I was so ashamed and infuriated by other English students who were happy to live in this place but not to learn the language. People who after three years, still couldn’t even read the road signs. It’s so arrogant and dismissive. It’s rude. And it’s exactly why English people have made a bad name for themselves as tourists.

Simultaneously, I was enraged by the ‘angry welsh’ people who are so defensive of the language and culture there. People who are eager to jump down any mono-lingual English person’s throat for subjugation and racism (until, that is, they say the magic words ‘rw’yn dysgi Cymraeg’) These are the people I fear vote for the Plaid Cymru.

Historically, the English have treated the Welsh abominably. HISTORICALLY. I don’t think that’s the case any more. More often than not, people in England are simply unaware of the problems Welsh (as a language AND as a people) have faced, and that, I believe is a fault of our education system.

The system we accept and live in is, from its roots up, flawed. To placate the Welsh, they are afforded an assembly, which does not correspond to the parliament given to the Scottish, which in turn is not equal to the parliament based in (but not exclusively for) England. There is an endless string of inequalities between England, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland – imbalances that tip in every direction. I’m now doing an internship in California, and it really bugs me that Americans keep calling me ‘English’

‘English’ describes me, but it is not my nationality. I’m British, I come from Great Britain. As does everyone in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some people want to split that up. What we should do is dissolve the distinction COMPLETELY. Where things can be one, they should try to be one.

English is now a world language, spoken all over the globe, and as a mainly monolingual nation, we are at a huge disadvantage. But we have a rich linguistic background, and one of our minority languages is already on a meteoric rise. I feel Britain should be at least a bilingual country, with Welsh and English taught in schools and eventually spoken at home, ideally with Gaelic and Cornish and Manx following, at least at a regional level. Doesn’t that big line across Ireland make you sad? Do you want that for the rest of the Island? We’re only small as it is.

Each language you learn opens another window on the world, so it is very important for them to be preserved.

Esperanto was designed to function as a second language for all, and using it is a way of protecting smaller tongues.

Few will miss it.

Ian M

Language is a strong component of culture and cultural identity, so I wholeheartedly support the Welsh people trying to preserve their culture by preserving their language.

I just can’t understand why anyone would WANT a universal language. When a group of people lose their language, they lose their culture and identity. It’s nice to see people caring to preserve languages.