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Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
Ash
Zach
People use English for station announcements because nobody pay attention to the dull monotonous bi-lingual ones."
I know logic often goes out of window when the Welsh language is concerned - but that it a ridiculous sentence.
'People' don't choose the language of station announcements - the train company does.
It always amazes me that the anti-Welsh zealots always claim to be speaking on behalf of some ill-defined 'people' or 'majority'. Opinion polls show consistantly that the overwhelming majority of people in Wales, Welsh and non-Welsh speakers alike, are in favour of government action to support the language.
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
Jantra
Ash
Zach
People use English for station announcements because nobody pay attention to the dull monotonous bi-lingual ones.\"
I know logic often goes out of window when the Welsh language is concerned - but that it a ridiculous sentence.
\'People\' don\'t choose the language of station announcements - the train company does.
It always amazes me that the anti-Welsh zealots always claim to be speaking on behalf of some ill-defined \'people\' or \'majority\'. Opinion polls show consistantly that the overwhelming majority of people in Wales, Welsh and non-Welsh speakers alike, are in favour of government action to support the language.
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
redragon
Jantra
Ash
Zach
People use English for station announcements because nobody pay attention to the dull monotonous bi-lingual ones.\\\"
I know logic often goes out of window when the Welsh language is concerned - but that it a ridiculous sentence.
\\\'People\\\' don\\\'t choose the language of station announcements - the train company does.
It always amazes me that the anti-Welsh zealots always claim to be speaking on behalf of some ill-defined \\\'people\\\' or \\\'majority\\\'. Opinion polls show consistantly that the overwhelming majority of people in Wales, Welsh and non-Welsh speakers alike, are in favour of government action to support the language.
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
Ash
Zach
People use English for station announcements because nobody pay attention to the dull monotonous bi-lingual ones."
I know logic often goes out of window when the Welsh language is concerned - but that it a ridiculous sentence.
'People' don't choose the language of station announcements - the train company does.
It always amazes me that the anti-Welsh zealots always claim to be speaking on behalf of some ill-defined 'people' or 'majority'. Opinion polls show consistantly that the overwhelming majority of people in Wales, Welsh and non-Welsh speakers alike, are in favour of government action to support the language.
Is that why the majority of people in Wales in a recent poll think Welsh language should be a priority for cuts?
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
A loaded question in one poll. I can list you the polling data if you want - but it's really not worth getting into the arguement.
We live in a democracy. You anti-Welsh language and anti-devolution people, if you're so confident the 'people' and the 'majority' support you - start your own political party and see how you do. No, I thought not.
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
Ash
A loaded question in one poll. I can list you the polling data if you want - but it's really not worth getting into the arguement.
We live in a democracy. You anti-Welsh language and anti-devolution people, if you're so confident the 'people' and the 'majority' support you - start your own political party and see how you do. No, I thought not.
answering your own question Ash?
I don't think anyone is coming across anti language here Ash, more like people are incredulous that our first minister would act such a plonker on twitter.
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
Quote: Zach
People use English for station announcements because nobody pay attention to the dull monotonous bi-lingual ones."
I know logic often goes out of window when the Welsh language is concerned - but that it a ridiculous sentence.
I think you are being the zealot, I wasn't diss'ing the Welsh Language in that sentence, I was making a point when you need to communicate with people quickly and impart information precisely then perhaps its best to to it in English. Plenty of other Opportunities for Welsh to be used.
Would you like all Air Traffic Control instructions over Welsh Air space to be in Welsh?
I find some Welsh speakers incredible biggots. (case in point; your reply!, surprised you did not reply in Welsh)
All Welsh speakers speak English, but not all people in Wales speak Welsh.
I think Polish is Wales second most spoken language now, is it not?
Re: Give this Arriva Trains Wales man a knighthood
zach
Quote: Zach
People use English for station announcements because nobody pay attention to the dull monotonous bi-lingual ones.\"
I know logic often goes out of window when the Welsh language is concerned - but that it a ridiculous sentence.
I think you are being the zealot, I wasn\'t diss\'ing the Welsh Language in that sentence, I was making a point when you need to communicate with people quickly and impart information precisely then perhaps its best to to it in English. Plenty of other Opportunities for Welsh to be used.
Would you like all Air Traffic Control instructions over Welsh Air space to be in Welsh?
I find some Welsh speakers incredible biggots. (case in point; your reply!, surprised you did not reply in Welsh)
All Welsh speakers speak English, but not all people in Wales speak Welsh.
I think Polish is Wales second most spoken language now, is it not?
Zach, his reply hardly displayed "zealotry". I'm not a Welsh speaker, nor a fan of the "promotion" of Welsh (I prefer "protection", because "promotion" sounds too activist for me). But, asking for public announcements on services funded to a significant extent via grants from the Welsh govt's block grant to be bilingual is not exactly a revolutionary call. It does not infringe upon the rights of English monoglots.
In this case, it seems Arriva had a good case for not doing them in Welsh - too many announcements in quick succession given the limited platform numbers. And they do have bilingual announcements at other stations - rightly. But they have less excuse for not having them on trains where the speed at which its clapped our bangers travel mean there is plenty of time for bilingual announcements on board!!
I disagree fairly strongly with some Welsh language campaigners' proposals. Implemented in full they would be a threat to English monoglots - far more jobs than is curently the case would be open only to those who spoke Welsh. I do not think the rights of Welsh speakers to speak their language should be so great as to effectively compel non speakers to learn Welsh in order to obtain gainful employment. Nor do I think Welsh should become our primary national language - there is great benefit of it being English in my view.
And I disagree with planning restrictions that only allow Welsh speakers to buy in an area. Or stopping houses being built because of the impact on the Welsh language (I even saw this used in objections re: some developments in Cardiff.. although thats enterprising NIMBYs I guess).
To me, those kind of hard-hitting policies are closer to zealotry. And sometimes are tinged with bigotry too - the implication can sometimes be that if you don't speak Welsh (or want to) you somehow aren't fully Welsh.
Responding in an exasperated way to your flippant comment is hardly zealotry though. And neither is wanting some basic provision in Welsh.
