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As a traveller interested in languages I have long been aware of the settlements in Patagonia where Welsh is spoken.

But there's only about 1,500 to 5,000 Welsh speakers there and I'm assuming that while there is tourism, that most of them are not there to learn Welsh.

But is there a language school or a teacher who likes to take on foreign traveller students?

(I already have semifluent Spanish so the worst that could happen is that my Spanish would improve since there's not much English spoken there.)

hippietrail
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2 Answers2

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First of all, let's talk about the place. I learned about the Welsh Settlements there while I was in Puerto Madryn, in Patagonia, Argentina. This is where they first landed, and indeed along the shorefront some of the ruins of their first dug-out homes still exist. It must have been tough.

Fortunately they expanded, and the town of Gaiman is the Welsh home in Argentina now. Indeed Diana, Princess of Wales visited this town and had tea there.

There is quite a lot on the internet about the Welsh Settlement of Patagonia, and it makes for fantastic historical reading.

Now as you can imagine, it's not a massively expanding language in the midst of Patagonia. However, the Welsh Language Project has been set up to promote the Welsh language and culture there.

As they have teachers themselves and are teaching Welsh there, if anyone is going to know how you might be able to learn Welsh as a foreigner in Patagonia, it's this group. I suggest contacting Catrin Williams - there's an interview with her on their site as well.

Jonik
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Mark Mayo
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I would try to arrange to "board" with a Welsh-speaking family while in Patagonia. The arrangement could be made beforehand, or possibly while you're there and find one.

You're going to have to eat/sleep SOMEWHERE. Just do your best to make sure that the "somewhere" is with a Welsh-speaking family.

Tom Au
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