Da Iawn, Gordon

Mae swyddfa'r Prif Weinidog, Gordon Brown, wedi lansio tudalen Gymraeg ar ei safle we.

Llafur a'r iaith/Labour and the language

Fi'n croesawu'r cynllun gan Martin Eaglestone i ysgrifennu pamffled ar y pwnc 'yr perthynnas rhwng Llafur, iaith ar agenda hawliau'. Mae'n bwysig bod ni'n trafod y mater gyda'n gilydd, fel dwedodd Eluned Morgan ASE ac Alun Davies AC yn yr haf.

Wrth gwrs mod i'n anghytuno gyda'i farn e ar yr iaith.

(I welcome Martin Eaglestone's plans to write a pamphlet on the relationship between Labour, the language and the rights agenda. It's important we discuss the issue together, as Eluned Morgan MEP and Alun Davies AM said in the summer.

Of course, I disagree with this bloke's opinion on the language).

Llongyfarchiadau, Julie

Mae Julie McMillan, sy'n dod o Dreorci yn y Rhondda, wedi enill y cystadleuaeth Dysgwr y Flwyddyn. Llongyfarchiadau iddi hi.

(Julie McMillan, from Treorchy in the Rhondda, has won the Welsh Learner of the Year competition. Congratulations to her).

Erthygl diddorol

Mae Vaughan Roderick wedi ysgrifennu erthygl ar ei 'flog am yr etholiad Gynulliad Rhondda.

Gallwch chi ei weld yma

(Vaughan Roderick has written an article on the Rhondda Assembly election on his blog. You can find it here.)

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus

Happy St David's Day.

While looking for the Redwood video I found these two clips on Youtube.

Siarad Cymraeg

Gofynodd Radio Cymru i mi i wneud cyfweliad yn fyw ddoe. Naddo, dwedais i. R'o'n i'n gywir. Ar ol i mi edrych fy nghyfweliad wedi recordio ar Newyddion neithiwr, welais i camgymeriad syml o'r cwrs wlpan! Dwi wedi gorffen hynny rhai flwyddyn yn ol, a cwrs pellach hefyd. Aaargh!

For English, see below:

Radio Cymru asked me to do a live interview yesterday. I said no. After watching my recorded interview on Newyddion last night, I saw a mistake from the beginners' Welsh course. I have finished that course some years back, and the Further course as well. Aaargh!

Ty hwnt i Iaith Pawb

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Leighton yn siarad yn y siambr yn dadl Iaith Pawb. Leighton speaking in the Assembly during a debate on the Welsh language.

Txt Gmrg

Bydd yn bosib i ddecstio yn Gymraeg yn haws yn y dyfodol, yn ol y Bwrdd yr Iaith.

For English, click below:

It will be possible to text in Welsh more easily in future, according to the Welsh Language Board.

Brawd Mawr

Trafododd neb Glyn ac Imogen yn y Ty Brawd Mawr, sy’n gweithio yn lwyddiannus I hybu’r iaith Gymraeg, pan oeddwn ni dadlau polisi Iaith Pawb yn y Cynulliad yn diweddar. Mae nhw wedi cymryd yr iaith Gymraeg yn y maes diwylliant boblogaidd, a dylen ni cydnabod hynny. Nawr, mae'n rhaid i ddau eraill ohonyn nhw'n dysgu Cymraeg yn y Ty.

Sut mae pethau wedi newid.

For an English translation:

Nobody discussed Glyn and Imogen in the Big Borther house, who are successfully promoting the Welsh language, when we were debating Welsh language policy in the Assembly recently. They've taken Welsh into the field of popular culture, and we should acknowledge that. Now, two of the others in the house have to learn Welsh.

How things have changed.

Mastermind Cymru

Bydd S4C yn darlledu Mastermind yn Gymraeg. Gwnaiff y BBC y rhaglen, ac bydd Betsan Powys yn cyflwyno.

Dwedodd John Humphrys:

"Mastermind is obviously a programme that crosses language barriers and cultures and because the Welsh are a very clever lot they'll obviously have no shortage of victims for the black chair."

English below:

S4C will be broadcasting Mastermind in Welsh. The BBC will be making the programme, and Betsan Powys will present it.

John Humphrys said:

"Mastermind is obviously a programme that crosses language barriers and cultures and because the Welsh are a very clever lot they'll obviously have no shortage of victims for the black chair."

Golwg ac datganoli

Dwi wedi gwneud cyfweliad mewn Golwg ar y pwnc datganoli. Mae ychydig ohono fe ar y Gwe.

I have done an interview with the Welsh language weekly Golwg on the subject of devolution. There's a bit of it on the web.

Tryweryn

I have signed Alun Ffred Jones' Statement of Opinion on Tryweryn, which will appear here when formally tabled, in response to Liverpool Council's belated apology. The Statement reads:

Cofeb Tryweryn

Rydym ni fel Aelodau’r Cynulliad yn croesawu ymddiheuriad Cyngor Dinas Lerpwl am y cam a wnaed wrth foddi cymuned Capel Celyn ac yn gofyn I’r Cyngor gyfrannu at y gost o godi cofeb barhaol ger yr argae I gofnodi’r digwyddiad arwyddocaol hwn

Trwyeryn Memorial

We as Assembly Members welcome Liverpool City Council’s apology for the injustice of drowning Capel Celyn community and we ask the Council to contribute towards the cost of erecting a permanent memorial by the dam to commemorate this significant event.

When I was growing up in South Wales, we actually heard very little about Tryweryn. I'm glad it's now being explained on the news on a UK-wide basis. As the BBC says:

With the backing of English MP's, Liverpool City Council had driven through a Parliamentary bill approving the flooding of Tryweryn to create a reservoir providing water to the city.

It involved the destruction of a village called Capel Celyn, and the forced removal of about 70 people.

Every Welsh MP except one had voted against it, and gradually the Welsh people realised that when it came to a conflict with their bigger English neighbour, they had no control over their destiny.

The demonstrations spawned into a wider Welsh nationalist movement, and created support for Plaid Cymru which at the time was not much more than a Welsh language and cultural organisation.

The Manic Street Preachers' song 'Not Ready for Drowning' is meant to be based on Tryweryn, I'm told.

Independent Welsh

No, not a headline about Plaid Cymru's policy for the constitution - I am referring to the Independent headline today and its accompanying somewhat garbled article:

Felly beth mae'r Cymry erioed wedi ei wneud drosom ni? (So what have the Welsh ever done for us?)

Barn ar-lein

Mae gwefan newydd gyda'r cylchgrawn Barn. Via.

Barn ar-lein

Mae gwefan newydd gyda'r cylchgrawn Barn. Via.

Dysgu Cymraeg

Dwi wedi ffindio y gwefan newydd'ma heddiw - diolch am Rwdls Nwdls.

Safle Ddysgwyr yw hwn. Mae'r safle yn cyflwyno stwff sy'n perthyn i raglenni S4C. Mae stwff hanesyddol gyda fe hefyd.

Menter Iaith

Yr wythnos diwethaf, helpais i lansio WAW! gan Menter Iaith mewn RCT. Dwedais i:

Bob man ‘dwi’n mynd yn y Rhondda, ‘dwi’n cwrdd a bobl sy’n dysgu Cymraeg neu siarad Cymraeg. Mae pump ysgol gynradd Gymraeg gyda ni yn y Rhondda, a ‘dwi wedi ymweld y gyd. Mae llawer o rwp Meithrin gyda ni. Wrth gwrs, mae Ysgol Gyfun y Cymer gyda ni hefyd. Gallwn ni weld y digwyddiadau yn yr ysgol hon ar S4C bob wythnos, wrth gwrs. Mae llawer o rwp o ddysgwyr ‘da ni hefyd. Mae’r grwp o’r Maerdy newydd ymweld a ‘set’ Pobol y Cwm yn y BBC yng Nghaerdydd. Mae Cymdeithas Cymraeg yn Nhreorci ‘da ni hefyd. Ers deugain mlynedd nawr. Nid gwrp dysgwyr wrth gwrs. Roedd y siardiwr cyntaf yn y chwechdegau yr athro T.J.Morgan, tad Rhodri Morgan wrth gwrs. Mae papur bro, y Gloran, gyda ni hefyd.

Felly, mae’r iaith Gymraeg yn byw yn y Rhondda.

Dw I’n dysgu Cymraeg fy hunan. Dw’i ddim yn siarad Cymraeg yn rhugl. Dw’I’n cael gwersi yn y cynulliad. Dw I wedi gorffen y cwrs wlpan a newydd orffen y cwrs pellach. Mae’n defnyddiol gweithio mewn sefyllfa dwy-ieithog! Mewn teulu, dyn ni’n ceisio siarad Cymraeg. Mae fy nwraig I’n siarad Cymraeg – doedd hi ddim yn siarad saesneg nes oedd hi’n pum oed. Ma’n ferch i’n astudio Cymraeg nawr yn y brifysgol yng Nghaerdydd.

Os mae rhiwun yn moyn dysgu Cymraeg, os mae rhiwun yn siarad Cymraeg yn barod, mae arnyn nhw angen gwybodaeth ar y cyfleoedd I ddefnyddio’r iaith yn leol. Felly, dw’I’n croesawu’r menter ar y cyd fanhyn rhwng Menter yr Iaith a chyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf. Mae’r mynegfap yn esbonio ble dyn ni’n gallu ffindio grwpiau a chymdeithasau Cymraeg yn yr ardal.

Gobeithio bod rhagor o bobl yn manteisio ar y gweithgareddau hamdden, cymdeithasol neu addysgol er mwyn I’r iaith ffynnu yn ein cymoedd ni.

The Eisteddfod

I went to the Eisteddfod on Saturday - it was impossible to get up to North Wales earlier in the week. It seemed a bit flat to me, but then it was the end of the week. However, a number of people I met said they had had a very good week - and clearly the Eisteddfod had been successful in financial terms this year. That puts into some perspective the Grant Thornton report's conclusion that the Eisteddfod needed a lot more public money.

Yesterday the Rhondda's own Carolyn Hitt had an entertaining article on the Eisteddfod in the Western Mail. She pointed out:

ANOTHER Eisteddfod over and the three main ceremonies have been conducted - the Crowning, the Chairing and the Asking For More Cash. The third ritual didn't have quite as much pageantry as the other two, but it grabbed more headlines. The issue of safeguarding the future of Wales' premier cultural festival provokes a sensitive debate.

The English-speaking Welsh grumble what's in it for them, when the appeal for more public money is made. The Archdruid concedes the Eisteddfod needs public funding - which of course comes from monoglot pockets as well as Welsh-speaking ones - but he'd rather not be interviewed about it in English. Not the best approach when you are shaking the collection tin.

Carolyn rightly highlights the need for the Eisteddfod to appeal beyond the Welsh-speaking audience and do more to attract the monoglot English-speaking majority in Wales. I think that the Eisteddfod needs to modernise. I raised this issue in the debate on the Assembly's Welsh Language strategy Iaith Pawb (Everyone's Language) in July, pointing out that the Grant Thornton report itself identified various problems:

• the cash flow forecast is not linked to either an income and expenditure account or a balance-sheet
• the eisteddfod’s ability to stage a sustainable eisteddfod appears to be limited by the convoluted nature and differing influences of the decision-making process
• the eisteddfod is not financially viable in its current format.
• there appears to be an urgent need to review all the options for the future operation. This review will require the eisteddfod to consider whether major as well as minor changes to its shape, frequency, location and so on will provide the opportunity to meet its primary objectives in a sustainable way.

I pointed out:

We also know that the eisteddfod’s problems will get worse next year when several quangos will be abolished and quango alley disappears from the maes.

I concluded:

It is not a problem of having a Government grant; the problem is bigger than that. It is important to think about more fundamental questions. The Minister is right: there cannot be a blank cheque. It is important to look at the whole situation.

Even Cymdeithas yr Iaith's - The Welsh Language Society's - magazine Tafod y Ddraig said my speech was worth hearing (see page 15)!

The debate over whether the Eisteddfod should go to Liverpool in 2007 has taken a lot of airtime this week.

I agree with Dafydd Wigley - Liverpool should be actively considered. In fact, I think it would not only be good for the Eisteddfod to go to Liverpool in 2007, it would be a great promotional platform for Wales.

Leighton Andrews: Pan gefais i fy ethol i’r Cynulliad, nid oedd fy Nghymraeg i o safon ddigon uchel i’w siarad yn y Siambr. Felly, mae’n bwysig imi ddiolch i’m hathrawes Gymraeg, Elaine Senior. Yr wyf yn hapus i barhau fy addysg gan astudio’r Gymraeg. Mae hynny’n enghraifft o ddysgu gydol oes. Hoffwn ddiolch i’r rhai sydd yn fy helpu i ddysgu. Ni ddeallaf bawb sydd yn siarad Cymraeg yma, ond yr wyf yn hoff o wrando, weithiau, ar y Gymraeg sydd yn cael ei siarad yn y Siambr neu mewn pwyllgor, heb ddefnyddio clustffonau. Yn anffodus, credaf fod rhai pobl yn gwneud mwy o synnwyr yn y cyfieithiad.	Leighton Andrews: When I was elected to the Assembly, my Welsh was not of a high enough standard for me to speak it in the Chamber. Therefore, it is important that I thank my Welsh tutor, Elaine Senior. I am happy to continue my education by learning Welsh. That is an example of lifelong learning. I would like to thank those who are helping me to learn. I do not understand everyone who speaks Welsh here but I sometimes like to listen to the Welsh spoken in the Chamber or in committee, without using headphones. Unfortunately, I feel that some people make more sense in translation.
Mae llawer o foddau i ddysgu’r Gymraeg heddiw. Mae’n ddiddorol gweld pobl yn defnyddio’r Gymraeg ym maes technoleg. Mae’n ddefnyddiol darllen gwe-logiau yn y Gymraeg, er enghraifft. Mae erthygl bwysig ar y pwnc hwn gan Tomos Grace yn y cylchgrawn, Agenda.	There are many ways of learning Welsh today. It is interesting to see people using the Welsh language in the field of technology. It is useful to read weblogs, for example, in Welsh. There is an important article by Thomas Grace on this issue in the magazine, Agenda.
Heddiw, yr wyf am drafod sefyllfa’r eistedfod. Yr wyf wedi ymweld ag amryw o eisteddfodau. Yr wyf am weld yr eisteddfod yn cael ei chynnal yn y Rhondda ond byddai hynny’n anodd gan fod angen llawer o dir gwastad ar yr eisteddfod ac nid oes digon o dir o’r fath gennym yn y Rhondda.	Today, I would like to discuss the situation of the eisteddfod. I have visited several eisteddfodau. I would like to see the eisteddfod being held in the Rhondda but that would be difficult as the eisteddfod requires a great deal of level land and we do not have enough of such land in the Rhondda.
Yr wyf wedi darllen yr adroddiad gan Grant Thornton ar y sefyllfa ariannol. Mae Grant Thornton yn gwmni da, sydd yn dod o hyd i lawer o broblemau. Yr wyf wedi darllen yr adroddiad yn y Saesneg, felly credaf y bydd yn rhaid imi drafod yr adroddiad yn y Saesneg.	I have read the Grant Thornton report on the financial situation. Grant Thornton is a good company, which discovers many problems. I have read the report in English, and, therefore I feel that I must discuss the report in English.
Edrychwch ar enw’r adroddiad.	Look at the title of the report.
It is called the ‘Limited Scope Independent Financial Review’, which illustrates its limited nature; it was restricted to discussions with the eisteddfod.	Fe’i gelwir y ‘Limited Scope Independent Financial Review’, sy’n dangos ei natur gyfyngedig; fe’i cyfyngwyd i drafodaethau gyda’r eisteddfod.
Dywedodd yr adroddiad—	The report said that—
the cash flow forecast is not linked to either an income and expenditure account or a balance-sheet.	nid yw’r rhagolygon llif arian yn gysylltiedig â chyfrif incwm a gwariant na mantolen.
Dywedodd yr adroddiad—	The report said that—
the eisteddfod’s ability to stage a sustainable eisteddfod appears to be limited by the convoluted nature and differing influences of the decision-making process.	mae’n ymddangos y cyfyngir ar allu’r eisteddfod i gynnal eisteddfod gynaliadwy gan natur gymhleth a dylanwadau gwahanol y broses benderfynu.
Dywedodd yr adroddiad—	The report said that—
the eisteddfod is not financially viable in its current format. We also know that the eisteddfod’s problems will get worse next year when several quangos will be abolished and quango alley disappears from the maes.	nid yw’r eisteddfod yn hyfyw yn ariannol yn ei ffurf bresennol. Gwyddom hefyd y bydd problemau’r eisteddfod yn gwaethygu y flwyddyn nesaf pan fydd sawl cwango yn cael ei ddileu ac y bydd lôn y cwangos yn diflannu oddi ar y maes.
Dywedodd yr adroddiad hefyd—	The report also said that—
there appears to be an urgent need to review all the options for the future operation. This review will require the eisteddfod to consider whether major as well as minor changes to its shape, frequency, location and so on will provide the opportunity to meet its primary objectives in a sustainable way.	mae’n ymddangos bod angen adolygu pob opsiwn ar gyfer ei gweithrediad i’r dyfodol ar fyrder. Bydd gofyn fel rhan o’r adolygiad hwn i’r eisteddfod ystyried a fydd newidiadau mawr yn ogystal â newidiadau mân i’w ffurf, pa mor aml y mae’n digwydd, ei lleoliad ac yn y blaen yn rhoi’r cyfle iddi i gyflawni ei phrif amcanion mewn modd cynaliadwy.
Dyna’r broblem. Nid problem o ran cael grant gan y Llywodraeth yw hon; mae’r broblem yn fwy na hynny. Mae’n bwysig meddwl am gwestiynau mwy sylfaenol. Mae’r Gweinidog yn iawn: ni ellir cynnig siec wag. Mae’n bwysig edrych ar yr holl sefyllfa.	That is the problem. It is not a problem of having a Government grant; the problem is bigger than that. It is important to think about more fundamental questions. The Minister is right: there cannot be a blank cheque. It is important to look at the whole situation.

Dysgu Cymraeg/Weflogiau Cymraeg

Dysgu Cymraeg/Weflogiau Cymraeg

Siaradais i yn Gymraeg yn y siambr ddoe, yn ystod y dadl blynyddol 'Iaith Pawb':

Pan ges i fy ethol I’r cynulliad, roedd fy Nghymraeg I ddim o safon ddigon uchel I siarad yn y siambr. Felly, mae’n bwysig i ddechrau gan diolch i fy athrawes cymraeg, Elaine Senior. Fi’n hapus iawn i barhau fy addysg gan astudio cymraeg. Engraifft o ddysgu Siaradais i yn Gymraeg yn y siambr ddoe, yn ystod y dadl blynyddol 'Iaith Pawb':

Pan ges i fy ethol I’r cynulliad, roedd fy Nghymraeg I ddim o safon ddigon uchel I siarad yn y siambr. Felly, mae’n bwysig i ddechrau gan diolch i fy athrawes cymraeg, Elaine Senior. Fi’n hapus iawn i barhau fy addysg gan astudio cymraeg. Engraifft o ddysgu gydol oes.

Fi mwyn diolch rhein sy’n helpu mi ddysgu. Fi ddim yn deall pawb sy’n siarad cymraeg yma, ond weithiau fi’n hoffi gwrando yn y Gymraeg yn y siambr neu yn y pwyllgor, heb clusffonau.

Yn anffodus, dw’i’n credu bod rhai pobl yn wneud mwy o synhwyr yn cyfieithiad.

Wedyn, trafodais i weflogiau:

Mae llawer o moddau I ddysgu Cymraeg heddiw. Mae’n diddorol I weld pobl sy’n defnyddio Cymraeg yn y maes technoleg. Mae’n defnyddiol I ddarllen weflogiau yn Gymraeg, er engraifft. Mae erthygl bwysig ar y pwnc hwn gan Tomos Grace yn y cylchgrawn Agenda.

For English, click below

I spoke some Welsh in the Chamber yesterday during the annual debate on the Assembly's language policy:

When I was elected to the Assembly, my Welsh was not of a high enough standard for me to speak it in the Chamber. Therefore, it is important that I thank my Welsh tutor, Elaine Senior. I am happy to continue my education by learning Welsh. That is an example of lifelong learning. I would like to thank those who are helping me to learn. I do not understand everyone who speaks Welsh here but I sometimes like to listen to the Welsh spoken in the Chamber or in committee, without using headphones. Unfortunately, I feel that some people make more sense in translation.

Then I discussed weblogs:

There are many ways of learning Welsh today. It is interesting to see people using the Welsh language in the field of technology. It is useful to read weblogs, for example, in Welsh. There is an important article by Thomas Grace on this issue in the magazine, Agenda.