According to statistics from 2011, about 580 thousand people use Welsh in colloquial speech. According to the census, a quarter of those who use this language were born outside of Wales. Almost everyone who speaks Welsh is also fluent in English. Both of these languages are official in Wales.
Dialects of language
In the Welsh language, like in any other language, there are dialects. One of the most simplified classifications is the conditional division of all dialects into northern and southern. The differences relate to both grammatical rules and pronunciation, vocabulary. Despite the fact that Welsh is a minority language and constantly under pressure from English, the end of the last century saw its support concurrent with the rise of nationalist movements. It is not uncommon for children who have moved from England to Wales to begin speaking Welsh.
Griffith Jones and the introduction of Welsh
The educational system of Griffith Jones schools played a big role in preserving the Welsh language. At the time when he began to create his famous "circular schools", he was 47 years old. Maybeit seems strange that a middle-aged man suffering from asthma and neurosis took on such a large-scale project. However, there are actually many people like Griffith Jones among the Welsh. Jones considered the preservation of his native language as the main goal of his entire existence. He became even more worried about the spiritual state of the people after a large number of the population died from an epidemic of typhus.
Using your native language is the key to success
Until the 30s of the 18th century, most peasants did not have the opportunity to get an education themselves or to educate their children. Only after the terrible epidemic began, a decision was made on the possibility of education for children from poor families. But the charity schools soon fell into disrepair. Griffith Jones' system was much more economical and efficient. One of its important aspects was the application of an intensive learning pace. But the most important factor was the use of the Welsh language in the classroom. The main feature of the schools that preceded the innovations of Griffith Jones was the provision of lessons in English. This led to an increase in hostility among the population.
However, after the death of Jones, the presence of the Welsh language was considered by most lawyers as a major drawback. It was believed that the only way to “fix” it was through the widespread introduction of English. Supporters of this approach believed that the Welsh are a wild and uneducated people. This caused widespread outrage amongWelsh society.
Welsh Reading Rules
The modern version of the language was formed at the end of the 16th century. Since then, it has undergone only minor changes that did not affect the vocabulary. There is a significant difference between the literary language and the spoken language. The stress is almost always on the penultimate syllable. There are few exceptions to this rule - just some words where the last syllable has a diphthong. Vowels are divided into long and short. In some words, there is also a kind of “semi-longitude”. There are 29 letters in the Welsh alphabet. The orthography of the modern version of the language was formed relatively recently. The Morgan Bible, created in the 17th century, played an important role in this process.
Welsh today
The first educational programs in which teaching was conducted in two languages appeared only at the beginning of the last century. By the beginning of 2001, the number of schools where lessons were taught in Welsh had risen to 52. The bilingual policy in Wales has proven to be effective. However, even today, despite the constant growth of Welsh speakers in everyday life, schools are not distributed evenly throughout Wales. Various television and radio programs are also currently broadcast in Welsh.
Despite all the obstacles that the Welsh language had to go through, it managed to stay among the living, and also successfully develop in the modern world. However, the Welsh Government still faces a lot ofimportant tasks. First, there is a need to further increase the number of Welsh speakers. Secondly, the problem of language use among young people remains relevant. The use of Welsh among private sector companies should also be encouraged.
In 2007, a curious case occurred in the city of Swansea, associated with the use of Welsh. Since this language is official along with English, all road signs and inscriptions are made simultaneously in two languages. On one of the road signs it was necessary to make an inscription that the passage was closed. The road service asked a language expert to translate the inscription into Welsh. But he was on vacation and answered them with a standard message: "I'm not in the office." Since the connoisseur's reply was in Welsh, the recipients thought it was the translation. For several months, this road sign hung on the road.
