Every year teachers from Wales are sent to Patagonia to teach and promote the Welsh in the Welsh Colony. Many people from the Colony also visit Wales to join the Cardiff Summer Course to improve their Welsh. Others come to learn more about the methods of teaching the Welsh language and spend time observing classes in Welsh medium schools or adult’s classes here at the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Centre.
This year two visitors have come to the Welsh for Adults Centre from Patagonia, Juan Davies and Rebeca Henry. Rebecca teaches Welsh to children in a Spanish school in Gaiman and Juan teaches Welsh to adults. Juan has received many invitations from tutors to present to their learners about Welsh in Patagonia. Learners have enjoyed listening to his experiences of the language in Patagonia and to listen to someone who is fluent in Welsh and Spanish, Juan does not speak English.
Juan came to Wales for the first time in 1993 to learn Welsh on the Welsh Summer course, he then returned in 1997 to complete the training course to become a Welsh for Adults tutor.
Juan has spent 6 weeks here at the Centre observing Welsh for Adults classes whilst Rebecca has spent 3 weeks at the Centre before observing classes at a Welsh medium school for the remaining 3 weeks.
These visits are part of a Welsh language programme in Patagonia to promote the language. The Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Centre is a partner to the programme that is run by the British Council and funded by the Welsh Government.
Gareth Kiff, Senior Tutor at the Cardiff and Vale Welsh for Adults Centre and part of the committee for the programme said:
‘This is a unique programme – it is the only foreign programme funded by the Welsh Government and the only project to promote the Welsh language outside of Wales. 2015 will mark 150 years since the Welsh Colony was founded in Patagonia and the links between Wales and the Colony are as strong as ever thanks to this programme’
Gareth Kiff has recently taken over the role of Academic Monitor on the project. Every year Gareth will conduct an inspection of the project and write a report to the British Council based on his findings.
Juan (second from left in the picture) attending an Advanced level class
Juan (ail o'r chwith yn y llun) yn mynychu dosbarth lefel Uwch
Ymwelwyr o Batagonia
Bob blwyddyn anfonir athrawon o Gymru i ddysgu a hyrwyddo'r iaith yn Y Wladfa, Patagonia ac mae nifer o'r Wladfa hefyd yn dod i Gymru i ymuno a Cwrs Haf y Ganolfan i wella eu Cymraeg. Mae eraill yn dod i ddysgu mwy am ddulliau dysgu ac yn treulio cyfnodau'n arsylwi mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg neu yma yn y Ganolfan. Eleni mae dau ymwelydd gyda ni, sef Juan Davies a Rebeca Henry. Mae Rebeca'n dysgu'r Gymraeg i blant mewn ysgol Sbaeneg yn Gaiman ac mae Juan yn dysgu oedolion. Daeth Juan i Gymru gyntaf yn 1993 i ddysgu Cymraeg ar gwrs haf dwys Prifysgol Caerdydd a dychwelodd yma yn 1997 i ddilyn cwrs hyfforddi i diwtoriaid Cymraeg i Oedolion. Mae Juan yn arsylwi dosbarthiadau Cymraeg i Oedolion am gyfnod o 6 wythnos, mae o wedi derbyn sawl gwahoddiad gan diwtoriaid i annerch dysgwyr ynglŷn â'r Gymraeg ym Mhatagonia. Mae'r dysgwyr hynny wrth eu boddau'n gwrando ar rywun sy'n rhugl ei Gymraeg a'i Sbaeneg ond yn methu siarad Saesneg. Roedd Rebeca gyda ni am bythefnos cyn treulio 6 wythnos mewn tair ysgol uwchradd Gymraeg. Mae’r ymweliadau hyn yn rhan o gynllun yr Iaith Gymraeg ym Mhatagonia i hyrwyddo’r iaith. Mae Canolfan Cymraeg i Oedolion Caerdydd a Bro Morgannwg yn un o bartneriaid y cynllun sydd dan ofal Y Cyngor Prydeinig ac ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Dywedodd Gareth Kiff, Uwch Diwtor y Ganolfan ac aelod o bwyllgor y cynllun: ‘Dyma brosiect unigryw - yr unig brosiect tramor gan Lywodraeth Cymru a'r unig brosiect sy'n hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg y tu fas i Gymru. Yn 2015 dethlir 150 mlynedd ers sefydlu'r Wladfa ac mae cysylltiad rhwng Cymru a hi'r un mor gryf ag erioed oherwydd yn bennaf i'r prosiect hwn’ Mae Gareth Kiff erbyn hyn wedi cymryd y rôl Monitor Academaidd ar y prosiect. Pob blwyddyn bydd Gareth yn cynnal arolwg o’r cynllun (darpariaeth i blant, addysg gyfrwng Cymraeg, Menter Iaith Patagonia a darpariaeth Cymraeg i Oedolion) ac yn ysgrifennu adroddiad i’r Cyngor Prydeinig.