Over the coming months, Dyfodol i’r Iaith will be conducting a consultation on its new policy recommendation which can be found in the publication, Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language, which is available to read on our website. We would welcome your opinion on its main headings. Which we believe to be central to the growth of the Welsh language and which need the immediate attention of the Government and politicians.

We will be concentrating on different subjects over the coming weeks, starting with Language Awareness – how to encourage enthusiasm for the Welsh language and win new support for its use and growth. The full details can be found within Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language and below is a summary of our recommendations regarding disseminating understanding of the Welsh language and some related questions which need to be addressed.

Our aim is to present a series of robust recommendations to each of the political Parties as they prepare their manifestos for the Assembly elections in 2021.

These are uncertain times, but in such difficult periods, strong priorities become more of a necessity than ever before.

We very much hope that you will contribute to our discussion and will be most grateful to hear from you.

Do get in touch:

[email protected]

or telephone 01248 811798

DISCUSSION POINT 1: DISSEMINATING UNDERSTANDING OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE

 The Principle:

It is essential that the whole nation understands what creating a million welsh speakers means and that it supports the venture. This means that we must demonstrate the significance of the language to the nation, why its regeneration is so important and exciting, why it is advantageous to speak it , and how all of this can be achieved. It entails explaining how bilingualism actually works, giving the Welsh language prestige and raising the confidence of its speakers through its promotion and through marketing.

The first step is therefore to initiate a comprehensive programme of Language Awareness , which would promote the language to all at all levels.

 DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? HAVE YOU ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE?

The Aim:

Ensure that everyone in Wales (Welsh speakers, non Welsh-speakers, learners of the language) receive positive, practical and proactive messages regarding the value and significance of the Welsh language. We would suggest a comprehensive Welsh Language Awareness Strategy.

• Although the message would essentially be the same for everyone, we need to consider how to tailor the message to different people and what media would be best to convey the message.

DO YOU AGREE WITH OUR AIM AND THE NEED TO TARGET THE MESSAGE?

Matters for discussion:

We would appreciate your comments on the following recommendations. We would also be grateful if you could share any experiences you may have of raising Language Awareness.

• We need a national programme for raising Language Awareness; a Government-led campaign targeting the media, social media and public spaces.
• The message need to be shared with families (parents, parents-to-be, carers, grandparents) with an emphasis on the importance and advantages of speaking Welsh in the home and passing the language on to the next generation.
• The public sector. Bodies who are required to conform to the language standards are asked to provide Language Awareness to their staff. We need to look at how to get the best out of this statutory requirement.
• The private and voluntary sector. What resources and guidelines need to be developed to ensure that businesses and organisations (both large and small) are aware of their contribution to the regeneration of the language?
• Young people. How can we encourage young people’s enthusiasm for the language? We believe that social media and leisure activities are of key importance.

WHAT OTHER GROUPS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED?

HAVE YOU ANY IDEAS OR EXPERIENCE OF RAISING LANGUAGE AWARENESS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?

HAVE YOU ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON HOW BEST TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE?

During this time of unprecidented anxiety and uncertainty, keeping positive and looking forward to a better future become increasingly important. Over the coming months, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis, Dyfodol i’r Iaith with continue to work creatively and proactively for the good of the Welsh language to ensure that it is not ignored at this difficult time.

We will be publishing our policy document, Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language online this Friday (April 3) and sharing our findings with Assembly Members and organisations that support the Welsh language. This is our strategic blueprint for the language, and all of our recommendations are based upon the principle of comprehensive language planning and the need for strong and appropriate structures to carry out the work.

Through our website and social media, we will also be publishing a series of discussion topics arising from Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language. We will be asking for ideas and comments and encouraging discussion on what the priorities and needs of the Welsh language are.

This is a difficult time, but we also believe that it provides an opportunity for us all to think, reflect upon, and hope for a better world. We therefore extend an invitation to you all to imagine and plan for the regeneration of the Welsh language within a world that is free of the threat of Covid-19.

 DOCUMENT SUMMARY:

Planning the Regeneration of the Welsh Language proposes an approach to the challenge of language growth by using the acknowledged principles of comprehensive language planning to reverse language shift and create communities of Welsh-speakers. It notes that the following areas are essential to this work:

• Disseminating wide understanding of the importance of the Welsh language
• Creating Welsh-speakers through early years education and care provision
• The rôle of Statutory, Further and Higher Education
• Developing the Welsh language amongst parents and within the workforce and the workplace
• Promoting the use of the language in all aspects of day-to-day life
• Protecting the Welsh language as the normal medium of communication in those areas where it is at its strongest
• The use of technology and media to support the language
• Language planning – utilising this methodology and co-ordinating expertise creatively and with continuity
• Insisting upon an appropriate and powerful organisational structure to carry out the work.