[Myrddin]

I've been trying to learn Welsh for 10 years. I can read it and speak it to a limited degree. It is hard to make any serious progress when my only opportunities to interact with a Welsh speaker occur during a few days of vacation. That hasn't happened since April '99. At least the Welsh are trying to keep the language alive. They count over 500,000 speakers today. The Scots may very well lose the language if they don't make an effort. I think the Irish will be able to hold their own. They aren't as heavily infiltrated with speakers of other languages as those on the island co-habited by England, Wales and Scotland.

[twigs]

I can read it and speak it to a limited degree.

I envy you. A number of years ago, I was engaged to a Welsh immigrant who came first to the US and then to Canada. He is a journalist, so he uses the English language beautifully. But when he told me he still thought in Welsh, which amazed me, I asked him to speak it. Wow! What a BEAUTIFUL language!

[Eala]

I've been trying to learn Welsh for 10 years. I can read it and speak it to a limited degree.

It is difficult without a "support system." The wife knows a very little Welsh, though her years in the Seattle Welsh Choir gave her native pronunciation. :-) You're right about Scots Gaelic though... it's fallen to about 80,000 native speakers and it's anyone's guess which way it will go from here.