MUCH to my shame, despite being born in Wales and considering myself a Welshman, I can scarcely speak a word of Welsh.

For me, unfortunately, the teaching of Welsh in schools came just a little too late, and learning a language later in life is much more difficult, particularly for people who do not pick up languages easily.

I too, have wondered at times, whether it would be best to just let it die, but every time I hear someone speaking the language, I feel a joy at the music in my ears, and have nothing but admiration for the speaker.

I understand the point about the tremendous resources this takes, but being part of the UK and the sixth richest country in the world, surely the preservation of a beautiful language is not too big an ask and should be encouraged?

The UK is one of probably only a handful of countries in the world in which only one language is learnt by children. We should be embarrassed by this, I think. We are that much culturally the poorer for it.

I understand that research has shown that learning more than one language at school actually encourages the development of the brain and therefore supports the learning of other subjects.

There is plenty of money available and we should not allow the powers that be to dupe us into believing that there isn’t. It just needs someone, ie. a decent government, to grasp the nettle and re-distribute our nation’s wealth for the benefit of the many not the few.

To lose Welsh in Wales would be a tragedy and I am proud that our Welsh assembly, for all its faults, is doing so much to keep it alive.

Nick Fisher
Prospect Street
Newport