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  • Sue Archersuearcher@toot.wales
    Nov 2, 2026, 9:43 AM

    I was speaking to a man in the hardware store yesterday about moving to Wales. He lived in Ceredigion for a while, years ago. He said, "They don't like the English in Lampeter; they switch to speaking Welsh when you go into a shop."

    That has never happened to us. As a learner, I want to hear people speaking Welsh, to practice my listening, so I know that people speak both Welsh and English. People are friendly (or not), just like anywhere else.

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Replies

  • Sue Archersuearcher@toot.wales
    Nov 2, 2026, 9:43 AM

    I said to him, "Oh, I’ve been learning Welsh for years" (in Welsh), to put him in his place...

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  • Graham Ardengraham_arden@mastodon.social
    Nov 2, 2026, 9:51 AM

    @suearcher I've always found this oddly paranoid. They assume that everyone was speaking English, somehow knew that they were English as soon as they walked in and instantly switched to Cymraeg. Weird.

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  • Graham Ardengraham_arden@mastodon.social
    Nov 2, 2026, 9:53 AM

    @suearcher I lived in a village in North Wales for about 20 years. I always found the majority of people friendly despite my abysmal attempts at speaking Welsh.

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  • Sue Archersuearcher@toot.wales
    Nov 2, 2026, 10:09 AM

    @graham_arden

    We have several sets of friends in Wales - we realised they are mostly English who've moved there, and happily settled, and joined in the community. And that's what I said to this guy - well, you just have to join in, and be part of things.

    I'm nervous of using my Welsh, that's just me not being a confident person*. So I don't often initiate a conversation in Welsh when we're there. But I always say Bore Da and Diolch.

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  • JanetJanet_52square@sunny.garden
    Nov 2, 2026, 10:12 AM

    @suearcher @graham_arden I have heard Scots say the same about Gaels - I think it is a fear of a minority language. Particularly weird is the idea that they’re speaking English when there’s no strangers in the pub and switch to Welsh/Garlic. I mean why? It’s like they just haven’t grasped the context of Welsh/Gaelic being someone else’s mother tongue. It’s their first language, the language they dream in, shop in, sing in, and so unsurprisingly speak to their mates in the pub in.

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  • Helen in WalesDewines@toot.wales
    Nov 2, 2026, 10:35 AM

    @suearcher "they switch to speaking Welsh when you go into a shop."

    Back when I was more of a learner, I really wished they would. It's far more often the case that they switch the other way, i.e. into English, as an unfamiliar face enters. Then a possible chance to use Welsh "in the wild" disappears.

    I really don't know how the people that spread this myth think it works. Some sort of Saesdar?

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  • Sue Archersuearcher@toot.wales
    Nov 2, 2026, 12:22 PM

    @Dewines Yes! As a learner who isn't very confident (not that I think my Welsh is bad, I'm just nervous of starting a conversation in it with strangers), I'd love to have more everyday conversation.

    I like the idea of Saesdar!

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