Minority languages in the UK

It is said that there are 6912 languages include in minor languages in the world. I learned about languages which are spoken in the UK. Mostly, British speak English. But there are other languages. For example, Welsh, Scots, Gaelic, Manx, and Cornish. These languages came from Celtic Languages, while English came from Anglo-Saxon. English, Welsh, Scots and Gaelic are living language, but Manx and Cornish became dead language. People are trying to revive minority language like Welsh, Scots and Gaelic and Dead language.

Focus on Welsh

Welsh is spoken mainly in Wales. Wales has a very strong Celtic culture. Many Celtic languages have almost disappeared, but Welsh is still used. Until 1825 about 80 per cent of the population spoke Welsh. During the nineteenth century there were fewer Welsh speakers, because many English and Irish workers moved to South Wales people moved to the cities where less Welsh was spoken. One of Welsh men said, “Both my great-grandmothers spoke Welsh. My father and his brothers could speak both Welsh and English, but all left Wales and married English women, so my generation speaks no Welsh. I ‘m learning it at evening class.”
Recently, there has been more interest in Welsh. It is now spoken as a first language by more than 20 per cent of the population of Wales. It is used as a second language schools in Wales. So the number of speakers aged between 3 and 15 rose from 17.7 per cent to 24.4 per cent. It means Welsh is reviving gradually now.
Welsh is recognized as a minority language. According to the list of languages ordered by the number of native-language speakers, Welsh is 266 th place. By the way, 1st place is Chinese, 2nd place is Spanish, and 3rd place is English and Japanese is 9th place.
Wales receives money to help its language stay alive. There are television and radio stations with Welsh-language programs.
To understand how different Welsh is from English, compare these lines from the Welsh national anthem with their English translation.


I thought all people who live in the UK speak English. I didn't know about welsh. When I watched the sentence of the Welsh, I didn't understand meaning of it at all. People should protect own national culture and language. Maybe government's role to protect these things is big and important.

References:
Storry, M. and Childs, P. (2007) British Cultural Identities. (3rd Ed.) Routledge.

Roedean Independent Private School

Private Schools

Only about 7 per cent of children in England go to private schools. But these schools have enormous influence. Though I have described before, Oxford and Cambridge is very famous. and 50 per cent of oxford and Cambridge students are from private schools.
I researched about girl's private school. Cheltenham, Roedean, Wecombe Abbey, and Beneanden are famous in Britain. Especially I will talk about Roedean school in this time.

General information about Roedean
Roedean is an independent private girls school. It locates in Roedean village on the outskirts of Brighton, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1885 by three sisters: Penelope, Millicent, and Dorothy Lawrence. The school moved to its present site on the Sussex Downs overlooking the sea in 1898.

Roedean is an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 3- 18 and for boys aged 3-11. Boarding school is the arrangement by which school students live at their school, going home during the holidays. This type of school is commoner in Britain than in Japan. Roedean is divided in two schools; junior and senior school. The Junior school campus is located in quirky Kemp Town, and the senior school campus is just outside Brighton.

School fees are between£4,550 and £9,750 per term from the youngest day girls to the oldest boarders.

Senior School

Usually, private schools have more better facilities than public schools. Roedean also have full facilities, so students can study in good environment. I will introduce some of Roedean facilities.

There are two libraries in the school. The main library was built as the origin school hall and converted in1993. There are DVDs, journals, magazines and daily newspapers. Of coerce there are desks to study in there. And also there are two chapels. There are sports facilities. Student can enjoy swimming, squash, hockey, cricket, rounder, basketball, polo, horse-riding, karate, badminton, tennis and netball. And there are huge theatre in the school. It can hold 320 people at the same time, so professional companies use this theatre sometimes.
Senior school is boarding school. Each house has sturdy and relaxation space. Moreover there are junior prep room, a TV room, a common room and pantry for evening snacks. And each students has own bedroom.

Roedean has its own tunnel to the beach! It was opened in 1910 and uses as an air radio shelter in the Second World war. Now it is only open on special occasions.

This school has very high education. Student can study many thing under the good condition.

In the UK there are many boarding school, so many students do not live with their parents. I think it is good for children to become independent. Students live together and they learn manner too. I think their life in the school might be valuable.

The other hand most of Japanese university students too depend on their parents. I think we should take example by them.