2 June 2009

Money could be saved by learning Welsh

Our councils are complaining that they are cash strapped due to a poor settlement from the National Assembly. It seems we are getting less and less for more and more money. Despite council taxes on the increase, schools and vital services are slashed yet we say a blatant waste of money as our non Welsh speaking councillors demanding documents billingually and forcing expensive interperting services during meetings. Recently we learned of  a council meeting interpreter being sent home because the English councillor failed to turn up therefore the service was not required (at a cost to us taxpayers.

Caernarfon Online visited two American girls this week to see how they had both managed to take their O level in Welsh during their short time in Caernarfon. These girls are an ispiration to us all and perhaps a push into forcing the council's hand in spending on Welsh lessons so that long term savings can be made during meetings. After all If we were in England, France or Spain, then we would not expect the meetings to be conducted in Welsh would we?

Melissa Anne Strack is from Tampa, Florida. Tampa is on the West cost of Florida and home to Busch Gardens themepark owend by the makers of Budweisser. She told us that she studied Welsh (Cwrs Wlpan) in Cardiff last Summer and just finished up Cwrs Pellach in Prifysgol Bangor this month she took her O-Level exam. She has been with the International Board for a total of two years here (one more to go) which works with minority languages across the world. Specifically, her job is to have Bible stories recorded in spoken Welsh by native Welsh speakers.

Lara Garner is originally from Maryville, Tennessee in America. After finishing with university in America, she wanted to work for an international charity. She found a job here in Wales facilitating a biblical storytelling project. She took the job and has been here for almost a year. She will be living here in Wales for about one more year working on the project and studying the Welsh language and culture.

Both the girls help out on a voluntary basis at The Noddfa Community Centre and are currently taking driving lessons with Caernarfon Driving School www.CaernarfonDrivingSchool.co.uk