With less than three months to go before this year’s Eisteddfod, the semi-final interviews for the Welsh Learner of the Year competition will be held in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan over the next few days. Interviews will be held over a two day period and with some competitors taking part over Skype, because of the number of entries and the fact that many competitors live outside Wales and overseas.
Eisteddfod Organiser, Hywel Wyn Edwards, said, “Organising the interviews has been quite challenging this year because a number of the competitors live outside Wales. We’ve had to accommodate different time zones in our preparations, which has been quite a handful at times!
“We’ll be using Skype technology for the first time this year – and thank goodness for the technology! It’s great that we have people showing an interest in learning Welsh and getting involved across the world, and Skype allows us to make the competition and the Eisteddfod itself accessible to people, wherever they live!”
The names of the four finalists will be announced over the weekend following a day of activities at the St Donats Arts Centre. The final will be held on 8 August, and the winner will be announced at a special ceremony in the Bear Hotel, Cowbridge, that evening.
This year’s competition is sponsored by Agored Cymru and the Trophy is donated by Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Centre, Cardiff University, and the financial prize of £300 is given by the Gwynfor Fund, Barry.
The Vale of Glamorgan National Eisteddfod is held on the old airfield at Llandow near Cowbridge and Llantwit Major from 4-11 August. For more information go to www.eisteddfod.org.uk.
