The Welsh Language

Since I have been in Czech Republic, many people have come to me with the question, "what exactly is the Welsh language?" So I have prepared some information about it in the form of a short article, I hope you find it informative and it gives you an insight into the nature of Welsh and its origins.

Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon: A nation without a language is a nation without a heart.

The Welsh language has an incredibly rich history; intertwined with the nation’s culture and heritage the ancient dialect has survived migration, revolution and persecution to become a contemporary institution and symbol of pride among the Welsh people.

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Despite this, beyond the borders little is known of Wales and its language, as a small country of just 3.5 million inhabitants it is often overlooked as an extension of England, and many people do not realise it as an officially bilingual nation with its own perplexing narrative.

So what is the story of the Welsh language; how did it come to be that even the proudest Welshman still might find himself without his native tongue; and what is changing people’s attitudes towards this subject?

To continue reading, please click on the "Articles" tab.

EVS in OKO

Elise did an amazing job creating this promotional video for OKO Centrum and the future volunteers. The video is intended to share our work here with a wider audience and offer a glimpse into the lives of EVS volunteers. We hope you enjoy it!

Conversation Club

Wednesdays Timetable

28-03-12 Hobbies

04-04-12 Music

11-04-12 Famous People

18-04-12 Life Abroad

25-04-12 Holidays

02-05-12 Job Interview

09-05-12 No Club

16-05-12 College Interview

23-05-12 Sports

30-05-12 Your Home

06-05-12 Hotel Reservations

Job Interview Skills Workshop

On the 28^th of February the volunteers in OKO delivered a special presentation for unemployed members of the public in Rychnov nad Kneznou; the aim of the event was to help participants gain practical English skills to use in a job interview, in writing a cover letter and in the preparation of a CV.

The day began with information about the European Voluntary Service, using a presentation we explained the nature of the project, what our roles are in OKO and talked about our experiences so far. This was also a chance to introduce ourselves before going on to work in small groups with the participants on each of the topics.

The tasks were broken down into the three main areas: interview skills, cover letter and CV. Each participant had a chance to talk about each subject, and were given advise on improving their language and a chance to practice.

The day was very successful and everyone who took part was satisfied with the outcome. As a result we will be taking this activity to the neighbouring town of Nachod on April 2^nd and organising a follow-up session for the original participants in Rychnov.

As the native English speaker in OKO, my main responsibility during this activity was the interview aspect, and for me it was a really rewarding experience to be able to share my language and skills in a way that felt incredibly productive and useful to the participants. Please view the “Job Interview” section to find the materials from the workshop.

On-Arrival Training in Chaloupky 21-26 February

I have just taken part in my On-Arrival Trainingas part of the European Voluntary Service programme. I took part in 6 days of activities and met many other volunteers from all over Europe, who will also be working on various projects within the Czech Republic this year.

The training took place in a centre for ecological and outdoor education called Chaloupky, which is around 30 minutes away from Jihlava. While we were there we made many games and group sessions in the centre, learnt about our role as volunteers and took advise on working as a team.

As part of the activities we were given the chance to make a workshop for the other volunteers, and I took the opportunity to teach a group how to juggle! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed sharing my skill with the participants, who in fact were very quick to learn and I was happy to see them able to juggle by the end of the session.

I hope that the group will remain friends throughout the year and we will maintain contact after the EVS. It was a great experience and I would like to thank the trainers, Honza, Bara and Karol for their leadership and advise, as well as the great staff at Chaloupky who made it a fantastic week for all involved!