Cymdeithas Llywelyn
Who are we?
Cymdeithas Llywelyn is the Welsh learners’ society here in Bangor Students’ Union. Wherever you’re from, Bangor is a brilliant place to come and learn and enjoy the Welsh language. The University offers Welsh courses that you can follow as part of your course or as an addition to your degree. There are also some outside organisations that offer lessons or you can learn on-line. And of course Cymdeithas Llywelyn offers support as you learn.
What do we do?
Cymdeithas Llywelyn is a society within UMCB which is a community of Welsh speakers (learners, fluent and first language speakers) in Bangor University and the Union. UMCB was founded 30 years ago to represent the Welsh-speaking community. It joined with the Students’ Union in 1996 and it’s still going strong. The purpose of Cymdeithas Llywelyn is to represent learners within UMCB.
What can we offer?
- Some books for learners to borrow
- Information about Welsh courses in Bangor
- Social event for learners in Bangor
- A place to practice Welsh confidently
- Advice about useful sites and materials
- Representation on UMCB’s committee
- A chance to bring Welsh learners and fluent speakers together
- Campaigns for better services and materials for Welsh learners, for example “Free Welsh lessons for everyone”
Why learn Welsh?
Sometimes people don’t see the point of learning Welsh but we disagree. The Welsh language is growing ever stronger, and North Wales is one of the heartlands of the Welsh language with a large number of the population able to speak Welsh. The ability to speak Welsh is to your advantage when looking for a job, especially if you are thinking of looking for a job in Wales after graduating. The Welsh language is one of the oldest languages in Europe and by learning it you will have access to a culture that is constantly growing, developing and maturing. One of the best things about learning Welsh is the feeling of accomplishment, meeting new people and understanding Welsh language TV and music. And if you get a part time job to fund your beer budget, won’t speaking a bit of the local language help? Overall learning Welsh opens up so many opportunities you would be mad not to!
The Welsh language
Welsh (Cymraeg) is descended from the ancient British Celtic language. This means that the language predates the Normans, Saxons and even the Romans. Irish, Breton, Cornish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic are all part of this original Celtic family. The Welsh language has a massive history of literature and poetry. This tradition continues today with Eisteddfodau (Welsh language festivals and competitions) and a growing music, poetry and literature scene. Currently Welsh is the most successful out of all the Celtic languages, surviving into the 21st century and now growing strong. In nearly all schools in Wales, the Welsh language is taught as a second language or as a first. In 2001 the national Census showed that the total number of people who could speak and read Welsh was 16.3% of the total 3 million population. This was a dramatic improvement from 13.6% in 1991. At least 28% of the population had some sort of command of the language, with the number of speakers at 20.5%. A large part of the increase in the number of people being able to speak or understand Welsh is down to adult Welsh learners. There are an estimated 39,000 adults in Wales starting courses in the language every year. The future of the language is bright and with more people learning, it can only grow stronger!
