Comedian Elis James explores the Welsh language in a new series. The Story of Welsh” (Stori'r Iaith) will air on S4C and will be on BBC iPlayer and S4C's on demand service Clic.
James is passionate about the Welsh language, and the language is a big part of his life, but his worries about its future keep him awake at night. The angst he feels runs like a thread through the programme as he looks back over a turbulent century in the story of the language and asks about its future as a result of the target set by the Welsh Government of reaching one million speakers by 2050.
Traveling back to Carmarthen where he grew up, Elis will find out more about the role of members of his family in the language protests and pursue some of the silent heroes who have fought for the Welsh language. A special moment for him will be meeting his hero Professor David Crystal, author of 'Language Death', a book that triggered Elis's recent obsession with the language. There are over 6000 languages in the world, with one dying every two weeks, but according to Crystal, Welsh is not on this list. Elis will find out how important the protests of the 60s and 70s were to saving the language and will meet individuals who continue to campaign today.
While watching one of Wales' international football matches, Elis will meet some of the Welsh language’s new speakers and ask to what extent attitudes towards the language have changed in society. When aiming for a million speakers, the language will change. Elis will ask how ready we are to embrace the new Welsh.
Elis will visit the Basque Country, a country very similar in size to Wales which has already reached one million. He will find out how they have succeeded in reviving its language, by changing attitudes and making Basque a living community language where no one is afraid to speak it regardless of the standard of their Basque. What lessons are here for Wales?
For over 1500 years the Welsh language has survived despite everyone and everything. There are big challenges ahead, but its future is in our hands. While we continue to speak it, it will still be here.
The running order for the series is as follows:
Ep 1: Sean Fletcher, 8 February, 9.00pm.
Ep 2: Lisa Jen, 15 February, 9.00pm.
Ep 3: Alex Jones, 22 February, 9.00pm.
Ep 4: Elis James, 01 March, 9.00pm (St. David’s Day)
