When Zoe Williams calls the Welsh language pointless, she is sneering at those who speak it

She's not attacking the language, she is attacking people. Feeding into the dangerous stereotypes that we are limited, lovely but pointless, "failed in Wales", only good for singing, we hear it dog whistling through the media as it has for decades.

What the British Left fears most is an indigenous British resistance. It forces them to see thh 1 specific truth they hate more than anything. They are the oppressor of an indigenous people - the Cymry Cymraeg. The question is, will the Cymry evolve like Serbians did, or not?

Like many in Wales I am suck and tired of the London English media attacking the Welsh language and our bilingual country. They believe they have the right to redicule all thing Welsh. At best they are Patronising, but in reality they are racist. Would they dare to write articles about the Jewish, Muslim, West Indian, Africa communities in England attacking their culture and languages. Make no mistake this is a cultural attack of racist proportions. So we're is the teeth of the race relations board in fighting this vile behaviour.

If the language wasn't thrown at us, if public money and resoource wasn't squandered trying to keep it alive, there may be less cause to ridicule it.

So Zoe Williams thinks the Welsh language is pointless. That's her opinion and she is entitled to it. Kate Hopkins (since you mentioned her) feels that the Muslim gangs who have drugged, raped, and exploited countless English working-class girls for decades should be held to account. That's her opinion and she is entitled to it. Both these issues and opinions may "trigger" some people. But is it really worthy of an article for a Welsh news website? I think not. But that's my opinion and I am entitled to it.

If you move to France - you will be expected to learn the French language. If you move to Germany - you will be expected to learn the German language. You need to learn the local languages and culture of the country you adopt as your homeland otherwise you cannot get full benefits of living in the country of your choice. I moved to Wales - I am learning Cymraeg - the Welsh language and learning the culture. Make the effort !

In the Guardian? My take on this is that there is something seriously wrong in England, where language learning is way down. Get ready for more of the same if Brexit/ as Brexit nose dives......................... On the plus side, we have such as Ernie! If we can get a Jersey agreement, we get select Anglos who will truly enrich Cymru. No apology for my elitism.

Its not just the Welsh she has contempt for - read what she thinks about the SNP. Just another blind english person who cannot understand why anyone would want to be anything other than a monoglot sax But one day........

Here's an interesting post I received earlier on Facebook. 'I just had the great pleasure of annoying a little Englander (the accent was Essex or London)who has clearly retired to Wales, who whilst buying his copy of The daily Mail and some milk (I'm nosey) was ranting on to the poor girl behind the counter of the nearby shop that now we have Brexit people who come from other countries should have to respect the cultures of the country they are in and speak the native language of that land or go back to theirs. Girl behind the counter just wanted him to leave and couldn't say anything. I did enjoy asking him 'Pryd ydych chi'n symud yn ôl gwlad dy hyn?'. He, I think told me, eff off as he left.' Even though English is more widely spoken in Wales I think it's fair to say that the native language of Wales is Welsh. I suppose expecting immigrants to learn Welsh would be too much to expect but showing respect for our culture and language is the least that should happen if those people want to live in Wales. I wonder what our Zoe would say.

For goodness sake! Get a sense of proportion. It was only a joke.anyonw who knows anything about Zoe Williams would recognise it as such - she is one of the most perceptive, eloquent, and fair-minded journalists around: the very last person to be discriminating. Pob hwyl, Alexander

She should be ignored! I spent 35 years working in London and many,many times people from all walks of life would ask me if I spoke Welsh (I have a strong Welsh Valley's accent).They seemed disappointed that I didn't.

“But when does the noise start? Right now! Exercise five, running on the spot for five minutes, doing 10 jumps every 75 steps. The jumps, I am more or less convinced, are there to keep you counting your steps, which distracts you from how hard and existentially pointless it is to run on the spot. All that energy spent, no distance covered: it’s like eating cottage cheese or learning Welsh.” The above appeared recently in the Guardian, where a columnist sees little value in the Welsh language. This is not altogether surprising in the increasingly English xenophobic, nationalistic climate that has been developing recently. The people of England and Wales share a Brythonic heritage, largely forgotten over the years to the east of Offa’s dyke, following the regime changes that occurred with the coming of The Anglo-Saxons and later Norman French. The Brythonic culture survived however in Strathclyde, Cumbria, Wales and Cornwall (known as the “British”areas). Alas that identity was taken from us with the appropriation of the term in the 1706-07 Acts of Union, and given a spurious Anglo Norman meaning, with all the imperial baggage it has acquired. There can be little wonder that more and more of us in Wales no longer identify ourselves as British, and still value our Welsh language and culture.

In the grauniad of all places. Insert laughing emojis here.

As a frequent visitor to North Wales I applaud you for preserving and practising your language.

"We have better things to spend our energy on than petty ignorance. Like establishing a democratic Welsh Nation State. Like voting in a sovereign Welsh government ..." However isn't Zoe Williams' comment ultimately about foiling the establishment of a democratic Welsh Nation State and having us voting for a sovereign Welsh government.

Muslims, Jews, Welsh, Romany any minorities. Beware. Britain has begun an era of totalitarian English Nationalism

I love the Welsh language but I don't like seeing comments about 'Anglos'. Much of England is Brythonic, you may feel your language is under attack, my entire cultural heritage has been lost.

To Arwyn Lloyd David Buttress' article is excellent and the reason it has less comments than this one on Zoe Williams is most probably because, either readers agree with it or those that don't aren't equipped to refute it. So how soon do you expect David Buttress' article to feature in the Guardian? I suggest that we don't hold our breath. If the Guardian is going to say something about Cymru it's going to be a Zoe Williams type contribution and that goes ten fold for the Tabloids. I agree that we must not just respond to the Zoe's out there with moaning but I think you do a disservice to the many who have addressed her comment based on their knowledge and experience, and applying intellectual and analytical rigour. Her response was to simply double down on her opinion. I think the Trolls will carry on regardless of whether we "feed" them or not. However if we "feed" them with facts and reason we have an opportunity to convince those who've come to see the Trolls being fed of the rightness of our argument and our positive ambition for Cymru. And those two conditions are essential in achieving what I'm sure we both want.

Mind your own business Zoe. All languages and cultures are important

Learning Welsh would be a valuable use of time for anyone living in Britain where Welsh is spoken by sizable portion of the population. Particularly if you were to live in Wales itself. Looking at lower frequency languages would she have been as happy to say "as much use as learning swahili". I doubt it as her racism would have shown though.

Cheeky B**ch, Fluent Welsh & proud, having went all through a Welsh School it's classed as my 1st language & by god I'm proud. She wants to learn the full background of her surname, it's a Welsh Surname for for. Rydw i yn eisiau cicio i fyny'r asyn ti Zoe Williams.

Yet another uninformed English person they know very little of the history of suppression by the English Crown and then Parliament to destroy Welsh heritage and language this journalist has just labled one of the most ancient European languages it has not changed like the English language for millennia ? Therefore I question why she has made such comments whilst be ignorant of the brutal suppression of a minority race which would be headlines if we were Jews or Muslims

There are actually over 35 groups / classes in various parts of England where people meet to learn or speak Welsh . In Derby we have the Derby Welsh Learners Circle ( www.derbywelshlearnerscircle.blogspot.com ) which meets monthly and our group hosts the Facebook group Menter Iaith Lloegr. We value the Welsh language and reject utterly the attitudes expressed in the latest London media attack on Welsh. The Guardian and the journalist concerned should apologise. Hir oes i'r Gymraeg.

Well I totally disagree! I've just come home from my Welsh class and I love it ♥ Dw i'n byw yn Cymru, dw i dysgu Cymraeg x

Yes that's correct it is pointless.

Never heard of Zoe Williams but what an appalling comment from a journalist working for a newspaper such as the Guardian . Completely goes against all Guardian values. Her career would certainly benefit if she moved to the Sun newspaper . They she could enjoy her anti minority comments to a receptive audience .

Never heard of the racist, Zoe Williams but what an appalling comment from a journalist working for the Guardian. This is my preferred newspaper which is I find normally respectful of minority rights. Surely Zod Williams and her bigotry would be far happier working for The Sun newspaper and reach a responsive audience with attitudes similar to her own

On last week's Richard Osman's House of Games one of the questions was 'How many people in Wales speak Welsh?', or words to that effect. The answers from the four, apparently intelligent, panellists ranged from 20k to 200k. Two of the panellists were Scots but even they were way out, in spite of our biennial invasion of Murrayfield and years of Calon Lan and GWLAD GWLAD! Fred MacAulay estimated 200 thousand and Judy Murray was much lower. So much for Celtic solidarity! The English contestants both thought hardly anybody here speaks Welsh. It was, however, refreshing to hear Richard Osman, after giving the real figure (close to 600k I think), say it was good to see the Welsh language still going strong. It proved, to me, that most people in the UK genuinely believe Yr Iaith is almost extinct and will simply believe Zoe Williams made a valid point. She probably believes it herself.

What an idiot she is pathetic our language is used daily it's a great language to speak and the oldest in Eirope I say to her we are a growing nation where the language is concerned so back off and educate yourself about the history of the Welsh language you should be disgusted with yourself not even a proper jouneralist we can do without people like you hope you lose your column you are being racist