Quote Originally Posted by pomeroy View Post
I started learning Welsh some 50 years ago and have taught it in adult night classes just to state this up front.
I have a number of neighbours whose kids go to Welsh schools but when I speak to them in Welsh they always answer in English. I have never heard them speak Welsh amongst themselves or with friends. Another family have grown up kids who went to Welsh school but have now lost completely the language. I recently went to see a Welsh school playing rugby and only heard the main coach speaking Welsh, all the players conversed in English. This scenario reflects itself in most areas of South Wales that I visit regularly. This will continue whilst parents who speak only English send their kids to Welsh schools whilst making no effort to learn the language. As soon as the children leave the school environment the children only speak English. In view of the fact that Welsh medium education costs a fortune and has recently been allocated another £30million by Welsh govt. it begs the question under the present system whether it is money well spent.
Part of the problem is the kids see Welsh being the language of school and not a language of every day life. Nothing wrong with that per se, in Luxembourg for example one of the three languages spoken there (I forget which) is used I school but not elsewhere.

My three sons went to Welsh junior school and now are all in English medium. They speak Latin (if indeed it can be considered spoken), German and Spanish to varying degrees, but all at a level better than their Welsh.