Hong Kong composer spoke eight languages ... and has now added Welsh

A COMPOSER from Hong Kong has added Welsh to his repertoire, and now speaks it with confidence after three years of learning.

- By STEVE BAGNALL Daily Post Reporter

Already fluent in eight languages, Israel Lai moved to England in 2018 to pursue a master’s degree in composition at Oxford University.

His first language is Cantonese, and he was educated in English. Before arriving in Oxford, he had never heard of Wales or the Welsh language.

“I love languages,” said Israel. “So when I heard about the Celtic languages, I was intrigued. They were different from the others I spoke. I did some research to find out which one was most widely spoken, and that was Welsh.”

What began as curiosity soon became a deeper interest in the history and culture behind the language.