Dr Enrique Uribe-Jongbloed, a Colombian academic based in Cardiff, is mastering Welsh at Advanced level with the National Centre for Learning Welsh. He applies his linguistic skills in professional settings and at home with his 18-month-old daughter, Annalena.
Enrique, originally from Bogotá, studies with Learn Welsh Cardiff, a programme run by Cardiff University on behalf of the National Centre. His tutor, Sandra de Pol, is from Patagonia, and the pair enjoy discussing grammatical similarities between Welsh and Spanish.
“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 shared regarding his educational journey.
He first arrived in Wales in 2008 to complete a PhD at Aberystwyth University, researching minority-language media in Wales and Colombia. After lecturing in Colombia and conducting research in Germany and Scotland, he returned to Wales in 2022.
Currently, he serves as a Research Fellow on the Media Cymru project at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture. He remains committed to improving and developing his Welsh language proficiency through dedicated study.
Alongside weekly classes, Enrique practises his conversational skills through the National Centre’s Siarad scheme, which pairs learners with native Welsh speakers. This approach helps him refine his fluency in real-world conversational contexts.
At home, Enrique and his wife Marian speak Spanish, but Enrique speaks Welsh with their daughter, Annalena. “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,” he explained.
Enrique also uses Welsh across Cardiff through hobbies such as playing board games with friends and attending community events. The language has become an integral part of his daily social interactions within the city.
“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,” he added.
It provides a national strategy and Welsh language learning services to support this goal.
The Centre leads programmes for communities, workplaces, specific sectors such as Health and Social Care, and the Education Workforce. It also offers dedicated support for young people and families across the nation.
More people than ever are learning Welsh through the Centre, with over 20,000 learners participating during 2024–2025. This surge highlights the growing demand for accessible Welsh language education across Wales.
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