When Joseff Gnagbo arrived in Cardiff as an asylum seeker he did not realise Wales had a language of its own. “To be honest I didn’t know much about Wales at all,” he said. “I knew about the dragon flag but not a lot else. When I discovered Wales had a language I decided to learn it. If you live in a country, it’s normal to speak that country’s language.”

Gnagbo, who fled persecution in Ivory Coast, worked hard and is now a fluent speaker, playing a lead role in a new campaign to help ensure other asylum seekers and refugees get the chance to learn Welsh.

From Friday a group of organisations including the Welsh language society, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and the Welsh Refugee Council is piloting a scheme under which 300 adult asylum seekers and refugees will get the chance to learn Welsh for free.

The scheme will involve both online learning and face-to-face practice. As well as picking up a potentially useful skill, the idea is that people taking part will meet new friends and have their eyes opened to a culture they may not have known existed.

Gnagbo fled Ivory Coast after recording a rap warning against rebel forces just before they took over his city. He spent time in south-east England before being settled in Wales.

He began to learn Welsh in the Oasis centre for refugees and asylum seekers in Cardiff. “I loved it,” he said. “People could see I was devoted to it and I was encouraged to keep on learning. I was lucky.”

Gnagbo now works as a carer and a teacher, and volunteers for Cymdeithas yr Iaith. He also gives half-hour Welsh language taster sessions at the Welsh Refugee Council – after learners have had an hour of English tuition. “But everyone should have the chance to learn,” he said.

There is frustration from some language campaigners at what they see as a lack of provision in Wales for refugees to learn the country’s language. The Welsh government funds free English classes for asylum seekers and refugees. It does offer Welsh lessons for asylum seekers, but not for refugees. Refugees who want to learn have to seek out free classes given by volunteers, which can be hard to find, or pay for them.

“The policy must change if the Welsh government is going to stick to its commitment to make Wales a genuine sanctuary nation,” said Gnagbo.

Teachers of Welsh describe the joy many asylum seekers and refugees experience when they learn Welsh. Deborah McCarney, of SaySomethingInWelsh, which will lead the course, said: “A lot of people find learning the language opens up a parallel culture. We hope it will help refugees and asylum seekers feel they are part of the whole community.”

Dr Gwennan Higham, a Welsh language teacher and lecturer at Swansea University, said there was a school of thought that resources should be focused on teaching newcomers English. “But we are a bilingual nation. Every person has the right to learn Welsh as well as English,” she said.

“Learning Welsh is not just about the language. It’s about community as well, encouraging refugees and asylum seekers to learn about life here.”

Higham said often newcomers to Wales were excellent and enthusiastic Welsh learners. “Many are already multilinguists. They hear Welsh, they see it on signs, they want to learn.”

She said there were similarities between Welsh and some languages – such as Arabic – and speakers of some minority languages identified with the struggle that keeping Welsh alive has sometimes been. “It opens doors for many people,” she said.

One driving force for adult learners is the desire to be able to keep up with children who are taught Welsh in school. A mother from south Wales, who fled persecution in Iraq, said she had been so moved by her teenage son learning Welsh that she had sought out classes. “We’ve been given sanctuary here,” said the woman, who asked not to be named. “So it’s right that we learn the language. For me and my son it’s just natural.”

Osian Rhys, of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said the new scheme added to the important voluntary work happening on the ground to extend Welsh language opportunities to refugees and asylum seekers, adding: “There should be a warm Welsh language welcome for all who come to live here.”

A spokesman for the Welsh government said: “Through work with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, we provide support for learners from all backgrounds to learn Welsh, with the centre offering free courses for asylum seekers.

“We fully support efforts such as the partnership in examining all possibilities to help refugees and asylum seekers to learn the language of their choice.”