I was told I was 'showing off' by speaking Welsh. This is how I responded

"Welsh is of this soil, this island, the senior language of the men of Britain; and Welsh is beautiful." J.R.R. Tolkien.

How dare you write an article in the global language defending your use of Britain's native language; typical bloody bilingual showoff! Why don't you use just lose your authentic, ancient British (ie. Welsh) identity and become disconnected like your cretinous, anglicised colleague? After all, the evidence suggests it does seem to breed a better sort of person, does it not?

I sometimes feel I am showing off when I speak Welsh because it's not my first language and I'm proud of myself for all the hard work I've done learning it!

It's probable that the dullard who made the "showing off" remark was motivated by envy, plus resentment. The solution is in his hands. I agree with those other second-language speakers who say "Yes, I AM showing off, but I'm showing off only to myself". For first-language speakers like Gareth Ceidiog Hughes, it's patently absurd to suggest that they're showing off.

Still better than someone saying 'stop using that mongrel monkey rubbish' 'stop spraying your welsh language mucus over everyone'. I think I would have just pretended to be an exiled east European aristocrat, put on my best Bela Lugosi accent and said 'Fi don't speak to you British peasants'.

Probably wouldn't say it to someone speaking Urdu for example, because that would be "racist"

Unfortunately for you the number of bigots who believe that crap are very few in number indeed. Why, you even refute your own argument in your second paragraph - an English incomer may choose to hold to that identity, even though, as far as I and many others are concerned, they could choose to be Welsh if they wanted to and hardly anyone, apart from a few bigots, would bat an eyelid. And besides, the article doesn't mention 'proper Welsh' whoever they are. No-one is forced to use Welsh, but it's often the case that Welsh speakers are more or less forced to speak English, even in places where the law demands that Welsh language services should be provided. If anything, there isn't anything like enough emphasis placed upon even the public sector to use Welsh where is is actually a statutory requirement. Personally I think we Welsh speakers are far too timid in demanding that our linguistic rights be respected, and too slow to take action when we are slighted, which for most of us is a daily occurrence in some form or another, sometimes in a minor way, and sometimes in ways that are far more significant. Even though the law of the land has it that Welsh and English have equal status the reality is that Welsh speakers still have to struggle to get their right to use their own language, in their own country remember, respected. And the whole private sector is excluded because the whine and complain that it would cost too much or tell us lies that it would frighten away investors. Finally Dave, if all you want to do is to try and stir things up then I suggest you take the advice of one of our more prominent politicians and JUST DO ONE!

So where is this enforced language plan that you speak of? Maybe you can explain.

Great article. I've always thought that we need to box clever when it comes to Cymraeg and its relationship with English today. I'd like to see the term 'Treasure Language' being promoted as a way to frame the narrative around the language. That it not only contains all those treasures from our past, but that it's also full of treasures for both today and tomorrow in so many ways. A treasure which is not hidden away anymore, but now in open display, that anyone can access. And if you have such a treasure in your posession- well you are duty bound to show it off to the world. Keep on 'showing off' Gareth......

You are of course fluent in Welsh by now then with all this enforcing going on? Like75% of the population of Monmouth shire? Who are forced to learn Welsh in the Uigur style linguistic concentration camps run by Mistar Urdd and Max Boyce near Blaenafon?

I am from Yorkshire and live in Cardiff Bay. I never find it wrong that people speak Welsh. That's like saying people from other countries shouldn't speak their language when talking to each other. And that of course would be classed as racism. Keep on speaking Welsh and if I don't understand what you are saying and I want to know I'm out there enough to damn well ask you out right what you are saying; but in a nice way.

Those are the only type of incomers the nash will accept

your a right old racist you hethin aren't you. siarad cymraeg ? Speaking your native tongue in your own country just isn't rude you old duffer! cheers butt.

What you describe is a form of micro aggression ... and it should be called out in a charming way

Great article. Something I've dealt with a lot and get very hurt by. It's so strange to be so often misunderstood by the people around me.

I'm not lucky enough to be fluent in my language, but I use the basics where I can and to whom I can. I hope the idiot who made that comment wasn't Welsh, but I have a horrible feeling he was, which is worse! I was walking behind 2 men and a woman who were obviously English people one day in Porthcawl. There was a sign in Welsh strung up across the High Street. The woman said "I wonder what that says" and one of the men said "Nothing, its just letters randomly put together". I regret not pointing out that he was in a foreign land and he was obviously the type of bloke who shouts English to Spaniards and expects them to understand. Ignorant!

It is not so dissimilar to the person who says 'Smile, it might never happen' to a total stranger. It isn't starting a conversation. It's a form of verbal abuse.

Now retired and having moved to Newport, and my wife and I are both learning Welsh, in my case partly through hiraeth. My mother's parents were both Welsh speakers though my mother and never learned the language. I used to work in a garden centre. I remember the vividly being told by a colleague that it was disgusting and that I spoke French to a French customer with little English. Part of the problem is that there is a very anglo attitude that to be able speak any other language is a betrayal of "Englishness".

I am English, and learning Welsh. That could be considered showing off ?. I am not sorry, I love the country, the people and the language. While I am far from proficient, I refuse to be put off or deterred.

It could also show that we are too thin skinned and defensive about the language. When said gentleman said you were showing off, you could have produced some juggling balls or a unicycle. Now that would have been showing off! I recollect a similar article from you, where a Taxi Driver said something that offended you. Part of the challenge for any Welsh speaker is not to be so emotionally triggered when somebody makes a comment about your First, your Native and your Indigenous Language. It is not as if they are saying "Your Mam"

Do a Google search of :--"Dylan Storer impressed the nation with his appearance on the Q&A High School Panel in September, 2018."

I can understand how annoying such an ignorant remark might be, but you're still doing better than my Nan, who was thrown out of school for speaking Welsh. In Wales. The French have an expression (call me a show off) "on répond aux imbéciles par un petit silence". I am currently learning Welsh in honour of my wonderful Nan. It's not easy, but it's exciting and challenging.... I am very much a beginner and understand very little as I am still so slow. However, I love to hear Welsh being spoken in the ordinary course of the day - I always think "there you go, Nan, that's one on the slate for you!" Let the ignorant monoglot stew in their own juice. A withering look will suffice in future.

I found this article in Frisian translation and it might be usefull to compare the situation in Frisian. As a child 75 years ago we had to bow deeply for the Dutch-speakers, some of them were authority people in the village: teachers, vicars. In the city shops even Frisian speaking customers were laughet at by the personal. But my mother was a fighter, so from young on I was active in Frisian, even initiated the still blooming Frisian National Party. In between, however, much has changed. In this little village, about a third of the population are Dutch speaking people from outside. And in my experience, far most of them like you to speak to them in Frisian, which gives them the feeling to 'belong to the community'. Also you can often hear bilingual interviews on Frisian radio and TV. Many Dutch also take language classes, which is not superfluous: 'lyts bern = klein kind = little child'. What may have caused that change, is the fact that formerly the Dutch were a world power with a great colonial empire. So Dutch people will have thought to be a master race and others had to bow for them. Today that is totally changed and only the government and the schools have to be pulled still further over the line. Of course, England is also no longer a world power, but English is still a world language. This may be the reason that still some English have that 'master race' feeling. But that will hopefully also wear down in the next generation.