A Colombian academic is learning Welsh with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, using his skills in the workplace and at home with his 18-month-old daughter.
Dr Enrique Uribe-Jongbloed, originally from Bogotá, is learning at Advanced level with Learn Welsh Cardiff, which is run by Cardiff University on behalf of the National Centre for Learning Welsh. Enrique’s tutor is Sandra de Pol from Patagonia, and both enjoy discussing the similarities between Welsh and Spanish grammar.
Enrique says:
Learning Welsh has been an enriching experience. Sandra and I share the same cultural connection, which made me feel at ease in class right from the start.
Enrique first arrived in Wales in 2008 to complete a PhD at Aberystwyth University, researching minority-language media in Wales and Colombia. After working as a lecturer in Colombia and completing academic research in Germany and Scotland, he returned to Wales in 2022.
Today, he is a Research Fellow on the Media Cymru project at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, and is committed to improving and developing his Welsh language skills.
Alongside weekly classes, Enrique practises his conversational skills through the National Centre’s Siarad scheme, which pairs learners with Welsh speakers.
At home, Enrique and his wife Marian speak Spanish, but Enrique speaks Welsh with their daughter, Annalena, as he explains:
I speak Welsh to Annalena every day. Sharing Welsh with her as one of her first languages is wonderful - we hope she grows up to enjoy languages.
Enrique also uses Welsh across Cardiff through hobbies such as playing board games with friends and attending events in the community.
Enrique added:
Learning Welsh has opened the door to a warm, welcoming community, and it has made Cardiff feel like home. The language is now part of our future, and I can't wait to continue to learn and share the journey with my daughter.
