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Sky News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Target to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050 has been set - but how likely is it?
Wales's government has set the aim of having one million Welsh speakers by 2050 - along with a doubling of the daily use of the language by then - but is that target achievable? Figures from the latest census in 2021 showed a fall in the number of people who could speak Welsh compared to a decade earlier. An estimated 538,000 people in Wales - or 17.8% of the population - said they could speak Welsh, compared to 562,000 in 2011 (or 19% of the population). Some efforts to increase the prominence of the language in recent years, including the Brecon Beacons National Park's decision to refer to itself only by its Welsh name Bannau Brycheiniog, have faced criticism from some quarters. But a YouGov poll of more than 1,300 Welsh people earlier this year found two-thirds (67%) were in favour of efforts to increase the use of the Welsh language, compared to a fifth (20%) who were against. Efa Gruffudd Jones, the commissioner tasked with promoting the use of the language, published her manifesto for next year's Senedd election on Friday. She told Sky News the Welsh language's position had "stayed fairly constant over the last 20 years". "If we really want to change anything going forward, we need to change some of the things that we do," she said. "[Targets] are inspirational, they can inspire people to do more. But, on its own, setting a target doesn't mean that you achieve it. "So I really think we need to think hard about how we increase the numbers of Welsh speakers and how we ensure that more people can use it in their daily lives." Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage told ITV Wales last month that he would scrap the target if the party forms the next Welsh government. In her manifesto, Ms Gruffudd Jones has five key proposals for the next Welsh government as people in Wales prepare to head to the polls in May next year. They include increased use of the language in workplaces, more public services available in Welsh and mandatory Welsh language training for newly-qualified teachers, with the commissioner insisting such a move would not "alienate" potential new recruits to the profession. "It's about creating the opportunity for everyone who wants to come into the workforce to be able to develop their skills and to be able to make sure that every child who wants Welsh-medium education in Wales [is able] to receive it," she said. At Welsh-medium secondary schools, at least 60% of learners have a minimum of 70% of their lessons in Welsh, according to Welsh government criteria. And at Welsh-medium primary schools, at least 80% of pupils' school activities will be in Welsh from the age of seven onwards. 'Nothing to be afraid of' The Welsh language commissioner published a report last month which found young people's use of the language socially, including on social media, was "limited". Gwynedd Council, in northwest Wales, has outlined plans to make Welsh the "principal language" of education across the county, in an effort to boost the number of people who leave school speaking the language. The proposals, which are subject to public consultation over the coming months, are set to "remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching" from its schools' policy. But Councillor Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for education on Gwynedd Council, has insisted English-medium education "is not being phased out". He told Sky News that pupils moving to Gwynedd from outside of Wales would be given support with their Welsh through the county's language immersion units. "There's nothing to be afraid of here, I'm completely confident that any latecomers to the county will be able to fully integrate and become fully bilingual," Cllr Jones added. He said the council was "very proud" to have a "very high number of Welsh speakers" in the area, "especially among young people". "But we're ambitious to go beyond that and ensure that all young people in Gwynedd are fully bilingual so that they have the benefits of both the Welsh language and the English language," he said. 'Academic language' In Ysgol Cwm Rhymni, a Welsh-medium secondary school in Caerphilly, Year 12 students have just finished their exams and are starting to think about the next steps after school. Mili, who speaks Welsh at home with her family, said the language was an "integral part" of her life. "For many students, their parents don't speak Welsh, so they don't hear Welsh on a more social level, it's more of an academic language for them," she told Sky News. Another student Megan said there were "a lot of people" who wanted to use Welsh outside of school but there were "a lack of things for them to be able to use Welsh". "People would be willing to speak Welsh if there are things there to allow them to speak the language once they've learned it," she added. Student Ben said there was a "lack of places where you can speak Welsh in the south that aren't schools or festivals". Meanwhile, fellow student Maisie said there were already "a lot of opportunities" to use Welsh outside of school, such as in Welsh-speaking groups, but they weren't "advertised" enough. On the streets of Cardiff Bay, opinions were mixed over the target to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050. "I think we could [reach it] because there are a lot of Welsh schools now, and all the schools are learning to speak Welsh," one woman said. "I don't know if you will get to a million, but I certainly would aim for that, as close to that as you can," another added. One man said it was unrealistic as Cardiff was "not a Welsh-speaking capital" but that the language was spoken more widely in other areas. What do the political parties say? Plaid Cymru's Welsh language spokesperson Heledd Fychan said the party has "a range of progressive and radical policies" on the Welsh language and that Wales needed "a government that is willing to act". Tom Giffard, the Welsh Conservatives' shadow Welsh language secretary, said "neither language should be squeezed out of any area" and it must be ensured that "additional bureaucratic strain is not placed on the health or education services". Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said the party supports the vision to "expand the use of Welsh across public services, workplaces, and education" but that the proposals should be delivered in a way that is "fair" and "inclusive".
South Wales Argus
21-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Welsh Language commissioner publishes manifesto for 2026
Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones launched the document ahead of the 2026 Senedd Cymru election, urging all political parties to support its proposals. She has proposed extending Welsh language standards to priority areas, creating a specialist unit to increase the use of Welsh in the workplace and ensuring compulsory Welsh language training for the education workforce. Ms Jones said: "My ambition as commissioner goes beyond a narrow interpretation of what is expected of me and set out in the Welsh Language Measure, and I am keen to lead a body that does more and contributes more significantly to wider language planning work. "The next few years are extremely important for the Welsh language as the Welsh Language and Education Bill is delivered and as the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities are implemented."
Wales Online
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Welsh Language Commissioner sets out five priorities in manifesto ahead of Senedd election
Welsh Language Commissioner sets out five priorities in manifesto ahead of Senedd election Efa Gruffudd Jones is calling on all political parties to adopt the proposals Efa Gruffudd Jones believes the forthcoming Senedd term will be pivotal for the language (Image: Welsh Language Commissioner ) The Welsh Language Commissioner has unveiled a manifesto, setting out key priorities she hopes all political parties will commit to ahead of the 2026 Senedd Cymru election. In the manifesto, unveiled on Friday, June 20, Efa Gruffudd Jones said she wanted to see an increase in the number of Welsh language services available to the public and establish a specialist unit to increase the use of the language in workplaces. Despite acknowledging the financial pressures organisations are under, Jones said she had identified five areas of focus that could make a "real difference to strengthening the position of the Welsh language". The proposals come as the current Welsh Labour Government have set out a target to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050. However, according to the last census (2021), the number of people in Wales aged three and above who consider themselves to be Welsh speakers stands at 538,000 - 17.8% of the population, which is actually down 24,000 since the previous census (2011). Read more in our report on Welsh beyond the numbers However, the Welsh Language Commissioner believes the forthcoming Senedd term will be pivotal for the language. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here . Efa Gruffudd Jones said: "My ambition as Commissioner goes beyond a narrow interpretation of what is expected of me and set out in the Welsh Language Measure, and I am keen to lead a body that does more and contributes more significantly to wider language planning work. Article continues below "As a result this manifesto calls for action and guidance from the Welsh Government, whatever its political makeup, and support to facilitate the work of other key partners, including the Welsh Language Commissioner. "The next few years are extremely important for the Welsh language as the Welsh Language and Education Bill is delivered and as the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities are implemented. "I am fully aware of the pressures on our public bodies and that is the reason for setting out five specific priorities in this manifesto. "They follow the path outlined in our strategic plan and I am convinced that these are areas where difference can be made in the use of the language. "We will now look to have discussions with the parties in order to present our manifesto and our rationale for setting out our priorities. "The hope is that the parties will be ready to adopt our proposals and for those to be adopted before the election next year." Article continues below The five priorities outlined in the manifesto are as follows: Language duties - increase the number of Welsh language services available to the public by extending Welsh language standards to priority areas. Community language planning – extend the Commissioner's influence by strengthening the promotion standards as a framework for the co-ordination of intensive community language planning. Workplaces - establish a specialist unit in the Welsh Language Commissioner's office to increase the use of Welsh in workplaces. Health and clinical care service - transform clinical care in Welsh through intensive investment and action in priority areas. The education workforce - establish a five-year Welsh language training framework as a mandatory element of training as a teacher in Wales.
Wales Online
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
The big problem facing the Welsh language outside school
The big problem facing the Welsh language outside school Even among fluent Welsh speakers and those who have learnt Welsh at home, the lack of use of the Welsh language "is a real concern", a new report from the Welsh Language Commissioner says General use of the Welsh language by children and young people outside school is "limited" and there are "negative" attitudes towards the language among a "significant" minority, a survey from the Welsh Language Commissioner has found. With the Welsh Language and Education Bill expected to receive Royal Assent in a few weeks the report looked at use of Welsh inside and outside the school gates. It found that English is also the main language used by young people on social media or online "because it is easier and reaches a wider audience". Despite this there are "positive attitudes" to the Welsh language among fluent Welsh speakers with the majority in this group "proud" of their ability to speak it. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. "While the use of Welsh within the school and the attitudes towards the language were encouraging, the use of it by the young people socially, including on social media, was limited, with a significant proportion of those surveyed saying that English was their main language when using social media," the report, published on Friday (May30), says. The survey, based on focus groups and questionnaires answered by 1,600 11 to 21 year-olds across Wales included more than a third who received mainly English-medium education and indicated that they spoke very little Welsh. A Welsh medium school where children speak too much English has recently been put in special measures and you can read more about that here Welsh Language Commissioner, Efa Gruffudd Jones (Image: Welsh Government ) "As one would expect, the use of the Welsh language is very low among these respondents," the report says. Use of Welsh is "much higher" among fluent Welsh speakers, those who have learnt Welsh at home, and those who have received a Welsh-medium education. "The questionnaires highlighted negative views from a minority, but still significant, proportion of the respondents regarding the Welsh language. A number of the respondents indicated that they were not interested in the Welsh language, that it was a waste of time, and that it was not relevant to their lives," the document adds. Responses were received from 11 to 21 year-olds from 18 of the 22 local authority areas in Wales. No responses were received from the Blaenau Gwent, Monmouth, Pembrokeshire and Torfaen areas. The commissioner said work to increase use of the Welsh language among children and young people outside school "needs to be intensified". Even among fluent Welsh speakers and those who have learnt Welsh at home, the lack of use of the Welsh language "is a real concern", the document warns. It went on: "The negative attitudes towards the Welsh language that exist among some groups of children and young people need to be addressed. Part of the solution is to offer these children and young people better opportunities to learn and use the Welsh language through the education system in the first place. "There was very little evidence of negative attitudes towards the Welsh language among those who had received a Welsh-medium education, for example. "Although all children and young people need to be encouraged to use the Welsh that they have, the results highlight that there is a significant challenge in encouraging fluent Welsh speakers to use more Welsh outside school. There is a significant number of children and young people in Wales who are fluent in Welsh, who have positive attitudes towards the language, but who make very little use of Welsh outside school. " Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones said the research was carried out to get a better understanding of the language habits of this age group when they engage with families and friends in various activities outside school, in online communication, on social media, and when receiving services. It will be used to develop future work promoting Welsh. The commissioner said the education system is "key" in providing opportunities to learn and use the language and that the survey also shows children and young people are more likely to use Welsh in sports activities rather than socially. "Children and young people are vital to the future of the Welsh language," she said. "This wide-ranging research offers us an insight into the use of Welsh by young people. "Our five-year strategic plan published earlier this year responds to the main conclusions of this research and outlines how I will take action to encourage greater use of the Welsh language among young people. The research also provides us with an evidence base as we draw up our manifesto proposals for the Senedd election in 2026, which will be published within the coming months. "There is no doubt that the report highlights significant challenges particularly in the field of social media but it also identifies opportunities, in the area of sport for example, and I will prioritise creating and strengthening strategic partnerships in order to further develop those opportunities." Some of the report's findings include: The general use of the Welsh language by children and young people outside school is limited Positive attitudes towards Welsh are evident among fluent Welsh speakers and those who learned Welsh at home, with the majority proud of their ability to speak Welsh The education system plays a key role in providing opportunities to learn and use Welsh Children and young people are more likely to use Welsh in sports activities, especially with coaches and leaders The use of Welsh when communicating online and on social media is limited, with the majority using English because it is easier and reaches a wider audience Children and young people are least likely to use Welsh on the high street Lack of public services provision of Welsh language, in areas such as health, are "a barrier to the wider use of Welsh" Myfanwy Jones, director of Welsh language community initiative Mentrau Iaith Cymru, said opportunities to use the Welsh language outside school need to be expanded. The report says the Welsh Government and organisations need to work on changing attitudes and behaviour to encourage more children and young people "to consider the Welsh language as belonging to them". Efa Jones, a first year university student and former pupil at Ysgol Bro Dur, admitted: "Me and my friends spoke Welsh together at school, but we speak a mix of both Welsh and English when we're not at school. I think social media is responsible for that as English is the main language that is used there." Plaid Cymru education spokesperson Cefin Campbell MS said the percentage of of primary school pupils learning through the medium of Welsh has barely risen in the last decade while the percentage of secondary school pupils at Welsh medium schools has fallen (Image: Ben Evans/Huw Evans Agency ) Plaid Cymru education spokesperson Cefin Campbell, MS for Mid and West Wales, said the research findings were "disappointing" and emphasise the work that needs to be done to ensure that Welsh remains a living language. "In my home county of Carmarthenshire, for example, we have seen a fall in the use of the Welsh language from over 50% in the 2001 Census to under 40% in 2021," he said. "Bridging between a school and the community it serves is essential to encouraging greater community use of the Welsh language and should certainly be a priority for the Welsh Government. That would involve greater funding for organisations like the Urdd, Mentrau Iaith and arts and sports programmes in Welsh, which should link closely with the local school's extra-curricular provision . " I would also want the Welsh Government to implement the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities urgently and in full.' He said the percentage of primary school pupils learning through the medium of Welsh has barely risen in the last decade while the per centage of secondary school pupils at Welsh medium schools has fallen. "In 2014, 21.9% of primary school pupils were being educated through the medium of Welsh; by 2024, the corresponding percentage was 22.5%. Over a 10 year period, we saw an extremely small increase of just 0.6%. Over the same period, the percentage of secondary school pupils receiving their education through the medium of Welsh had actually decreased from 14.2% to 13.5%. "The fact that we have in effect stood still for an entire decade underlines the need for a complete transformation of the current system to achieve significant growth in the number of pupils receiving Welsh-medium education, along with a fundamental change in the way that Welsh is taught in English-medium schools." The NSPCC Cymru said the findings about which language is used most online also has safeguarding implications: 'We believe the findings need to be carefully analysed to ask whether measures designed to protect children on these platforms equally apply when children are using social media in Welsh or in a combination of Welsh and English," Cecile Gwilym from NSPCC Cymru said, 'The findings show this is an area that requires further research and attention particularly from Welsh Government, Ofcom and technology companies." A Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'The Welsh language belongs to us all and we are committed to reaching our target of doubling daily use of the language by 2050. We will do this by continuing to work across the government and beyond to provide free Welsh language lessons to thousands of young people, sustain our Welsh-speaking communities, increase language use in all areas and contexts, and to develop Welsh language technology.' * The commissioner's research will be formally launched today (FRI MAY 30) at 11am at the Welsh Language Commissioner's stand (59-60) at the Urdd Gobaith Cymru National Eisteddfod. Article continues below
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Young people using 'limited' Welsh on social media
Young people's attitudes towards the Welsh language are "encouraging" but English is by far the main language used by teenagers on social media, a report has found. A large majority of Welsh children communicate mainly through English on social media even when speaking to other Welsh-speakers, according to the report set to be released at the Urdd Eisteddfod on Friday. The survey of around 1600 youngsters found "limited" use of Welsh by children outside of school, but added it was more likely to be spoken in activities such as sports. Responding to the report, Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones said it highlighted "significant challenges... [but] also identifies opportunities". Concerns some Welsh-language nurseries could close Teacher inspires Welsh learning in school with 23 languages Plan to halt Welsh decline in language's heartlands Cai Saunders attends English medium secondary school Treorchy Comprehensive in Rhondda Cynon Taf. He and his friends, who are studying Welsh, have a group chat where they practice before lessons and exams, the 16-year-old said, speaking from this year's Eisteddfod yr Urdd. "Sometimes we share things on Instagram or Facebook to show friends and family, but my friends who study A-level have set up a group chat so that we can talk in Welsh." Cerys, from Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, near Newport, speaks Welsh with her family. She said a lot of her friends went to English schools and used English outside of school because their family and parents "don't speak Welsh". "If there are more places where they are able to speak Welsh, I think more would speak Welsh," she said. Mathew Franklin from Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni on Anglesey said he usually mixed Welsh and English when talking with friends at school. He said he liked to speak Welsh, adding: "I don't get a lot of time to speak [Welsh] with my friends." Cari Lovelock from Anglesey said she thought it was "important" that the younger generation use the Welsh language when socialising. "We are the next generation who are going to promote the language and keep it alive so that we get things like the Eisteddfod and I think that is an important thing," she said. Hari ap Llwyd Dafydd from Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, in Caerphilly county, said he speaks English with his friends because that is the home language for many of them. Although he speaks Welsh at home, he said: "We don't see any entertainment in Welsh, they're all in English, so it's not easy to speak Welsh with friends." 1,600 children and young people - most of them between the ages of 11 and 16 - took part in the research for the report to the Welsh Language Commissioner. Among the main findings of the report was that the general use of Welsh by children and young people outside of school was "limited". But children are more likely to use the language in sporting activities, especially with coaches and leaders, it said. Attitudes towards the Welsh language were also generally "positive", especially among those who were fluent and had learnt the language at home. But the report found there was very little use of Welsh on social media, with the majority using English "because it is easier and reaches a wider audience". Around 80 percent of those who responded to the questionnaire said they use English every time or usually to communicate online, even with other Welsh speakers. But fluent speakers were more likely to communicate directly through the language, with half saying they usually text in Welsh, or use both languages equally. According to the Welsh Language Commissioner, the information gathered will help inform the commissioner's future work, as well as others. "Children and young people are vital to the future of the Welsh language. This wide-ranging research offers us an insight into the use of Welsh by young people," said Ms Gruffudd Jones. "There is no doubt that the report highlights significant challenges particularly in the field of social media but it also identifies opportunities, in the area of sport for example, and I will prioritise creating and strengthening strategic partnerships in order to further develop those opportunities." Myfanwy Jones, director of Mentrau Iaith Cymru, a national organisation that supports a network of 22 local Welsh language initiatives, said there was a need to expand the opportunities to use the Welsh language outside of school. "It is clear that there are a large number of respondents who do not use Welsh very often outside of school but are generally supportive of the Welsh language and wish to have more opportunities to use the language," she said. "As part of our remit, we are constantly looking for further opportunities to expand our community activities in order to offer opportunities for young people to use the Welsh language naturally. The report shows that this work is crucial and we will work with the commissioner and other partners to develop it further in the future." Most lessons in English to be phased out in Welsh county Welsh speakers use TikTok to teach the language Number of Welsh-speakers lowest in eight years
