Correspondence

Page updated: 20/04/2023

Using Welsh – In Correspondence (on paper and electronically)

When do we need to correspond bilingually?

If you are sending any circular or standard letter to the public
If you are sending a group letter or email to councillors
If you are sending a group letter or email to internal staff
If the member of the public’s language choice has not been established (in an earlier conversation or correspondence)

When do you need to correspond in Welsh?

Any Welsh correspondence needs to be answered in Welsh
Letter or emails must be sent in Welsh if the individual’s language choice has been established (in an earlier conversation or correspondence)

Remember that you need to respond to Welsh medium correspondence as quickly as you would respond to correspondence in English.

Things to remember when corresponding bilingually

Any Welsh version of a correspondence needs to be sent out at the same time as the English version, so if you are unable to write the Welsh version yourself, it needs to be sent to the translation unit in time.
Any Welsh version of a correspondence needs to be of the same standard and layout as the English version
If the English version has been signed, or if there are any contact details provided on the English version, the Welsh version must be dealt with in the same way

What you need to have in place permanently
Check list:

Do you state on every English and Welsh letter, ‘Mae croeso i chi gysylltu gyda’r Cyngor trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. You’re welcome to contact the council through the medium of Welsh or English’.
Do you include your contact details bilingually on letters and emails? If relevant, do you have a statement at the end of the email that says that you can speak Welsh or are learning?
Do you have a bilingual out-of-office message on your email? Does your email address appear bilingually at all times?

What assistance is there when corresponding in Welsh?

You can have a Welsh interface for your computer which offers a Welsh spell-check and a further grammar check package is available. Information about this will be on the intranet soon.
There are further aids on the intranet, with templates, job titles, and useful phrases.
The translation unit offers a translation and proof reading service.

We have developed a series of sound clips which will help you to pronounce words, terms and phrases that you might be unsure of. These include: