Service children

Learning Welsh

Learning Welsh

Welsh Language is compulsory in all schools in Wales, but the amount of Welsh that is taught varies, depending on the type of school you attend.

Research shows that speaking more than one language can boost your skills in many ways.

SSCE Cymru school survey (2019).

The most significant challenges to Service children’s education: 17% of primary schools said Learning Welsh and 21% of Secondary schools said Learning Welsh.

UNCRC Article 30:

I have a right to speak my own language and to follow my family’s way of life.

I moved to Wales because my Dad was posted in the Army. I thought I would get bullied and I was shy when you meet new people, but I made some friends.

Service children learning Welsh films

To help you get started with learning Welsh, here are some Service children from Ysgol y Tywyn Primary School on the Isle of Anglesey, sharing some key words and phrases in Welsh.

Moving to Wales? Here are some useful Welsh phrases

Happy Birthday

Counting in Welsh

Children singing in Welsh

Advice and useful information

Learn Welsh
Free online courses and live lessons.

Welsh Government: Welsh for Kids
Information about learning and using Welsh.

Welsh Government: Your guide to Welsh-medium education

Free Welsh language software

Activities, games and resources

Dinolingo
Language learning for kids.

S4C Cyw
Songs, games and drawings to help younger children play and practise Welsh.

LearnWelsh
For beginners to practise learning Welsh through lessons, games and quick tests on over 100 Welsh topics.

BBC Bitesize: Welsh for learners – Foundation stage

BBC Bitesize: Welsh second language – KS2

Service children’s quotes

"As soon as we get used to a house, you get moved - I’ve been to four schools and moved six times."

Aiden

"I lived in Nepal, then we went to Brunei, then Malaysia."

Ashim

"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."

Chloe

"I’m used to moving now and mixing with the children... I’ve done it so many times, it’s just a normal thing now."

Chloe

"It's ok talking over skype and that, but sometimes you just want a hug when Dad is away."

Georgia

"He signed off last week, so he will be done by the end of this year. He’s done 24 years. I find that better because he will be around a lot. He likes watching us playing rugby, so he will get to see us more."

Lewis

"I’ve enjoyed going around to lots of places around the world, it's adventurous and exciting."

Harry

"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."

Ieuan

"My mum got a chalk board and it says how many sleeps on it with chalk, every minute it’s getting closer for him coming home."

Mia

"I don’t want him to get promoted... I want him to get promoted but I don’t want to leave."

Oliver

"I might be going to boarding school so that I don’t change schools every few years."

Ryan

"I've been to seven different schools; I’ve not stayed put in one school long enough."

Shana

"He has been away for six months and he is back for two weeks, then he goes away again."

Sianed

"My parents were in the Army. My mum is a like a nurse and my dad went to the war in Afghanistan. I actually didn’t really know what he was doing so I was like, ‘Cool Dad, go there,’ but then I found out and thought, 'Thank God he came back alive.'"

Sanjog

"I’m going to a new place entirely. They don’t know anything about me and that’s a big restart and that’s really good for me."

Piaras

"I moved to Wales because my dad was posted in the Army. I thought I would get bullied and I was shy when you meet new people, but I made some friends."

Dan

"I've moved seven times in fourteen years." 

Lilia

"Now we've got a forever home. I never have to worry about leaving or how long until I am leaving. I feel like I belong here a lot more, that's always great."

Oliver

"In June or July, my Dad is going away quite far. He's in the Army, he's a chef. Having your Dad gone is so sad."

Josie

"I've lived in many places. So, I was born in Cyprus, after that I've been to Germany, then I went to this place called Stafford. Then another place which is Wales."

Dominic

"My Dad, he's in the Army and he works in the Engineers and he goes away on week days and comes back on weekends"

Emily

"Dad often goes away. It is a bit worrying not knowing where your Dad is going. It does worry me and my sister. Yeah, you just never know when he's coming home". 

Joe

"My Mum is my parent that is in the Armed Forces. She is a reservist. So when I was younger it was a lot worse, she travelled around a lot. I've lived in the same house my whole life, but she has moved around me. I was in a constant cycle of saying goodbye".

Emma

"For military children they [Mount Street Junior School] do a club called Little Troopers, they've done a Remembrance service, purple up day. We celebrate Holi and Dawali".

Arushi

"Being a military child is hard, but it also gets you a lot of new experiences that I wouldn't have experienced otherwise".

Esme-Jane

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