Cardiff's
Welsh speakers are "irritating" says author
One
of CardiffÂ’s leading writers has launched an attack on the
city's Welsh speakers, labelling them as "irritating".
John
Williams – author of the acclaimed novel Cardiff Dead - will
appear in the final and most controversial programme in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Wales surprise hit series The Story of Welsh with Huw Edwards
tomorrow (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE Wales, Wednesday 12 February, 10.35pm).
In
an interview with the Welsh speaking Ten O'Clock News presenter,
Williams says: "Cardiff
Welsh speakers have what is the equivalent of a kind of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Counties
'rah' voice that says, 'I am a rather important person. Please hurry
up and get out of my way'.
"I
think more and more people find it irritating."
Welsh
speakers now make up almost 10 per cent of Cardiff's population
and the results of the 2001 Census are expected to show the figure
rising.
The
final programme in the series The Story of Welsh with Huw Edwards
also features disagreement about the future of the language.
Language
expert Professor David Crystal says he believes Welsh has a bright
future: "Celtic
languages in the 20th century have been going downhill very, very
fast.
"Welsh
is actually the only language in recent history to have reversed
the process. When I travel around the world and tell people about
what's happening in Wales, they are so envious.
"I
can only see Welsh growing from strength-to-strength in the immediate
future."
But
language adviser Eurin Ogwen Williams disagrees.
He
believes the language is heading for crisis: "The number of
children at the age of three who can speak Welsh naturally is getting
smaller and smaller.
"The
bleak picture is that, if nothing is done to change the situation,
it is unlikely
that more than ten per cent of the population will be speaking Welsh
by the middle of the century."
The
Story of Welsh with Huw Edwards has been a surprise ratings hit
with audiences beating programmes such as Essex Wives, Sex and the
City and Brookside.
The
website
received more than 23,000 hits in its first three weeks and hundreds
of messages commenting on themes explored in the series have been
posted on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s talkwales internet message boards.
The
series will be followed by a one-off ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE Wales debate programme
– The Future of Welsh with Huw Edwards – next week after
the publication of the 2001 Census results.
Notes
to Editors
The
final programme in the series The Story of Welsh with Huw Edwards
will be broadcast on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE Wales on Wednesday 12 February at 10.35pm.
The
programme will be repeated on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ 2W – digital TV for Wales
– on Thursday 13 February at 9.15pm and on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ FOUR on Tuesday
18 February at 7.00pm.
All the
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s digital services are now available on ,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s eight television channels - including ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE
- as well as six ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ radio networks.
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