State of the Welsh Language Today
The document below is a concise summary of the present state of the Welsh language and it is available on the Welsh Language Board's website.
There are a number of points about it which are particularly relevant to the Eisteddfod report and which might be borne in mind when reading it.
- While the language may be holding and the numbers of young people learning it increasing, this is happening outside the heartlands and some elements of the language lobby would see this as a negative development as far as the future of the language is concerned.
- The Welsh Language Act deals with Welsh on the basis of equality with english but this may be of limited use when the two languages are not starting from the same base. Some affirmative action may be needed here.
- There is no obligation on services provided on a UK wide basis and located outside of Wales to cater for those wishing to do business in Welsh.
- There is no obligation on the private sector to provide services in Welsh (except in the limited case referred to in the document).
Welsh in the twentieth and twenty first century
At the start of the 20th century, the Welsh language was spoken by almost half the population of Wales. The 1911 Census recorded that nearly a million people regarded themselves as Welsh speakers. However, since that Census the number of Welsh speakers decreased steadily until fairly recently. There are many different reasons for this, such as:
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- migration patterns from rural to urban areas in search of work
- inward migration of English speakers to rural areas
- increased availability of English-language news and entertainment media
- a general secularisation of society, leading to a decline in chapel attendance, on which so many traditional Welsh-medium activities were centered
The combined influence of these factors led to the erosion of the language in many communities which were once almost entirely Welsh-speaking. By 1991, although the number of people able to speak the language was still more than half a million (508,098), this represented just 18.7 per cent of the population.
For technical reasons, comparisons with earlier Census results are problematical, because of differences in the way the results were presented from Census to Census. However, 1981 and 1991 results are comparable and on this basis the 1991 results were encouraging. They suggested that the situation of the language had been stabilised and the downward trend arrested.
Significantly, the 1991 Census saw an increase in the number and percentage of young people who spoke Welsh - and young people of course represent the future of the language. For example, between 1981 and 1991, the percentage of children aged 5-9 who spoke Welsh rose from 17.8% to 24.7%, and the percentage of young people aged 10-14 rose from 18.5% to 26.9%. It is likely that the 2001 Census will show that there has been a further increase, because nearly one-third of all primary school children in Wales are now receiving their education in Welsh-medium or bilingual schools.
Where are the Welsh speakers?
As far as actual numbers are concerned, the greatest concentration of speakers were spread throughout Wales and particularly, perhaps surprisingly, outside those areas generally regarded as traditionally Welsh-speaking, that is rural North and West Wales.For example, there were 17,346 Welsh speakers in Cardiff in 1991, an increase of 79% on the 1951 figure, and it was estimated that over 10% of all Welsh-speakers in Wales lived within a 25 mile radius of the capital.
The table at the end of this document shows the distribution of Welsh speakers by unitary authority, using the results of the 1991 Census:
Key Developments
Most of the significant developments that have played a part in reversing the language's fortunes have happened in the last 30 years. The increase in the number of young people who can speak Welsh is mainly because of the development of Welsh-medium education and increased teaching of Welsh in schools. Parental pressure has played a large part in achieving this.Pressure was maintained on the Government throughout the period by a number of key individuals, societies and pressure groups, who campaigned vigourously for the rights of Welsh speakers to use their language in Wales. It is therefore a combination of popular pressure, developments in the education system and recent legislation which has been responsible for the revival of the language and allows optimism regarding its future survival.
That the language manages to develop and adapt to present-day needs is also thanks to a strong support framework of written, audio and visual materials. In 1982, S4C the Welsh-language television channel, was established. This now broadcasts around 30 hours a week in Welsh, as well as 12 hours a day on S4C Digital which was launched in November 1998 and is also broadcast outside Wales. S4C programmes have gained much international acclaim.
The national Welsh-language radio station BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts over 120 hours a week in Welsh. There are also a number of bilingual local radio stations. There is a wide variety of current affairs and special interest publications, from weekly newspapers to monthly magazines.
Over 50 papurau bro - local Welsh language newspapers - serve individual communities. The range of books, cassettes, CDs and videos, especially for children, is wide and of high quality. More recent developments include CD-ROM and computer technology, in addition to more traditional communications.
The Welsh-language entertainment industry now competes on an international level, in the popular rock, folk and classical music fields. Bands like Catatonia and individual singers, such as Siān James and Bryn Terfel , who regularly perform in Welsh, have won major national and international awards. This is obviously an important factor in increasing the attractiveness and appeal of the language, especially for young people, thus ensuring that it continues to evolve as a living language.
Financial Support
In the 1980s central government earmarked some of its grants specifically for organisations which promoted or supported the language, such as the National Eisteddfod, the Welsh Books Council, Urdd Gobaith Cymru and Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin. Grants were also allocated to support Welsh-medium education. Responsibility for these grants has since transferred to the Welsh Language Board.During 2000/01, the Board distributed almost £2.5 million in grants to organisations for activities to increase the use of Welsh and a further £2.1 million to support the teaching of Welsh in the National Curriculum.
The Welsh Language Act 1993
But perhaps the key event for the language over the last three decades was the passing of the Welsh Language Act 1993, which confirmed in law the principle of equality between the Welsh and English languages.. The Welsh Language Act 1967 guaranteed the right to use Welsh in court, and also provided for its use in public administration. But by far the most significant legislation to date in respect of the language is the Welsh Language Act 1993.
This Act, which puts Welsh and English on an equal basis in public life in Wales, represents a milestone in the modern history of the language. In simple terms, the Act specifies three things:
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- it places a duty on the public sector to treat Welsh and English on an equal basis, when providing services to the public in Wales
- · it gives Welsh speakers an absolute right to speak Welsh in court
- · it establishes the Welsh Language Board to oversee the delivery of these promises and to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language
It is important to note that the authority of the Welsh Language Board in all that it does is therefore derived from this Act of Parliament. It has legally defined functions and its primary duty is to implement the Welsh Language Act 1993. The Board's approach to its statutory duty is based firmly on what is appropriate under the circumstances and reasonably practicable.
Public sector bodies and the Welsh Language Act
The Welsh Language Act 1993 details definite steps to be taken by the Welsh Language Board and by public sector bodies such as local authorities, health trusts and government agencies - including institutions outside Wales in the preparation and operation of Welsh language schemes. These schemes set out how services in Welsh are to be provided. At the beginning of 1999, over 100 language schemes had been approved, including those of all 22 local authorities in Wales, from Anglesey to Monmouthshire. A futher 120 schemes are in preparation.Before language schemes are approved by the Board, they are required to go out to public consultation. The results of these consultations are taken into account in the approval process.
Once in place, the operation of the schemes is monitored. Each organisation provides the Welsh Language Board with an annual progress report, and the Board considers any complaints made by members of the public. Independent surveys from the service user's perspective are also commissioned by the Board to gauge the success of language schemes.
What are Welsh Language Schemes?
Put simply, a language scheme means that Welsh speakers are increasingly able to get access to public services in their own language as a matter of course, just as English speakers can. Things like:- applying for a passport or driving licence
- sorting out VAT or income tax affairs
- phoning helplines
- getting advice on benefits or in a Job Centre
- receiving information from local councils
- receiving water, gas, electricity or phone bills
Education
Each Local Education Authority (LEA) is required under the Welsh Language Act 1993 to prepare and agree a Welsh Education Scheme which outlines the LEA's strategy for Welsh-medium education. The Welsh Language Board approves and monitors the operation of these schemesThe Private and Voluntary Sectors
The Welsh Language Act 1993 does not place a direct legal obligation on private businesses or voluntary organisations to offer services in Welsh, but these sectors become involved indirectly in some situations. For example, private or voluntary organisations which provide care or other personal services on behalf of statutory bodies (such as local councils or health trusts) become subject to the requirements of that body's language scheme.Legal Developments
Birth and death certificates are very personal documents, and the non-availability of bilingual registration outside Wales has been the subject of public pressure for many years. The Board presented proposals to the Government to change the present rules so that births and deaths may be registered in Welsh, even when the event happens in England. The Government agreed in June 1998 to support a Private Member's Bill to amend the legislation according to these proposals. We are still waiting for this to become law.European Legislation
Welsh is also recognised as one of the lesser-used languages by the European Community, and the UK Government signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in March 2000.Over the months to come, the Parliament will consider the measures the Government has signed up to under the Charter, with the aim of agreeing at least 35 measures for each language, informing the Council of Europe of these commitments at the time of the Charter's ratification.
Welsh is not the only minority language in the UK, of course, and Part III of the European Charter will specify the Gaelic language in Scotland as well as Welsh in Wales. The Good Friday Agreement 1998 between the British and Irish Governments sets out a similar commitment in respect of Irish Gaelic and Ulster-Scots. This is consistent with European legislation for safeguarding equality of opportunity and human rights which is now being incorporated into UK law.
The Council of Europe's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was opened for signature on 5 November 1992. States which have already signed and/or ratified the Charter include : Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, FYR Macedonia and Ukraine.
Welsh is a Celtic language, its nearest cousins being Cornish and Breton. The language as spoken today is descended directly from Early Welsh, which emerged as a distinct tongue as early as the sixth century AD. It is thus the oldest living language of Great Britain and among the oldest in Europe.
Distribution of Welsh speakers by unitary authority
| Authority | Number | Percentage |
| Blaenau Gwent | 1,523 | 2.5% |
| Bridgend | 10,159 | 10.3% |
| Caerphilly | 9,714 | 6.9% |
| Cardiff | 18,080 | 6.7% |
| Carmarthenshire | 89,213 | 54.3% |
| Ceredigion | 36,026 | 52.5% |
| Conwy | 31,443 | 29.6% |
| Denbighshire | 23,294 | 26.9% |
| Flint | 18,399 | 14.1% |
| Gwynedd | 78,733 | 67.3% |
| Isle of Angelsey | 41,240 | 62.3% |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 4,237 | 9.3% |
| Monmouthshire | 1,631 | 2.3% |
| Neath/Port Talbot | 23,711 | 19.3% |
| Newport | 2,874 | 2.4% |
| Pembrokeshire | 19,759 | 18.4% |
| Powys | 23,590 | 20.9% |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff | 20,042 | 10.5% |
| Swansea | 28,557 | 13.9% |
| Torfaen | 2,128 | 2.7% |
| Wrexham | 15,990 | 14.5% |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 7,755 | 7.7% |