languages effortlessly. That is why I think that young children should be made to, ( yes, MADE TO ), learn at least one foreign language as well as any local or national language that is available to them.

The greatest thing about the human brain is that it just cannot be filled up with knowledge as there is always room for more when learning stuff. That is why there will be no harm done if a child is taught a second or third language on top of the English that will be automatic.

We just do not spend enough time in Britain teaching our young folk second or third languages to conversational-fluency level while the European schools - like in Holland and Germany and Italy and Spain and even France etc' etc' do this as an automatic curriculum. Maybe the British are just too arrogant when it comes to learning English and expecting all the rest to learn it too so that WE can converse with THEM.

Being a teacher I must agree with Paps as I see these little ones soaking up knowledge like sponges. In the main, unless they have learning difficulties of course they learn at a rate that is quite astounding.

If foreign languages were introduced to them at say six or seven they would have no bother learning them right alongside English. I think that that is why the continentals are so good at languages other than their own. We just do not try hard enough.

Oh and BTW Red, all of the celtic/gaelic languages are very similar !

This is wearing off the topic a bit but I am sure that you are right Angie that our kids could learn languages just as easily as the continental kids can and do.

I haven't a clue as to why we don't teach our children foreign languages to a decent and working level.