Welsh learners and Welsh-medium pupils

Recent decades have witnessed a well-documented upturn in the fortunes of the Welsh language. Coupled with increases in the language’s official and legal status and its representation in the broadcast media, there has been an explosion in the number of pupils educated through the medium of the language. In south east Wales, our main research area, very many, if not the majority of these pupils come from non-Welsh speaking homes. Coupled with this, there has been a large increase in those adults learning Welsh as a second language. Everything would appear rosy for Welsh. This research project aims to ascertain to what degree this is true, and to suggest ways of improving any weaknesses found. Below are some results of an ongoing survey undertaken at the University of Wales, Cardiff comparing the attitudes of three linguistic groups toward the Welsh language and its planned future: Welsh-speaking high-school age children, non-Welsh speaking schoolchildren of the same age, and adult Welsh-learners. All these groups have the potential for considerable decision-making power, and their multiplier effect will probably have a make or break influence for linguistic and socio-economic regeneration in Wales in the near future