Man told off for using Welsh on self-service Tesco checkout

Hi Gareth. We asked Nic before publishing the article - he's moved back northwards since March. We already did 10 insults to the Welsh language in July - https://nation.cymru/2017/10-of-the-stupidest-attacks-on-wales-that-will-leave-you-gobsmacked/ The website features a variety of content - in-depth, intellectual discussions to move the debate forward and expand the Welsh public sphere, and listicles designed to attract an audience. A successful site needs a mix of both. If you're only seeing the 'lower grade' content it's likely because this content gets shared a whole lot more! If you still think the site is not up to scratch, and that you could do better, please contribute. It's a voluntary site - no one is paid to contribute to it.

Tiresome and whingey, yes, but as you suggest, it's essential that we follow these issues up. I live in Cardiff, and have done so for more than 30 years, and whilst there are now far more Welsh speakers here than when I first moved here, and accessing some services through Welsh is easier, it's still an unnecessary struggle times. A lot of it is simple indifference, as I haven't personally come across very much actual hostility, but I have struggled for well over quarter of a century trying to get the housing association I rent my home from to respect my language preference. Despite numerous complaints to politicians and the Welsh Language Board/Welsh Language Commissioner which has led to promises to communicate with me in Welsh, I still receive communications in English only despite clearly stipulating that I want to be communicated with entirely in Welsh. This is despite the relatively recent adoption by the association of a Welsh language scheme, which they seem to breach on all occasions, except on their website, which isn't entirely in Welsh - I complained about this, and they came up with some weak excuse that it would be prohibitively costly to have that feature translated, but as the local authority also uses that particular feature, with exactly the same functionality which is available in Welsh, I think the association are making things up (I sometimes get an impression that Welsh speakers are regarded as being a little bit twp, where any old rubbish will do as an explanation!). The most recent incident was being sent an English only appointment letter for annual boiler maintenance, with a covering letter stating that it had been sent out in English to save time, and that if I wanted it in Welsh in the future, I should contact them and advise accordingly. This covering letter was also in English only. All this despite having informed the housing association in question that I require everything in Welsh, and have been demanding this for, as I mentioned earlier, for well over quarter of a century. The CEO is aware of this, and I have made numerous complaints to AMs. and the WLC/WLC and then received assurances that my file will be 'marked' as requiring correspondence in Welsh. For a long time I only insisted on correspondence in Welsh, but I now require that all face face transactions with housing association staff are in Welsh too, as I have completely lost any patience I had with the association. It's often the casual anti-Welshness of our society that is the most oppressive, as it's a constant drip drip kind of oppression by people who are in denial that they are oppressors. Perhaps in the early days just after the passing of the 1993 Welsh Language Act there was room to tolerate an adjustment period where these kinds of petty oppressions are dealt with through attempts at explanation and reeducation, but by now must be dealt with far more harshly. No decent person nowadays bats an eyelid when discrimination on other grounds is dealt with by fines, and in extreme cases with imprisonment, so why do we allow out politicians to back peddle on this kind of oppression. It might initially trigger some kind of backlash, but that is no reason for our politicians to shy away from dealing with what is discrimination. That they allow it to continue shows that they are complicit. The message needs to be sent out that any kind of discrimination towards Welsh speakers is unacceptable, and that in extreme cases will be dealt with through the criminal justice system. The Welsh Language Commissioner's office also needs to be given powers to be proactive in dealing with blatant and repeated discrimination, such as that I have experienced.

Is this really news though? Anti-Welsh sentiment isn't a recent phenomenon and crying about it won't help. YesCymru and the like are trying to link this wave of Cymrophobia to Brexit but in reality it's been going on for centuries. You'll notice that English people don't make these comments in Scotland or Ireland because they fear the natives. The English only respect people who stand up for themselves. If you project weakness you will be bullied, that's just the way it is.

Bullet in the head should cure his bigotry ! or maybe not as it seems there's no brain in there !

I think you are absolutely correct.

They may not be hate grimes, but they are nonetheless the kinds of unacceptable casual oppressions that we shouldn't have to be facing. It also leaves the problem as to how do we deal with them?

Hi Simon. I know that it can sometimes seem that we do tar all English people with the same brush, but most of us do make distinctions. The fact is that whilst the number of English people who are actively nasty is relatively small, there is a large number who are indifferent/passively supportive of such nasty attitudes. There are also a great number who have lived here for many years and not only have not learned to speak Welsh, but still, wilfully in some cases. mispronounce Welsh places names, sometimes even the house where they live, if they haven't already renamed it with some alien and inane English name. I think most of us would be over the moon if those English people who have moved here and who now support the aims of the national movement and the Welsh language would speak up and condemn both the actively anti-Welsh elements, and also those who suppress through indifference. It often strikes me as quite ironic that many English people who move to Wales are passionate about environmental issues, but seem to not get it that they, by their very presence threaten the human environment that Welsh speaking Welsh people rely on so sustain their language and culture. In the case under discussion however, I think it unlikely that it was an English person who took issue with someone choosing the Welsh option, as Pen-Cloch suggests. there are plenty of ordinary Cardiff folk who would sound off about Welsh, though, to be fair, there are probably an equal number of ordinary Cardiff people who would challenge anyone who had a go at the Welsh language. I've constantly been surprised at the good will towards the language amongst ordinary Cardiff people, and speak as someone who has spent time teaching Welsh to adults in the city.

Wow two incidences on one busy street two years apart :-/ I think it's more of an unfortunate coincidence rather than something about the street! You'll also be pleased to learn that there is no Spar shop on Clifton Street - so it clearly was bad for his/her business.

Now try getting anyone to accept a cheque at all, regardless of what language it's written in...

the problem within. It's now in the psyche of many and how has that happened ? Some places are more prone to developing these feelings than others - I sense it most in certain parts of Cardiff like Penarth, parts of Swansea, like Sketty and parts of Merthyr, where the mister monies live to be honest - not a dig at those places which i love, but they do seem to give us some pretty determined pockets of nasty pasties.

Quite right.

If you are indeed a fluent Welsh speaker, why do you feel the need to change to English? Surely you have a sufficient grasp of the language to be able to ask for clarification when the register goes up a level or two, just as anyone would in any other language, including their first. I don't know exactly where you live, and I don't doubt that there are a very few people with the kind of attitudes you describe towards English people, but I doubt that there are as many as you suggest. You seem to be saying that there is some kind of anti-English conspiracy. Quite simply, your complaint can be pretty much dismissed. I understand that there are a lot of Welsh people who are unhappy with having to endure so many White Settlers, but most just get on with life, and the vast majority of Welsh owned shops, (a rapidly diminishing number, most shops in rural Wales are now owned by white settlers) are happy to take anyone's money. If you feel so aggrieved towards Welsh speakers, then perhaps Wales isn't the place for you.

Anyone who is, or has been serious about learning any language will know the value of real life situations where the language being learned can be used. Role play is fine, as are conversation groups in local social settings, but these are no substitute for being able to use that language in an everyday situation. It's a pity that more people don't wear badges that indicate that they are Welsh speaking, or learning Welsh, as I'd certainly be more than happy to speak Welsh to those staff.

I'll have to start shopping at Tesco on Clifton Street again - I live close by, and maybe I'll be challenged for using the Welsh option on the robot till. I certainly won't stand on the spot shocked and humiliated. If I'm feeling really brave, I might even insist on being attended to by a Welsh speaking member of staff - that should be interesting!

I agree with many of the points you make, but I don't see why Tesco should be congratulated for installing bilingual automated checkouts, as I consider that the least they could do. It'd be tantamount to congratulating them for installing English automated checkouts in England! The argument that people wearing a badge indicating they are a Welsh speaker/learner might attract abuse is a little feeble I think. Whilst it's certainly possible for that to happen, it says more about the general environment that is passively supportive of the abusers. I'm sure it was once the case that black or Asian staff were the targets of abuse, and the perpetrators felt emboldened to abuse because the general environment was supportive, or at least conducive to them doing that. But this kind of abuse is now regarded as completely unacceptable, and so the incidence is less, and there are robust sanctions in place for when it does occur. I completely understand your argument, but it is rather of the variety that Welsh speakers shouldn't be allowed out in public lest they upset the bigots. Similar arguments were once used to 'protect' women. Sadly, getting to a place where something is socially acceptable always involves a certain amount of exposure to threats, in this case, abuse. By not fully supporting staff who wish to show to the world their willingness to speak/attempt to speak Welsh to customers who want that, is aiding and abetting the abusive bigots. There doesn't need to be any specific support for Welsh speakers, as store company policies no doubt include clauses about how they seek to protect staff from abuse. All that is needed is to ensure that all staff know that abuse of Welsh speaking staff/customers is included in those policies, and that perpetrators are dealt with as per those policies. Employers do have a duty of care towards their staff, but if they are discouraging their staff from wearing badges that indicate that they speak Welsh, then it's a bit of a cop out. I suspect that the reason these badges are not worn as often as they could be is simply that a person has to remember to put the badge on, to transfer it when changing clothing, and that is often one of those trivial things that people tend to stop doing as it becomes a chore. The viral video is a brilliant suggestion, and I hope that in time someone picks up that particular ball and runs with it! Be even nicer if they spoke with a strong Newport or Cardiff accent, though an English accent might be okay too - though to my mind that would have less impact with Welsh people, but conversely may have greater impact amongst other English people.

Any support for the Welsh languages should be encourages, but there shouldn't be complacency about the situation. I knew a few people who wore badges that indicate they speak Welsh and it seemed to attract less attention from the morons if they have badges that show both a Welsh and an English flag for each language. Creating awareness amongst staff and also in general will go farther than anything else as laws can change and protect the language, but if attitudes aren't changed - the bad feeling, abuse and resistance will persist. I've had several negative incidents happen when speaking Welsh, most of them from people completely ignorant of the language - I'm not a native speaker. However, one of those incidents was from a native speaker and that was apparently because I'd used a mutation wrongly and had some anglicisms in my Welsh and that person told me to speak English until I can speak Welsh properly. Attitudes like this are even more detrimental than ignorance of non-speakers because if speakers cannot feel safe in the community of the same language - then who will protect and nurture them?