Nathalie's story

Nathalie shares her experiences of learning Welsh and her tips for other learners.

Nathalie is a Data Checker at Careers Wales based in Cwmbran. She moved to Wales six years ago and decided to start learning Welsh.

Our questions to Nathalie

1. What inspired you to start learning or improving your Welsh language skills?

I have always had an interest in languages, but I live in an area where Welsh is not spoken much. When I moved to Wales in 2018 and started working with Careers Wales, I became more immersed in the language, and I discovered I want to learn more.

I wanted to help my daughter embrace her heritage and support her in learning Welsh as she goes through her education."

2. How has learning Welsh impacted your daily work at Careers Wales?

I am still very early in my Welsh learning but understanding e-mails, or when someone speaks Welsh in a meeting, inspires me. I enjoy discussing my learning with Welsh speaking members of my team.

3. How does being bilingual benefit your team and your role within Careers Wales?

There aren't many Welsh speaking members of my team (especially in my area) so being bilingual would be a great skill to bring to the team.

4. How has your confidence in using Welsh developed since you started learning?

I am constantly trying to read and understand the Welsh I see every day. I have also started to try and break down what I say in English and translate it in my head. I have a very long way to go though!

5. What advice would you give to others who already have some Welsh language skills but are hesitant to use them?

I am still quite shy about speaking Welsh, but I would say the people I have spoken to are more than happy to help and appreciate that you're learning. It is okay to get things wrong.

6. What resources or strategies have you found most helpful in learning and using Welsh?

I use Duolingo mainly to keep things fresh in my mind, Say Something in Welsh is very useful and I also use Reddit.