The British Library in London is not the most obvious place to look for anything to do with Wales – but from this week onwards, it will play host to a new group of enthusiastic Welsh learners. They are keen to make it possible for all Welsh learners in London to practice speaking the language on a regular basis. Inspired by the free online Welsh course SaySomethinginWelsh.com, Ian Wilson decided that he wanted to add some real world practice to his online learning, and suggested setting up a regular meeting in the British Library. His idea was warmly welcomed on the SaySomethinginWelsh.com discussion board.

‘It is very exciting to see our learners starting to organise themselves into groups, which will make learning Welsh easier and easier for the large number of people in England who want to do so,’ said Aran Jones, co-founder of SaySomethinginWelsh.com. ‘We have seen a surprising level of interest in learning Welsh amongst English people, as well as Welsh people living in England, and what Ian is doing could become the start of a very significant revival.’

Surveys have estimated that there are approximately 50,000 Welsh speakers in London, and yet Welsh is very rarely considered as one of the languages that ought to be catered for in the English capital. If the new wave of internet learners have their way, though, that may soon change – starting with a higher profile for the Welsh language in the British Library itself.

‘The Welsh classes at City Lit fill up pretty quickly,’ says Ian Wilson, ‘so I’m sure there are a lot of learners out there already who will appreciate this chance to use their Welsh in a social setting. Obviously, with online courses like SaySomethinginWelsh.com, anyone can give it a go now, without having to find time for evening classes. Although we did Welsh at school in Port Talbot, it’s only now that I’m starting to learn it in a way that lets me actually use it – and I’m looking forward very much to moving back to Wales in a couple of years.’