VII. Languages. Wales. The Welsh Language

1. Look at the example of Welsh language and compare it with English. Have both languages anything in common?

Bore da – Good morning Da – Good

Prynhawn da – Good afternoon Diolch – hanks

Sutmae? – How are you? Dai awn – Very good

Os gwelwch yn dda – Please Bendigedig – Great

2. Read the text about the Welsh language and be ready to answer the questions.

We all speak English in Wales but the Welsh language is flourishing. It’s spoken fluently by around half a million people in Wales, that’s about 19% of the population.

It’s called Cymraeg, and is a language with entirely regular and phonetic spelling. Our place names may look complicated but once you know the rules, you can learn to read and pronounce Welsh fairly easily.

Our Celtic language is closely related to Cornish and Breton and is one of Europe’s oldest living languages; the Welsh we speak today is directly descended from the language of the Sixth Century.

The Welsh people are keen to keep the language alive, so Welsh is a compulsory subject for all school pupils up to the age of 16 in Wales. Welsh medium schools are also increasingly popular. There is no daily newspaper in Welsh, but there is a weekly national paper as well as Welsh language magazines and regional monthly papers.

1. How many people in Wales speak Welsh?

2. What are the special features of Welsh?

3. How do Welsh people try to keep the language alive?

VIII. British Prominent People

1. Read the information about some of the most famous Britons.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) – Prime Minister during World War II, historically ranked the greatest British prime minister. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill was also an officerin theBritish Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He is the only British Prime Minister to have won theNobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made anhonorary citizen of the United States.

John Lennon (1940–1980) – Composer, musician, philanthropist, peace activist, artist, and writer. Co-writer with Paul McCartneyinThe Beatlesand solo musician. Lennon revealed a rebellious nature in his music, writing, drawings, on film and in interviews. Controversial through his political andpeace activism, he moved toManhattanin 1971, where his criticism of theVietnam Warresulted in a lengthy attempt byRichard Nixon’s administration to deport him, while some of his songs were adopted as anthems by theanti-war movementand the largercounterculture.

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) – naturalist, originator of the theory of evolutionthroughnatural selectionand author ofOn the Origin of Species. Darwin became internationally famous, and his pre-eminence as a scientist was honoured by burial inWestminster Abbey. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history.

William Shakespeare (1654–1616) was an English poet,playwrightand actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in theEnglish languageand the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’snational poetand the “Bard of Avon”. His extant works, including somecollaborations, consist of about38 plays,154 sonnets, two longnarrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every majorliving languageand are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was an English physicistandmathematicianwho is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time and played a key role in thescientific revolution. His bookPhilosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica(“Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”), first published in 1687, laid the foundations forclassical mechanics. Newton also made several contributions toopticsand shares credit withGottfried Leibnizfor the invention of infinitesimal calculus.

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997). She was well known for her fund-raising work for international charities and as an eminent celebrity of the late 20th century. She also received recognition for her charity work. From 1989, she was the president of Great Ormond Street Hospitalfor children, in addition to dozens of other charities. Media attention andpublic mourningwere extensive followingher death in a car crash in Parison August, 31, 1997.