Jeff Narvil, 58, from Mississippi, dedicated 14 months to learning Welsh independently before travelling to Cardiff University to sit his exam
A judge from the United States travelled 4,000 miles to sit a Welsh-language exam in Cardiff. Jeff Narvil, 58, from Jackson, Mississippi, has devoted the past 14 months to learning Welsh in his free time.
The administrative law judge learned the language mostly on his own using apps, textbooks and online resources. In January he made the journey to Cardiff University to take the A1 language exam which tests reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
On his Welsh studies, Jeff said that the more effort he put in the more he enjoyed it. “I enjoyed it, or I would have quit, because nobody made me do this,” he said.
“It was 100% voluntary, and there are many languages, and there are many other things to do with your free time. But the more time I put into it the more I enjoyed it. Then the experience of finally getting to go to Wales.
“I planned it so that I could experience the country for the week before the exam, and I loved the few brief times I got to practice with somebody.
“I really enjoy trying to read the road signs, or read things at the restaurant. That, to me, was very entertaining, and people smiled and made it worth it.”
Besides Welsh, Jeff completed the European A2 levels in French, Spanish, and German and the A1 in Italian and Irish. He explained he has maintained a longstanding fascination with language and history.
He first encountered the Welsh language 15 years ago whilst studying Irish and various Celtic languages. As daily commitments increased, it wasn’t until late 2024 when seeking to learn another language that he chose to pursue Welsh.
“Welsh came to mind as something that I thought would be, in fact, very different and unusual,” he said. “I thought it was a great connection to my love of travel, and my love of my ancestors, and British history – and I have no regrets. I have really enjoyed the time that I spent on it.
“One of the attractions about studying Welsh is that there was an exam that was available, and having that deadline is very motivating sometimes. Knowing that I had to be ready by the end of January to do that.”
As someone who taught himself, apps, textbooks and digital resources proved essential, though he acknowledged the shortage of practice partners in the US presented challenges.
He recalled: “I did not take any lessons online. The only online class that I took was where the teacher was to prepare for the exam, which was a four-hour class, one week before the exam.
“I had to get up at 3am in order to do that, because of the time change I’m six hours behind Wales. I did Duolingo every day for over a year, I read some books about the history of the Welsh language.”
The time difference presented an additional obstacle, with certain online courses timetabled for the early morning hours in Mississippi.
“I would like to have taken the language course, because I do think they do a great job,” Jeff said. “It’s just that with a time change, it’s very difficult and with my work schedule.
“I would recommend other people do the class, though, because, especially living in Mississippi, there’s zero opportunity to speak to somebody who knows Welsh.
“Nobody can correct my pronunciation if I learnt it incorrectly. It would have been much better in hindsight for me to hire a tutor or something like that online.”
Alongside sitting the exam in Cardiff, Jeff and his partner Fran Weeks journeyed throughout the country, exploring Caerphilly castle, St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Betws-y-Coed in Conwy county and Harlech in Gwynedd.
He said: “I made the best of it. I made a complete circle around Wales. I went to all three national parks. I visited several castles.
“I love genealogy, and my partner and I, we’re both very, very great grandchildren of King Edward, so we went to visit some of his castles and I loved all that.”
He also seized the opportunity to practise his Welsh with locals, including shop assistants and café workers.
Jeff said people were supportive and understanding when he mentioned he was studying the language. Despite not yet knowing his exam results, he said the experience had already fulfilled its purpose.
“It’d been a long time since I was in a university classroom but it brought back a lot of good memories. I cannot believe how encouraging everybody’s been about the exam.
“It’s been overwhelming, and it’s been very, very positive, and it really makes me want to continue to study Welsh.
“But I’m going to wait to see how I do on these exams. If I failed it I don’t know that I can do much better in the future without courses or speakers.
“But if I passed it then maybe I could continue to go a little further beyond day one.”
Jeff’s exam results are anticipated in early March.