TV Series Spotlights Origins of Welsh Language Enclave in Argentina's Patagonia

The web site "Show Me Wales" reports that the ITV series "Britains's Secret Homes" highlights the home of the founder of the Welsh speaking community in Argentina,  Michael Daniel Jones.  "Jones played an important role in establishing the settlement of Y Wladfa in Patagonia in the 186os, where Welsh was the language of religion, government, trade and education."  Jones is also widely recognised as one of the first advocates for political action to defend the culture and language of Wales and thus is considered by many to be a founder of the Welsh Nationalist movement.

The British Council, through the National Assembly of Wales, has had a programme of supporting the Welsh language enclave in Argentina dating from 1997, with authorisation for funding through 2015.  From the British Council's web site we have the following statement: "Teachers from Wales run classes in seven centres, help train local tutors and develop course materials. Since the start of the project, the number of Welsh learners has increased dramatically and activities through the medium of Welsh flourish. The Management Committee that runs the project includes the Centre for Welsh teaching to Adults and the Argentine Welsh Society.  The aim is to help the Argentine community become self-reliant in its revival of the Welsh language." 

showmewales.blogspot.com/2013/06/bala-house-in-national-spotlight-on.html

www.britishcouncil.org/argentina-education-edu_cooperation-welsh.htm

wales.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage/policy/patagonia/?lang=en