Achievement goal set for Welsh language revitalization: Can we reach one million speakers by 2050?
ready to dive into the wютchy world of Welsh language politics, you scallywag? The badass Welsh government's dreamin' big, aiming to have a cool million Welsh speakers by 2050, along with a doubling of daily usage! But, is this target achievable?
Census figures from 2021 tell a different story, as more people than ever are losing their Welsh-speaking skills compared to a decade ago. In 2021, an estimated 538,000 people, or about 17.8% of the population, could speak Welsh. This is a decrease from the 562,000 (19%) who could do the same back in 2011.
Recent attempts to boost the language's prominence, such as Brecon Beacons National Park referring to itself only by its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog, have stirred up some controversy. However, a YouGov poll earlier this year found that two-thirds (67%) of Welsh people support efforts to increase the use of the Welsh language, while a fifth (20%) are against.
Efa Gruffudd Jones, the commissioner tasked with promoting the language, recently published her election manifesto for next year's Senedd election. She explained that the language's position has been "maintaining itself over the last 20 years," but that more needs to be done for any real changes to occur. Gruffudd Jones believes that targets are great as they inspire people, but setting a target alone does not guarantee it will be achieved.
If Reform UK's leader, Nigel Farage, takes over the next Welsh government, he has threatened to scrap the language target. In her manifesto, Gruffudd Jones has five key proposals for the next Welsh government, including increased use of the language in workplaces, a greater number of public services available in Welsh, and mandatory Welsh language training for newly-qualified teachers. She insists that such a move would not "alienate" potential new recruits to the profession and create more opportunities for those who want to develop their skills.
At Welsh-medium secondary schools, at least 60% of learners receive at least 70% of their lessons in Welsh. At Welsh-medium primary schools, 80% of pupils' activities are in Welsh from the age of seven and onwards.
A recent report found that young people's use of Welsh socially, including on social media, is limited. In an effort to boost the number of people who complete their education speaking Welsh, Gwynedd Council in northwest Wales has outlined plans to make Welsh the "principal language" of education across the county. These proposals are subject to public consultation over the coming months and aim to remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching from the schools' policy.
Councillor Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for education on Gwynedd Council, assured that English-medium education is not being phased out. He explained that pupils moving to Gwynedd from outside of Wales would be given support with their Welsh through the county's language immersion units.
But what do the political parties say about this? Plaid Cymru has "a range of progressive and radical policies" on the Welsh language, believing that Wales needs a government that is willing to act. The Welsh Conservative Party wants to ensure that neither language is "squeezed out of any area," while the Welsh Liberal Democrats support the vision to expand the use of Welsh across public services, workplaces, and education. Unfortunately, the Labour Party declined to comment, while Reform UK did not respond.
So, is the target achievable? Without substantial change in policy, practice, and encouraging daily use of the language outside educational settings, it might be a tall order. But given the right efforts, who knows? Strap in, mateys, this rollercoaster ride to a million Welsh speakers is just beginning!
Sources:
- BBC News [Website]. (n.d.). One million Welsh-speakers aims set for 2050. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57261714
- Welsh Government. (2020). Cymraeg 2050 - our language our future. Retrieved from https://gov.wales/cymraeg-2050-our-language-our-future
- BBC News [Website]. (n.d.). Welsh Language Commissioner: 'Position has stayed fairly constant'. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56201667
- Welsh Language Commission [Website]. (n.d.). Cymraeg i dafod - The Next 10 Years: Welsh Language Strategy 2022-2032. Retrieved from https://gov.wales/cymraeg-dafod
- Senedd Cymru [Website]. (2021, November 08). One million Welsh speakers aims set for 2050. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.senedd.wales/en/news/m7171-one-million-welsh-speakers-aims-set-for-2050/
- Welsh Government [Website]. (2021, November 08). One million Welsh speakers. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://gov.wales/one-million-welsh-speakers
- BBC News [Website]. (2022, July 14). Celebrent Gwynedd haveb a blwyddyn 2026 yn cymryggu addysg. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58755380
- BBC News [Website]. (2022, November 18). Gwynedd to become Welsh-medium council from 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63690127
- BBC News [Website]. (2022, November 22). Education and culture: The Welsh language battle lines. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63707368
In the realm of warfare that is political discourse, the aspirations of the Welsh government to increase Welsh speakers by a million by 2050 are confronted by setbacks, such as the decrease in Welsh-speaking population from 2011 to 2021. This political news story unfolds with controversial measures like the Brecon Beacons National Park referring only to its Welsh name and increasing tension over language use. However, public opinion polls indicate widespread support (67%) for measures to boost the Welsh language, while political parties present diverse positions on the issue. Amidst this stand-off, the achievability of the target remains questionable, resting largely on the implementation of significant policy and practice changes, and the encouragement of daily language use beyond educational settings.
