Although part of Great Britain, Wales is a separate country with its own Parliament, the Senedd, in Cardiff Bay, and its own ancient Celtic language. Many tourists are surprised and confused to see strange words written on our roads and on our road signs.
In the late 19th and early 20th century the Welsh language was decried and nearly stamped out in favour of English. Men working in coal mines were punished for speaking their own tongue, because their English masters were afraid they were plotting against them. Children in school would be punished by having to wear the "Welsh Knot," around their neck if caught speaking Welsh. This would be passed from one miscreant pupil to another as they each broke the rule. The "Welsh Knot" was a wooden sign threaded on rope and hung around the child's neck for all to see.
The Welsh language persisted in North and West Wales but was crushed in the South Wales Valleys. In the second half of the 20th century attitudes towards speaking Welsh began to change. Lessons in Welsh began to appear on school curricula, even Welsh schools were set up, both for children and in the evenings for adults. Advertisements for jobs in local government insisted the candidates could speak Welsh, even though they would be dealing with people speaking English.
Now we have dual language road signs, dual language utility bills, public information notices, voting papers, even tourist information leaflets. Telephone operators in public offices answer the phone using both Welsh and English.
S4C is our TV Station, showing programmes in the Welsh language with English translations on the 'red button,' or in subtitles.
Walk around any town in South East Wales and you may hear the language being spoken, but you are more likely to hear Polish or even Urdu.
But whatever language you wish to converse in, the welsh are always ready to provide a warm friendly welcome.
Croeso i Gymru !! Welcome to Wales !!
In the late 19th and early 20th century the Welsh language was decried and nearly stamped out in favour of English. Men working in coal mines were punished for speaking their own tongue, because their English masters were afraid they were plotting against them. Children in school would be punished by having to wear the "Welsh Knot," around their neck if caught speaking Welsh. This would be passed from one miscreant pupil to another as they each broke the rule. The "Welsh Knot" was a wooden sign threaded on rope and hung around the child's neck for all to see.
The Welsh language persisted in North and West Wales but was crushed in the South Wales Valleys. In the second half of the 20th century attitudes towards speaking Welsh began to change. Lessons in Welsh began to appear on school curricula, even Welsh schools were set up, both for children and in the evenings for adults. Advertisements for jobs in local government insisted the candidates could speak Welsh, even though they would be dealing with people speaking English.
S4C is our TV Station, showing programmes in the Welsh language with English translations on the 'red button,' or in subtitles.
Walk around any town in South East Wales and you may hear the language being spoken, but you are more likely to hear Polish or even Urdu.
But whatever language you wish to converse in, the welsh are always ready to provide a warm friendly welcome.
Croeso i Gymru !! Welcome to Wales !!
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