Campaigners at the National Eisteddfod in Llantwd are calling for "radical measures" to protect Welsh-speaking communities after the number of speakers fell to 538,000 in 2021. The Plaid Cymru minority government will launch an autumn consultation while the Welsh Government maintains its goal of one million speakers by 2050. Activists warn there is a three-year window before the 2030 Senedd election to reverse the decline, and rising adult learning could help rebuild numbers.
Campaigners Demand Radical Action to Protect Welsh Language as Speaker Numbers Fall
The future of the Welsh language is a staple of conversation at the Eisteddfod [BBC]
Campaigners at the National Eisteddfod are urging urgent, "radical measures" to protect and revive the Welsh language across its rural heartlands as concern grows over declining speaker numbers.
Calls For Urgent Action
The future of Welsh was a central issue at the festival currently taking place in Llantwd, Pembrokeshire. While some attendees debated the price of a pint or the latest recital results, language activists warned that traditional Welsh-speaking communities are under immediate threat.
Ffred Ffransis says radical measures are needed to ensure Welsh-speaking communities survive [BBC]
The Welsh Government says it remains committed to its "ambitious target" of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050 and is preparing to set out new measures to promote the language. Plaid Cymru — now leading a minority government — has said it will launch a public consultation in the autumn on the next steps.
Activists Warn Time Is Running Out
"We're losing our Welsh-speaking communities. Once a language becomes something just under the surface, confined to certain sectors, not being the main medium of social intercourse in naturally Welsh-speaking communities, it means we've lost a great deal," said Ffred Ffransis of campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith.
Ffransis urged the new government to act quickly, saying there is a narrow three-year window before attention shifts to the 2030 Senedd election to reverse the decline and regenerate Welsh-speaking communities.
Senedd member Anna Brychan says she sees no reason not to be ambitious about the future of the Welsh language [BBC]
Government Response
Anna Brychan, Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Welsh Language, said the Plaid Cymru minority administration is prepared to act but that festival-goers will have to wait a few months for detailed proposals. "We are going to be launching our consultation in the autumn on what we do next," she said, while stressing that the target of one million speakers will remain central to the strategy.
"We recognise it is very ambitious," Brychan added, "but we see no reason not to be ambitious about the future of the Welsh language. This does not conflict with our focus on other priorities such as the cost of living and health services."
Welsh learner Paige Morgan lives in the United States and wants to inspire others [BBC]
Role Of Adult Learners
The most recent census recorded a fall in the number of Welsh speakers to 538,000 in 2021, although adult learners have increased. Eisteddfod finalists highlighted the important role learners can play.
Kierion Lloyd, a finalist in the Learner of the Year competition, suggested census questions may have undercounted some learners who use Welsh but did not feel confident reporting it. Another finalist, Paige Morgan, who lives in the United States and so is not included in the official figures, said she hopes to inspire others: "I never expected to become bilingual as a middle-aged woman — don't listen to anyone who says it's not possible."
Campaigners say a combination of targeted policy, community investment and support for learners will be needed to stabilise and rebuild Welsh-speaking communities.
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