Free Welsh lessons for young people completes two years

Wales has come to the end of its second year of free Welsh lessons for 16- to 25-year olds, with school staff helping even more people learn the language. Since 2023, over 2,000 young people and school staff are estimated to have taken up the offer of free Welsh lessons.

A range of Learn Welsh provision is available free of charge for young people aged 16-25, and is delivered by the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

Courses include taster and entry level lessons from beginner, all the way through to more advanced levels for those who are already proficient. Courses are available both face-to-face and online, alongside a wide range of digital learning resources. More information can be found on the Learn Welsh website.

The National Centre also provides a selection of Welsh courses of school staff, with courses tailored for education practitioners as well as virtual classroom resources.

The cabinet secretary for finance and Welsh language, Mark Drakeford, said: “Cymraeg belongs to us all. This initiative means it’s easier than ever for people to learn Welsh. I’m pleased to see so many young people and education practitioners taking up the opportunity to learn the language.

“Improving young people’s Welsh language skills so that they can use Welsh in the workplace and in their everyday lives is really important. This is part of our vision to ensure that Welsh is a living language, and a modern language which is used every day.

“Developing the Welsh language skills of the education workforce is key to reaching our goal of one million Welsh speakers by 2050. Providing opportunities to learn Welsh and improving levels of ability in Welsh for the education workforce is crucial so that they are more confident to teach Welsh, to use Welsh in the wider school environment.”

Dona Lewis, chief executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: “The Centre’s work has expanded in recent years to include Learn Welsh training for both young people and the education workforce — two vital audiences for realising the goal of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

“The Centre’s work with young people is going from strength to strength, with bespoke courses and resources developed by the Centre’s language experts. Additionally, partnerships with schools, apprenticeships, Further Education and organisations such as the Urrd and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award are providing new, flexible learning opportunities for young people.

“The Centre has also developed a comprehensive package of training for the education workforce — from beginners to Welsh speakers who want to build their Cymraeg confidence. Teachers and assistants are also introduced to methods that can help them teach Welsh to children and young people.”