Welsh speaking nursing student thrives in her native language at Wrexham University

Date: Tuesday, July 15, 2025

A native Welsh nursing student has spoken of her pride at being able to study through the medium of Welsh during her university degree.

Llio Owen, a second-year Children’s Nursing student at Wrexham University, has shared how she has found studying and training in her first language to be a “crucial and deeply rewarding” part of her journey into healthcare.

She said: “Being able to learn and train in my first language has made a huge difference to me. It’s helped me feel more confident, more connected to my roots, and better prepared to support Welsh speaking patients.”

From her lectures and assignments to her tutor meetings, the opportunity to use the Welsh language throughout her studies has not only enhanced Llio’s learning experience but also proven invaluable in hospital settings.

“While on placement, I’ve seen how important it is to be able to speak to young patients in their first language. For children, hospitals are a strange – and sometimes scary – environment, so being able to communicate with them in the language that they understand really helps to put them at ease.” she said.

“It feels great when you see the relief on their faces when they realise they can speak to you in Welsh. That’s why studying in Welsh has been crucial for me and so deeply rewarding. If the course didn’t have Welsh provision, I simply wouldn’t have been able to study here.

“The University’s Welsh medium provision is absolutely brilliant – from having an incredibly supportive Welsh speaking tutor to the University’s Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol branch, which has such a fantastic community, as well as being able to learn and be assessed in Welsh – it really has been a great experience for me.

“Having that Welsh community and personal support has really helped me to settle in at Wrexham University and made me feel at home.”

During the upcoming National Eisteddfod taking place in Wrexham, Llio will be on-hand supporting the University’s stand to showcase its Welsh offer for its nursing and allied health courses.

Elen Mai Nefydd, Head of Welsh Development at Wrexham University, added: “We’re incredibly proud to support Welsh speaking students and promote bilingualism in healthcare, and students like Llio are a superb example of just how crucial it is to offer this provision. She is just one of our fantastic students who are leading the way in creating a more inclusive healthcare system, here in Wales.

“We are also delighted that Llio is lending her support to the University’s stand at the National Eisteddfod, helping us to showcase our unique offer and the fact that there have never been more opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh, here at Wrexham University.”