Yet I’ve never really felt that I fully belong to this community because I didn’t speak the language, so adulthood has been a chance to repair a fractured relationship with this.

Changing my relationship with Welsh through workplace learning

Work became a pivotal place for my relationship with the Welsh language. The Wales TUC paid for me to attend a course at Cardiff university and I then listened to the ‘Say Something in Welsh’ lessons - a format I found really useful.

With more of a focus on the Welsh language and the Welsh Government introducing the ‘Cymraeg 2050’ policy and the goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050, I felt that the language was going to become more important in future jobs.

So, it influenced my choices about schooling for my children. Plus the Welsh language baby groups were free (which is always a help when you’re on maternity leave). I attended a ‘Ti a Fi’ community group which took place in the school’s community room. This gave me an insight into the culture of the local Welsh language school.

Please speak with me in Welsh

These days, I understand the Welsh language quite well. I’ve taken lessons and because both of my young children speak Welsh, I’ve tried to make sure that I am able to understand what’s going on. Something which was definitely tested during the Covid home-schooling periods.

That said, my confidence and speaking ability has always lagged behind my understanding, so I’m always grateful when others will practice with me and won’t be put off by my poor-quality replies. I generally understand what’s being said to me, even if I don’t reply in a similar fashion.

When I’ve reflected on my experiences of the Welsh language, like many other things in my life, it’s been influenced by a collective. It takes a community to make changes and it takes us all working together to make the Welsh language accessible and inclusive to everyone in Wales. It’s something we can all take ownership of, even if we don’t speak or understand the language …….. yet.

Tro nesaf ….. siaradwch gyda fi yn Gymraeg!!

You can learn Welsh in the workplace too There are a number of ways you can learn Welsh in the workplace such as Dysgu Cymraeg and Say Something in Welsh. You may also be able to learn Welsh using the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) whether you’re a member of a union or not – contact the union in your workplace to find out more.