IN CONVERSATION :

Diane (In Person. Bangor, Wales)

Diane and some of her colleagues on a counter in the Ysbyty Gwynedd speak a little Welsh and say something about the ongoing struggle over the language.

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TRANSCRIPT

JO: If you could just say who you are and hello and whatever comes to mind … what kind of a day you are having or ….

D: [ ] tell me [ ] English and I’ll translate it ….

JO: I’ve put you on the spot …. well you could talk to me in Welsh …

3rd P: [ ]

D: [ ] he hasn’t come across anybody speaking Welsh … I said we all speak Welsh on the desk …. he’s doing a project [ ] and wants somebody to talk Welsh to him …

3rd P: [ ]

JO: Since I mentioned it, it’s been English only … No, I’m the same … if someone asks me to perform on the guitar, I forget everything I know … I just want to get the sound of some Welsh voices … that’s all ….

3rd P: I’ll speak Welsh to Diane … [ ]

D: [ ]

JO: yes .. quite …

3rd P: [ ]

JO: are you all …

3rd P: [ ]

JO: have you all … you all speak Welsh here, yes? And it’s your main tongue when you are working

D: yes

JO: here too … in the office …

D: yes

JO: and then … over the desk … over the counter … it’s sort of a mixture of ..

D: well, yes …. we speak Welsh to people … either we get “great .. [ ]” or we get “English!” .. it’s either-or ….

JO: it’s still quite controversial seemingly … the language thing .. Leanne Wood is often on Twitter

D: yes

JO: complaining about how people are behaving when ..

D: you speak Welsh … there was something, wasn’t there, last week … a man had spoken Welsh to a daughter in a supermarket … and somebody said “stop speaking that trash” …

JO: yes .. I saw that … in Wales ….

3rd P: yes … that’s happened to my husband’s aunty …. [ ] as well…

JO: it’s outrageous … [ ] they need to be educated ….

D: [ ]

JO: they need to be educated …..

D: if you go abroad … you’d have to speak ..[ ]

JO: respect where you are …

D: well … obviously you should know a little bit about it before you go there … and then … even if you just say thank you .. it just shows that you …

JO: respectful …

D: yes …

JO: Dioch … that’s about the extent of mine …

D: that’s very [ ]

JO: although I know how to ask for a pannad as well

D: that’s the main thing! That’s [ ] tomato sauce ….

JO: what’s your name?

D: Diane …

JO: Diane … thanks Diane …

D: you’re welcome

JO: thanks very much …

END