Jeremy Vine to make amends for tweet with 10-minute Welsh language lesson on St. David’s show

Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show will be given over to a 10 minute Welsh language lesson by SaySomethinginWelsh co-owner Aran Jones on St. David’s Day.

The BBC presenter will be challenged to construct a sentence in Welsh by the end of the lunchtime programme this Friday.

The invitation to give the Welsh lesson came after Jeremy Vine was criticised after seeming to suggest that Welsh was on par with a foreign language in the UK, and that people should speak English instead.

His official Twitter feed responded to an online message suggesting that Welsh people speaking Welsh in Wales was equivalent to French people speaking French in France by asking: “Is France in the UK?”

The tweet was quickly deleted.

Aran Jones, who lives near Penygroes, said that “Jeremy Vine has responded very well to what happened”.

“The suggestion that he learn some Welsh came from him, and I know he is genuinely interested in doing so,” he said.

“He’s a London-based journalist who understandably knew very little about the Welsh language. I believe most English people are fair-minded, and respond positively when they understand situations better.

“This is a great opportunity to get a positive message about the language across.”

After the row, Aran Jones wrote an article for Nation.Cymru explaining why engaging with Jeremy Vine was a better approach than shouting at him.

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