S4C is to launch a new service for Welsh learners it was announced at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham today (Wednesday 3 August).
The aim is to offer material on screen weekly on Sunday afternoons and on a dedicated website for Welsh learners from March 2012 onwards.
S4C Chief Executive, Arwel Ellis Owen, said, “The Channel’s research shows that the audience longs for the present Welsh learners’ service to be extended. Welsh learners are an important part of our audience. We’ll be putting a new emphasis on offering an improved service to those learning Welsh.
“We don’t intend to duplicate nor recreate learning activities that exist already through Mentrau initiatives and learning centres that prepare professional and comprehensive resources for learners. What we can do is offer appropriate material for the target audience through the strength of our content.
“Multi-platform resources will be tailored especially for learners and will include entertainment offering motivation for the development of the individual learner. By establishing partnerships in the field of Welsh language learning, it will be possible to create a clear path for learners which will eventually enable them to enjoy all S4C content.”
The announcement follows the success of S4C’s series cariad@iaith:love4language in which eight celebrities spent a week learning Welsh at the Fforest eco-chic campsite near Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire. S4C produced 2,000 learner packs including a CD and a vocabulary leaflet as back-up for the series. As a result of the high demand for the packs, S4C has produced an additional 1,000. The packs are available on the S4C stand at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham.
