Profile in English

Let me open this blog on Wales's national day with a profile of myself. I will later provide you with details of why I've started this blog.

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SIÔN REES WILLIAMS LLB. (Hons.), Cert. TESOL, MCIL

Family and Marital Status
Born 17 May 1968. Llanelwy/St. Asaph, North East Wales.
Only child of John Ellis (1924-2008) and Joan Rees Williams (1925- ).
Married 19 December 2008 to Miranda Constance Griffin (1966-), middle daughter of Professor Jasper Griffin (1937- ) and Dr Miriam Griffin (1935- ).

Flintshire to West Sussex. 1968-1976.
Along with my parents, I moved to West Sussex just after my 1st birthday, entering nursery school in Cuckfield and then St Mark's CofE Primary School, Staplefield and Warninglid CP School in the same county. My parents decided early on I would be minimally bilingual, speaking only Welsh to my father and only English to my mother. My French native speaker form teacher in Warninglid supplemented this language diet with an education through the medium of French.

North West Wales to West Yorkshire. 1976-1989.
I returned with my parents to North West Wales at Christmas 1976 and attended primary schools both in Gwynedd and on Ynys Môn/the Isle of Anglesey.

I was the last pupil at the secondary school, Ysgol Brynrefail Llanrug, Gwynedd to study 4 languages for GCE O Level: Welsh (First Language), English, French and Latin in 1984, earning 9 passes. I obtained 3 GCE A Levels (being the sole candidate for both English and Welsh - Grammar, Language and Literature - and received 2 Academic Scholarships) in 1986.

I subsequently read Business Law at the University of Huddersfield 1986-1989. I graduated in June 1989 with a 2:1 LLB. (Honours) Degree.

English as a Foreign Language Teacher Training. 1992 and 1995.
I obtained the City and Guilds Certificate 9281 in Teaching Basic Skills with emphasis on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (i.e. those resident in the UK) in March 1995.

Having previously completed an Introductory course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language with the Technical College, Huddersfield (January-February 1992), I successfully passed the full-time (4 week/130 hour)Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (i.e. to any person studying English worldwide) in July 1995.

Welsh Language Officer Posts. 1995-1997.
I became the Language Rights Officer for the Welsh civil and linguistic rights organisation Cefn (http://www.cefn.net/) 1995-1996.

I was elected the first Welsh Language Officer of the European Movement (http://www.europeanmovement.org/) for the year 1996-1997.

English, French and Welsh Language Teaching Career. 1989-1995, 1997-2001 and Since 2005. Huddersfield, England; Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Paris, France; Various locations, North West Wales; Lublin, Poland and Cambridge and Dunstable, England.
I had previously been a highly successful English Language Assistant in the département of Essonne at the Lycée de la Vallée de Chrevreuse, France 1993-1994 and a voluntary tutor of Welsh to Huddersfield Welsh Society, 1989-1993, but my professional teaching career in both English and Welsh to adults began in Paris in June 1997.

Private Language Schools and Freelance, Paris and the Ile-de-France Region, France. 1997-2001.
English teaching in Paris was supplied in various language schools and in-house, the latter companies all providing adult students to be taught by me: Brinks, Canal Plus, Citroen, Elida Fabergé, the French Army, ICAO (part of the United Nations Organisation), Marionaud, Paribas Bank, Prada, Rothschild Bank, SAGEM and Unilever.

Welsh was taught through the medium of French in a freelance capacity to both individuals and groups of adults. Throughout my stay in Paris, 1997-2001, I maintained a monopoly position in teaching this language in the French capital. I also organised successful informal monthly Welsh evenings for students and others to get together and practise their language skills.

Coleg Harlech WEA, North West Wales Region. 2005-2006.
I was the lead teacher of ESOL, French and Welsh at all levels for Coleg Harlech Workers' Education Association (North Wales) (http://www.harlech.ac.uk/), for 2005-2006, teaching both in-house and in companies such as Grampian Foods and Ysbyty Gwynedd. I also taught on extensive Easter and summer school courses in Harlech in both French and Welsh.

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland. 2006-2008.
From October 2006 to September 2008, I was the native speaker Lecturer of both Welsh and English at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, KUL (http://www.kul.pl/) teaching years III, IV and V following MA programmes in English and Celtic Philology and Literature at the university. During this time, I helped inaugurate and organise the Annual Welsh Days and also was an active participant in the Annual Celtic Days.

The Open University in the East of England, Cambridge and Dunstable. Since 2008.
Since October 2008, I am the sole Associate Lecturer in Welsh for the Open University (http://www.open.ac.uk/) in the East of England teaching a group of adult learners from home via the Internet and through face to face tutorials in Cambridge.

Language Fair Exhibitor and Representative. Expolangues, Paris, France. 1998-2000 and Since 2006 and Expolingua, Prague, Czech Republic. Since 2007.
I am the sole Exhibitor and official Representative from Wales giving the demonstration Welsh lesson at Expolangues Paris (http://www.expolangues.fr/) 1998-2000 and since 2006 (through the medium of French).

Additionally, I gave a presentation in French of the work of the Welsh language and civil rights organisation Cymuned, (http://www.cymuned.net/) of which I am the International Contacts and French Language Officer in 2008.

I am the recognised Teacher of Welsh and sole Exhibitor from Wales at Expolingua Praha (http://www.expolingua.cz/). Since 2007.

Freelance Translator. English, French and Welsh. Since 2006.
I am a capable an efficient translator in all three of my main professional languages.

Work to date has included: Employee advice sheets and Posters for A4e; An insurance certificate for AIG UK Limited; Educational material for Amnesty International; Website for the Army; Public information leaflets for on the use of cable TV in student hostels for Ask4; The Stakeholder Survey for GoSkills; Letters, questionnaires and surveys for the Department for Education and Skills for Headteachers; The Welsh language section of CEO Multilingual Cards for HM Courts Service; The White Paper ‘Working Together to Cut Crime and Deliver Justice.’ Cm 7247 for HM Government; Public information leaflets for the HM Government’s Office for Disability Issue; A job advertisement for Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales; Welsh Assembly Constituency Information Pack and Cover Letter for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society; Questionnaires and surveys for NHS employees in Wales; The Survey My Health Online for NHS patients in Wales; Consumer information for Nokia mobile telephone users; GCE A Level student scripts in Sociology and GCSE student scripts in Psychology for the OCR Examinations Board; Publicity for Oakwood Theme Park; Leaflets regarding Professional Skills for Government; The Stakeholder Survey for the Sector Skills Development Agency; Website for the Traffic Penalty Tribunal and Signage for Wickes supermarkets.

Freelance Editor. English, French and Welsh. Since 1997.
I am a competent and professional editor and proofreader in English, French and Welsh. I specialise in British and Welsh civilisations; General non-fiction; Guidebooks; History; Law; Linguistics especially English and Welsh as Foreign and Second Languages; Politics and Literature.

I have worked in a freelance capacity with the following publishing houses: Editions Assouline; Editions Filipacchi Société Sonodip; Gwasg Carreg Gwalch; Gwasg Gwynedd; Hachette Livre; Hachette Tourisme; Michelin and the University of Wales Press.

Additionally, I have successfully proofread colleagues’ Welsh language translations of the following documents: Questionnaires with regard to School Leadership and Contexts for Improving Schools for Headteachers; Surveys for NHS Employees in Wales; Telephone Helpline information for Post Office™ consumers and Information regarding electronic tagging for Serco Group plc.

I regularly co-operate with academic colleagues in correcting papers and books, particularly those having reference to Wales and Welsh language matters. Books and periodicals I have collaborated on in this manner, both prior to, and after publication are:

Langues sans Frontières by Georges Kersaudy. Editions Autrement. 2008. Toujours Tingo by Adam Jacot de Boinot. Penguin Books Ltd. 2007. Word of Mouth. Hebffinia cyf. 2006. L’aventure des langues en occident by Henriette Walter. Le livre de poche. The meaning of tingo by Adam Jacot de Boinot. Penguin Books Ltd. and Les langages de l’humanité by Michel Malherbe. Editions Robert Laffont. 2005. Welsh dictionaries in the twentieth century: a critical analysis by Sabine Heinz. Lincom Europa. 2002. La prononciation des langues européennes by Pierre Maes. Les Editions du CFPJ. 1998 and Mediaeval Welsh Literature by Andrew Breeze. Four Courts Press. 1997.

I have also corresponded with many organisations with regard to failings in their Welsh language literature, notably consumer information leaflets, signage and timetables.

Language Courses Attended. 1993. 2006 and Since 2008.
I am currently pursuing an MA course in Celtic Studies from a distance with the University of Wales, Llambed/Lampeter, since 2008.

I possess the following certificates after successfully completing the appropriate courses:

95% in Level 3 French (Listening: 34/35, Reading 27/30 and Speaking 34/35) in an examination moderated by St Martin’s College, Lancaster, England. 1993.

6 Open College Network Credits in Beginners Spanish after a 1 year course with Coleg Menai, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales. 2006.

Pass in the Foundation Certificate in Community Interpreting with moderation by Applied Language Solutions together with the University of Middlesex, England. 2008.

Papers and other literary works. Since 1999.
My Beginners Welsh textbook, Croeso, has yet to be published. I have however written many academic papers to date, some of which have appeared in various journals. Others have also been presented at various linguistic conferences and events in France and Poland. I have also supplied authors and publishers with reviews of books.

Publications. Since 1999.
Dysgu Cymraeg ym Mharis. In Y Cymro. Chwefror 17 1999, 3.

Pleidiol wyf i’m hiaith. In Y Cymro, Mawrth 17 2006, 3 and In Eco’r Wyddfa Mawrth 2006, 12.

Different number systems in Education: The Welsh Model. In Lublin Studies in Celtic Languages, LSCL. Vol. 5, 251-260 and Parallels between Celtic and Slavic by Seámus MacMathúna and Maxim Fomin (eds.). Studia Celto-Slavica. 2005. In Lublin Studies in Celtic Languages, LSCL. Vol. 5, 261-269. 2008.

Wales signs a problem. In The Linguist. Vol.48 No.1, 18-19. 2009.

Other papers. 2006-2008.
I supplied my comments prior to publication on Colloquial Welsh by Gareth King. Routledge. 2nd ed. 2008 to the author and the publisher in 2006.

The kingdoms of the cynghanedd: Word collages for wearied collegians. At the PhD Lecture Series, Institute of English Philology, Adam Mickiewicz University, IFA-AMU, Poznań, Poland and Annual Celtic Day, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, KUL, Poland. 2007.

Cymuned : Les rôles d’un groupe de pression linguistique au pays de Galles. At the 26th Expolangues, Paris, France. Cymuned: The roles of a Welsh Language Pressure Group. At the Annual Celtic Day, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, KUL, Lublin, Poland. Giving the wrong message: An example of erroneous Welsh signage from the private sector. At the Annual Welsh Day, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, KUL, Lublin, Poland and the 39th Poznań Linguistic Meeting, PLM, Gniezno, Poland and Ellis Williams: Rebel, Gaucho, Farmer, Hero. At the Inaugural Annual Welsh Day, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, KUL, Lublin, Poland. 2008.

Current projects. Since 2009.
I am working on papers with the following themes: A Case Study of erroneous bilingual corporate literature in Wales (currently at over 32 000 words, with letters and photographs); Pidginisation in Welsh; Prepositional constructions and possession in the Celtic Languages and the Celtic Englishes;a review of Le gallois de poche by James Costa-Lynch. Assimil évasion. (Published in 2005) and the various number systems in Welsh.

Research and Media work. Since 1992.
I was the Producer and Co-presenter of a successful bilingual English-Welsh radio programme on Huddersfield Community Radio in 1992.

I was joint Researcher on the docu-film production Llythyrau Ellis Williams initially broadcast on S/4C in 2006.

I have been interviewed by both radio and various periodicals with regard to my professional work and matters regarding the Welsh language. These include:

BBC Radio Leeds in 1993; BBC Radio Cymru in 2000; The Daily Post and Yr Herald Cymraeg, both in 2006; Radio Bro, Paris in 2007 and Radio Lublin FM and Y Cymro, both in 2008.

Membership of Professional Bodies. Since 1998.
I am an Associate of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, SfEP.

I was elected the French Language and International Contacts Officer of Cymuned, a Welsh language pressure group at that organisation’s AGM in 2007.

I have the following professional Memberships:

The Chartered Institute of Linguists, CIL.
The International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies, IATIS
The North American Association for Celtic Language Teachers, NAACLT.

Following academic successes in the 3 compulsory language examinations, I am also a Member of the Order of Linguists of Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and am thus entitled to call myself by my Gorsedd name of Siôn o Ewrop (Siôn of/from Europe) and to wear a Blue Robe.

Recreational Achievements and Activities
I was awarded a trophy for being a member of the winning team in Yorkshire's Largest General Knowledge Quiz, held in Huddersfield in February 1993.

An active member of a French Duplicate Scrabble™ club in Paris, France, I was placed 6th out 113 competitors at the end of the season in 1997-1998.

I toured India alone by coach, by train and on foot over Christmas/New Year 1999-2000.

I was a member of the representative French cricket team at an Indoor Cricket Tournament in Vienna, Austria in March 2000.