Welsh Language Skills Questionnaire Monmouthshire County Council is committed to treating the English and Welsh languages on a basis

of equality when delivering services to the public. To help make this principle a reality, the Council is currently conducting a survey of the Welsh-language skills of its employees. This will provide the Council with a much better understanding of its current capacity to provide services in Welsh and help plan the development of these services in the future. The table below describes four different levels of Welsh-language skills relating to both oral and written competencies. Levels provide an indication of an individuals fluency in the language, ranging from Level 1 (basic) to Level 4 (proficient), and are defined by a series of can-do statements. In addition to the identified criteria, staff at Level 4 would be expected to be competent, confident and willing to use Welsh in their provision of services to the public. Please take a few moments of your time to study the table and identify your level(s) of fluency in the Welsh language in the boxes that follow. Information provided will be treated confidentially staff will not be pressurised into taking on additional duties and responsibilities simply because of their linguistic ability.

SKILL Oral

LEVEL 1 Basic Can say names and signs, recognise services/locations, and introduce and greet people.

LEVEL 2 Can take and pass on messages, respond to general enquiries, and note the principal details of a conversation. Can write informal internal memos and email messages and deal with routine requests.

LEVEL 3 Can contribute to meetings, deal with/respond to enquiries, and argue for and against a case. With editorial help, can write business letters, emails and posters for external customers.

LEVEL 4 Proficient Can deal with complex or sensitive enquiries/complaints and deal confidently with hostile/complex questions.

Written Can write simple routine requests such as: Can I have . . . please?

Can write reports and presentations and make full and accurate notes in meetings.

Name: Job title:. Team, service and location:. Payroll number:

None at all Oral Written

Level 1 (basic)

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4 (proficient)

If you possess Welsh-language skills (at whatever level), could you also answer the following two questions by ticking the appropriate box(es): i) In what kind of work-related contexts would you be willing to use your Welsh-language skills? Face-to-face meetings Public meetings / presentations Drafting / checking written materials

Over the phone

ii)

If necessary, would you be willing to assist other teams / service areas in providing Welsh-language services to the public?

Yes / No (delete as appropriate) Please return your completed questionnaires by 30 June 2008 to: Harri Roberts Welsh Language Officer County Hall Cwmbran NP44 2XH 01633 644680 harriroberts@monmouthshire.gov.uk Questionnaires may be returned via email or in hard copy if preferred.