An "once in a lifetime" opportunity for Welsh speakers to travel across the world is being made available.

The British Council is on the lookout for teachers to promote the Welsh language over 7,000 miles from home – in the Chubut province of Patagonia, Argentina.

From March to December 2024, the cultural relations organisation is hoping to send three teachers out to the Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia, to spend nine months teaching Welsh at one of three schools in the cities and towns of Trelew, Trevelin and Gaiman.

Ruth Cocks, director of British Council Wales, hopes to encourage Welsh language teachers and tutors to apply.

“We are thrilled to open applications for the Welsh Language Project in 2024, an incredible opportunity for teachers to contribute to cultural exchange and Welsh language learning in Patagonia,” said Ms Cocks.

“Since the pandemic, we’ve found it harder to recruit for the programme, so would encourage anyone with a passion for teaching Welsh to apply. Not only does the programme continue to strengthen the relationship between Wales and Patagonia, but it provides a truly unique, once in a lifetime opportunity for those who participate in it.”

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The teachers will be there as part of the Welsh Language Project, which was set up in 1997 to help promote the Welsh language in Patagonia, where there are currently over 6000 Welsh speakers.

The region has the second highest volume of Welsh speakers anywhere in the world, after Welsh settlers created a permanent settlement in the Chubut Valley more than 150 years ago in 1865. Now, there are around 50,000 Patagonians of Welsh descent.

As part of the programme, the teachers will develop the language in Patagonia through both formal teaching and informal social activities and this year, two teachers – Llinos Howells and Thomas Door – are about to head out to spend the next three months in the region.

Applications for the Welsh Language Project are now open until 9 October 2023. Successful applicants will receive £750 a month, plus free accommodation, travel and health insurance.

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Marian Brosschot, took part in the Welsh Language Project in 2020, and now develops digital resources for the programme.  

“I went to live in Trelew in February 2020, just a month before quarantine started in Argentina, and was able to deliver one lesson in a classroom before starting everything online,” said Marian.

“One of the biggest things that surprised me about my time out there though was how at home I felt.  People were kind, open and interested. Even though you’re on the other side of the world, it’s such a nice feeling to be around people that speak Welsh.

“A lot of people are very passionate about learning Welsh as they are the direct descendants of people who came from Wales and have strong feelings about bringing Welsh back into their family. They remember their grandparents using Welsh words and It’s got a very strong emotional connection for them.

“To anyone thinking of applying to the programme I would say just go for it. Even though it can feel like a scary thing to do, it’s such an exciting programme to be part of and a wonderful experience to live completely in Welsh and Spanish with hardly any need for English.”

To find out more about the Welsh Language Project and eligibility criteria visit: https://wales.britishcouncil.org/en/programmes/education/welsh-language-project