Across the 2025/26 academic year, Adult Learning Wales (ALW) Southwest and Mid Wales team has delivered a comprehensive range of courses designed to bridge the gap between ancient history and modern Welsh identity. Both in the classroom and online, learners from Neath Port Talbot, Swansea and Powys, and across the country have engaged with the archaeology, linguistics, and political movements that define Wales as a nation today.

Ancient Roots and Global Connections

Under the expert guidance of Dr. Ralph Haeussler, learners have delved into the deep history of the Welsh landscape. Dr Haeussler’s courses link global contexts, including the Roman Empire and the Celtic world, directly to local traditions.

His courses include:

• Latin Language Studies:

Both the Introduction and Intermediate levels enabled learners to decode Roman inscriptions and medieval Welsh charters, highlighting how Latin remains integral to the modern Welsh language.

• Prehistoric & Celtic Worlds:

From Caves to Kingdoms to Life in the Celtic World, these courses explore the evolution of society from Palaeolithic cave art to the complex agricultural and technical knowledge of Celtic-speaking populations from Wales to Gaul.

Protest, Politics, and Popular Resistance

In Neath Port Talbot and beyond, the history of Welsh activism has been brought to life. These classes encourage learners to reflect on the figures and movements that shaped modern society.

• Hanes Protest:

Led by tutor Catherine Davies at Tŷ’r Gwrhyd, Pontardawe, the course allowed learners to engage with themes of social change entirely through the medium of Welsh. Learners explored a timeline of resistance, including the Rebecca Riots, the Suffragettes, the establishment of S4C, and the Miners’ Strike, concluding with contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter in Wales.

• Welsh Mythology and Folklore, Wales: Politics and Protests in the 20th Century, Rebels and Resistance – The Story of Popular Uprisings in Wales, and The History of the Welsh Language:

Tutor James Berry expanded the reach of these courses to learners across Wales through online delivery. Each course explored a different aspect of Welsh heritage, offering learners the opportunity to examine topics ranging from traditional myths and legends to modern political movements and the development of the Welsh language. Many of these traditional narratives remain central to the Welsh cultural identity today.

Impact and Participation

The 2025/26 provision by Adult Learning Wales has demonstrated that history is a living, visible and influential force in Wales that continues to shape the landscape and culture in the 21^st Century. By participating in these courses, learners have gained:

• Increased Confidence: Particularly in Welsh-medium settings, where supportive environments encouraged active debate and discussion.
• Linguistic Insight: A deeper understanding of how both Latin and historical Welsh have influenced modern speech.
• Community Connection: Whether through word-of-mouth growth in local hubs like Pontardawe or digital classrooms connecting distant regions, these courses have fostered a genuine sense of shared heritage.

Through the Southwest and Mid’s range of bilingual and online provision, Adult Learning Wales continues to make Welsh Culture and heritage accessible to its learners. By reflecting on the past that has shaped the Welsh landscape, our learners gain more than just historical facts: they develop a stronger connection to Wales’s living culture and the tools to engage confidently with its future.

Explore our Welsh History and Heritage Classes