Is it rude?

[andrea81]

Just wondering - I'm Welsh and can speak Welsh fluently. My son is about to start Welsh school so I'm making the effort to speak Welsh to him.

Question is, do you think it's rude for me to speak Welsh in front of those who don't speak it? Either in Wales or elsewhere?

[4getmenot]

you obviously have it own mind that it isnt rude, so whether we say yes or not it wouldnt matter. It is great you are teaching him welsh. When I went over to Wales though I thought it was very rude when they started speaking in their own language but I can agree that I wouldnt think that if I went to Spain. I guess its just about feeling left out. Just explain to people what you are doing I'm sure they'll understand

[Kleiber]

I'm a Scot, living in a predominantly Welsh speaking part of Wales and although I speak a little (and understand a lot more), if I'm in the company of Welsh friends and it's a general conversation, they speak English. If they're having a chat amongst themselves and I'm there, but not actually with them (if you know what I mean) they speak Welsh - I've no objection to this, as it's their mother tongue. Andrea, go ahead & speak Welsh to your son - he's going to grow up bi-lingual anyway, if you speak English to your husband. When I moved here, I decided to try & learn Welsh, because it's the language spoken here. If I lived in any other country, I'd speak their language. Why do some English people expect everyone else to speak English, without making an effort to learn other languages? I'm not having a pop at any AB'ers, here - it's just a general observation from my travels.

[jno]

when I go to London I always hear people speaking dozens of different languages (I believe more than 200 are spoken there, not counting those spoken by tourists). You just have to get over your immediate suspicion that they're all, say, Polish plumbers plotting a terrorist attack to block your drains. Living among people who speak other languages is not uncommon these days. if you want to communicate with one of them it makes sense to try to do it in their language. But to hold a conversation on the Central Line and translate it into 50 other languages for the benefit of people who can hear it would be a bit OTT. Translate for those who need to know. Don't bother for those who don't. I don't think that's rude.

[supergran]

well said kleiber, I totally agree with you, I have a German friend she is married to an Englishman, they have children who speak German and English and the children are under seven.I think its great to be able to speak different languages .

[taliesin238]

No its not rude!!!
If i go to france and people are speaking french i dont get offended!! We should NEVER be made to feel afraid to speak our own language especially in WALES!!!

[andrea81]

Thaks all, do appriciate, my son will be bilingual and I will be very proud of that!