In our English-language podcast series #BabyStepsIntoWelsh, TV presenter Nia Parry has been chatting to families about their experiences, worries and questions about Welsh-medium Education. You can listen and follow the series here: www.podfollow.com/babysteps.
In this chapter, Nia chatted with a father and son from Cardiff, Wayne and Connagh Howard. For those of you who are fans of ‘Love Island’, Connagh may be known as a former competitor, and one who used the opportunity to promote the Welsh language and Wales! Wayne and Connagh have also appeared in a popular series on S4C, ‘Cymru, Dad a fi’, and during the conversation with Nia, we will hear more about how speaking Welsh has opened doors and opportunities for both in television and beyond.
During the filming of ‘Cymru, Dad a fi’, Wayne and Connagh had the opportunity to wander north for the first time. We will hear how the experience of seeing and hearing people living and working entirely through the medium of Welsh was an eye-opener for both and different from their experience of living in the Cardiff and South Wales area;
“I didn’t know anything about North Wales! It was a very emotional experience. Over all the years I’ve been learning Welsh, I haven’t had the opportunity to use the language on a day-to-day basis like I did in North Wales.” Wayne
Wayne has been learning Welsh for 28 years and this is the first time he has cried without being sad.
“I was on a boat going under the Menai Bridge and people started singing. I’ve never experienced something so Welsh before and it was a very emotional experience forme”. Wayne
We will hear how Wayne and his wife were persuaded to put their children into Welsh education from the outset and how Connagh and his sister went to the Ti a Fi Club, the Cylch Meithrin and continue to Welsh-medium education. Connagh is very open in explaining how Welsh-medium education has opened a number of doors to him and has given him valuable skills to take advantage of employment opportunities;
“I’ve received television parts because I speak Welsh, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without the ability to speak the language. I’m so proud and so grateful for this skill. I saw Love Island as a great platform to raise awareness of the language. Some of the competitors didn’t know about the existence of the language so it was great to be able to share and teach them. It’s easy enough to lose the language when living in Cardiff and now in Manchester, but I’m determined to use it and share it”.
Wayne’s relationship with the language began when he had been interviewed by the headteacher of Connagh’s Primary School. He had promised to learn Welsh. We will hear about his journey to learn the language as an adult and how he is now learning Welsh for others.
“At the age of 51, I lost my job. Instead of seeing this as negative, I saw it as an opportunity for me to go to university. I haven’t looked back! It was hard work but it was worth persevering and I’m so proud that I’m fluent in Welsh and able to share this gift with other people.” Wayne
During the conversation we will learn that Wayne’s wife, Connagh’s mum, cannot speak Welsh but she was as determined as the rest that the children were given every support to learn the language and happy for her children and her husband to converse in Welsh in the household, without having to turn to English for her sake;
“It was perfectly normal for us to converse in Welsh together. Although Mum does not speak Welsh, all the years of listening to the three of us chatting, have paid a way – we can’t talk about her, she understands very well! She’s picked up words by listening to us and that’s great”. Connagh
So, what was Wayne’s advice to other non-Welsh speaking parents?
“Go for it, give your children the opportunity and go and learn the language too! Learn a few of the basics initially and that will help you and your children as they develop. You may enjoy it so much that you too want to continue, like me!”
You can listen to the conversation in full here and remember to share with other families who are currently trying to decide on the right path for their children’s education: www.podfollow.com/babysteps.