[RUSTYME]

The Welsh were really the old English till they got shoved over to the west . Some stayed in Wales , some went to Cormwall and others went to Breton . So Welsh is really what was spoken in most of England when we were Celts . Ahhh the good old days eh ?

[FiB]

Wales is FANTASTIC for children so much more freedom is the norm - dont let the thought of the language put you off with children - all the incomer childeren I know (lots!!) are doing ace.
 

seriously - how do english children cope if welsh is the first language? would they not miss out on regular lesson, ie science if they cant understand the lessons? we seriously considered it and still think about moving there. the welsh mountains just do something for me that the scottish ones dont.  you could just image dragons flying over them couldnt u? ha 

The amazing thing is thay they do cope - the younger, the more easily (Id say 8 was the edge of 'sponging it up' - and my son found it difficult for the first year, but saying that ....a new friends son is 8 and is absolutuely flying picking it up).  Interestingly, in year 5 and 6 some of the teaching is in english to bring the welsh speakers up to speed. If I had secondary age children, I possibly wouldnt move to Bala as I agree, I think you'd miss too much at an important stage whilst learning the language.  As an adult I recon it would take 3 -5 years to become fluent, but Jamie is nearly there after 18 months.  It is a toughy and there were many times last year when I wondered if we had done the right thing for him - but seeing him aged 10 rounding up sheep on his motocross, helping his dad fetch logs on the quad bike and trailer, haymaking,  or setting out to call for his friend up the valley, then catching glimpses of them running around the fields hours later provides the balance!  We lived at a busy traffic lights in Brum in a semi before and craved green, mountains and lakes.

[in the hills]

Arrrrr ....... that's a lovely story FiB.  I know the feeling. We didn't live in such an urban place but still very different from here and get exactly what you are saying. Children do adapt very easily when they are young. My daughter was barely 7 when we came and can't remember living anywhere else and my farming neighbour says that my children are more country children than his ever were.


I think personally that beyond 7/8 a predominately Welsh speaking school would be difficult for some children both educationally and socially ...... though to be immersed in the language is the best way to become fluent ...... mine are unlikely to become truly fluent here.

[Lesley Silvester]

I agree.  When I moved to I of Arran, my eldest were six and almost five.  Within a week of starting school they were speaking with Scottish accents.  Not quite the same as learning a language but similar.  Now, 18 years after leaving Scotland, they still have a hint of the accent left and people tend to think they are Scottish.

Interestingly, my youngest was nine months when we went there and has never had a Scottish accent.  His is London, like mine.

[cleopatra]

my kids all speak with an english accent, even tho 2 were born in scotland and we have been in scotland for 8 yrs.
i rem when i lived in n ireland as i kid, i spoke strong n. irish at school ten switched to english wheni got home! it was when my friends were round for tea that i got tricky!

[in the hills]

My son is older than my daughter but sounds more Welsh ....... talk about rolling"r"s  . 

[Lesley Silvester]

My children's father reckoned it was because the children had to fit in to a new school so they unconciously adopted the same accents.  Their younger brother didn't remember living anywhere else so didn't have to worry.

[cleopatra]

we do have gaelic programmes here tho, both adult and kids.