We all speak English in Wales but the Welsh language is thriving. It’s spoken fluently by over half a million people in Wales that’s over 20% of the population. It’s called Cymraeg, and is a language with entirely regular and phonetic spelling. Our place names may look complicated but once you know the rules, you can learn to read and pronounce Welsh fairly easily.

Our Celtic language is closely related to Cornish and Breton and is one of Europe’s oldest living languages; the Welsh we speak today is directly descended from the language of the Sixth Century.

The Welsh people are keen to keep the language alive so Welsh is a compulsory subject for all school pupils up to the age of 16 in Wales. Welsh medium schools are also increasingly popular.

We have a Welsh language television channel, S4C, and a Welsh language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru. There is no daily newspaper in Welsh, but there is a weekly national paper as well as Welsh language magazines and regional monthly papers.