Welsh for Beginners

Welsh is a living Celtic language spoken by over half a million people in Wales and by communities around the world, and it is one of the oldest continuously spoken languages in Europe. For beginners, learning Welsh is both an intellectual challenge and a means of accessing a rich cultural tradition, from medieval poetry and mythology through twentieth-century literature to the vibrant contemporary Welsh-language media scene. Wales is a bilingual country where Welsh is co-official with English, and Welsh-medium education, public services, and cultural institutions create genuine opportunities for those who develop the language to a high standard.

At Bangor University, this four-year full-time programme for beginners includes a foundation year, providing a supported introduction to the Welsh language and to the academic study of Welsh culture and society before you enter the main degree. A sandwich year, year abroad, and work placements are also available, giving you significant opportunities to develop your language skills in professional and community contexts and to build the experience that supports employment after graduation. The programme develops your Welsh language skills from scratch to a high level of proficiency, alongside your understanding of Welsh literature, history, culture, and the sociolinguistic situation of Welsh in contemporary Wales.

Bangor's location in a strongly Welsh-speaking area of north Wales gives the programme an authenticity and community connection that is unusual among language programmes.

Graduates with Welsh language competence are in genuine demand in Wales, where the Welsh Government's commitment to expanding Welsh-language services, education, and media creates sustained employment opportunities. Teaching, broadcasting, translation, public services, community development, and the arts are all careers that value Welsh-language skills. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study or teacher training, and some develop careers in Welsh-language cultural organisations or in the expanding Welsh-medium education sector.