THE Welsh Learner of the Year this year is Jonathan Davies. He was honoured in a special ceremony on the Pavilion stage on Wednesday, following a high-standard competition.

The other three finalists were Caroline Jones from Gwynedd, Kierion Lloyd from Wrexham and Paige Morgan from the USA.

Jonathan who is from Loughor near Swansea, began learning Welsh in order to reconnect with his heritage and identity after living in London.

He studied Music there, completing both an undergraduate and a master’s degree before training as a teacher through a PGCE. In 2020, he began learning Welsh, making rapid progress and becoming a confident Welsh speaker. His skills as a teacher and communicator transferred naturally to the new language.

He went on to complete a PhD in Linguistics and Education through the medium of Welsh at Cardiff University, focusing on accessibility in education.

He facilitates a group for young learners, teaches creative writing, and is the founder of the podcast Ymchwil y Gweilch. He is also part of a team developing a bilingual tool to assess text accessibility. He is committed to supporting learners and strengthening the Welsh language in education and communities.

This result was announced on the Pavilion stage today and Jonathan received the Welsh Learner of the Year Trophy, donated by Cymdeithas Waldo, and £300, donated by Geraint and Siân James, Siop Awen Teifi, Cardigan. The other three finalists each received £100.

The judges of the competition were Karl Davies, Kevin Knox and Mirain Iwerydd.