The siblings who speak Welsh... in South Korea Dad’s mission to ensure his sons learn his language
LIVING in South Korea hasn’t stopped a dad-of-three ensuring his children speak Welsh.
Dylan Williams, 42, and his Korean wife Treana teach English in Seoul and as a result their three boys Roan, seven, Rion, five, and Oli, three are “trilingual”.
Mr Williams said Korean is their first language, Welsh, second, and English, third.
The family were back in Caernarfon recently to visit nain and taid Robert and Ann, and to brush up on their Welsh.
And the boys were keen to show off their language skills when they spoke to the Daily Post: “Da ni wedi dod o Korea i Gymru i weld nain a taid (We’ve come from Korea to Wales to see nain and taid),” they said.
Mr Williams was determined that the Welsh part of his sons’ identity was maintained: “My sons were born in Korea, but I have spoken Welsh to them since birth as it seemed the natural thing to do especially when I held my first son for the first time. They understand Welsh and often speak it with Korean grammar structures.
“That’s the language that I have been used to – speaking with my parents as well. So it was a natural language that I fell into using with our children. Having done this with our eldest now for close to eight years, I’ve realised how important it is as part of his identity and also about preserving the Welsh culture as well; so in hindsight I’m really glad that we made that decision.”
Mrs Williams, 42, added: “It’s very important for them to be able to speak Welsh because they are born with it.”
Before having children, the couple spent 18 months travelling around Europe and Africa.
After marrying in Korea in 2007, they came to Caernarfon to have their wedding blessed at Capel Seilo.
Mr Williams went to Seoul in October, 2001 and first started teaching at the English private institute where he met his wife.
After their travels, the couple returned to Seoul where Mr Williams is now an associate teaching professor at Seoul National University (SNU). He is nearing the end on his six-year PhD programme with the University of Manchester and due to submit his thesis this year.
He said he and his family feel “quite safe” living in South Korea – despite the threat of war on the peninsula between north and south.
“For someone living in Seoul, we don’t really see it as a tension. Generally South Koreans have been used to seeing this ‘gusto’ coming from the north they generally see it as just kind of ‘hot air’.
“North Korea are not going to do anything because that’s the end of the regime and South Koreans are aware of that, and feel quite safe.”