Shw mae?

There is some suggestion that the Welsh language is in decline - particularly among the young. I've always thought that Welsh is a lovely language, which I would dearly have liked to learn, but it proved just too tough for me. It would be a shame if it became too marginalised, but I have to say that I think part of the problem lies with the Welsh-speaking people themselves who, instead of trying to spread it by encouraging others to have a go, use it as a barrier against English speakers. I'm sure many of you have had the experience of going into a shop in Wales where you had heard English voices as you opened the door, only for those in there to immediately switch to Welsh as you entered and effectively blank you. There's a Welsh language channel on the TV - why not use that to put out language lessons?