Foundation for Endangered Languages

Another weird fact about me that I'd like to sprinkle upon you: 
I am studying Welsh!
Don't even ask why! Though, as a child, I smashed into a wall while biking resulting in a lovely scar on my forehead, which might be the cause for all my weirdness. I just find it highly interesting that the demise of rare languages is partly due to globalisation and the need for people to speak mainstream languages in order to work or travel. Discussions about general topics such as politics, sports or economics don't interest me much. Boring as hell. I'd rather have a firm discussion about saving the world's endangered languages. But is it worth keeping alive dialects that are sometimes only spoken by a handful of people?

I've already mastered the beginnings of the Finnish language so I was in need for another language. My conditions were that the new language must meet certain requirements. It had to be a language that sounded like the Elvish language from Lord of the Rings. It had to be spoken by less than a million people. And it had to be spoken in or close to Europe. Preferably a Celtic language. The chosen language: Welsh!

I guess it just has to do with my love for England and the British humor. Since I've already mastered the English language to some degree, I started to expand my knowledge with Welsh.
Welsh/Cymraeg is a Celtic language, pronounced as [kəmˈrɑːɨɡ] which sounds very magical and fairy-like, I think! Welsh is spoken by approximately 500.000 people of the 3 million inhabitants of Wales, so about 20% speaks Welsh.
But I am not gonna bore you with facts that can be found on Wikipedia. The British comedian Jimmy Carr can tell you much better how the Welsh language exactly is originated anyway.
Jimmy Carr on Welsh language

My first lesson in Welsh was telling time: Chwech o'r gloch (it is six o'clock). Than I learnt how to introduce myself: Yr wyf yn tylwyth teg Cymraeg. (I am a Welsh fairy). Are you a cat or a dog person? Ci or cath?

Languages are beautiful!
Learning a new language takes patience, a lot of patience and perseverance. It takes time and effort to become a "skilled language user." But you have to start somewhere if you are going to get anywhere. Ask me how much 7 x 8 is and I fail. Ask me how much these tomatoes costs and I will tell you! Knowing a foreign tongue and applying it tastefully is undeniably attractive. It implies education, good taste, and refinement. And it will certainly make you standout against the competition!

In life you meet foreign people who speak weirdness, until you understand their weirdness! I have been influenced and taught by different boyfriends from different countries and cultures. I have had an Italian man and we shared this secret Italian language. No, they were not corny Italian pickup lines. He taught me standard phrases that we used when speaking to each other. But I never understood anything else that an Italian friend of his said.
Than came along this South African boy where I spoke Afrikaans with. Afrikaans is such a sweet and poetic language. Heerlik!
And ofcourse I know Finnish, due to many Finnish friends and lovers.

"Jykevää on rakkaus... ja elämä on hauras."
"Sydämeni on rikki, taas.
Ironista kyllä​​, se on kokonaan minun syytäni."
"Tuuli tuule sinne missä muruseni on
Leiki hetki hänen hiuksillaan
Kerro rakkauteni, kerro kuinka ikävöin
Kerro, häntä ootan yhä vaan"

So, learning a language doesn't only increase your global understanding, it also makes you appreciate your native language more. Learning a language gives you a variety of learning skills which can enhance your ability to function in other areas such as mental flexibility, creativity, reasoning and other important life skills.
To my opinion it is also effective to handle new situations which is a pro to adapt and cope in this rapidly changing world which globalises tightly. You learn to deal with unfamiliar cultural ideas, that leads to tolerance of divers lifestyles and customs. It improves the learner's ability to understand and communicate with people from different parts of life. And it creates travel opportunities!

My next language study will be: sign language.

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