In 2017, the Welsh Assembly announced their plan to boost the number of Welsh speakers to one million by 2050, but how is the plan affecting the language one year on?
The Welsh Assembly Building – Y Senedd.The 2011 Census revealed that the number of Welsh speakers had declined since 2001, which acted as a wake-up call for the government to realise things needed to change.
In 2017, they announced their ambitious goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Their vision was that by 2050, Welsh would be used in all aspects of life, and that even non-Welsh speakers would recognise its contribution to the country’s culture and society.
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One million Welsh-speakers by 2050 is the long-term goal of the Welsh Assembly’s plan, but this is a strategy that they are implementing right now.
Between now and 2021, the government want to increase the language transmission rate, focusing on ensuring that all children are able to leave school with the ability to speak Welsh.
A year after the plan was published, a StatsWales study revealed the growth in Welsh-speakers since the 2011 Census, with many attributing this to the government’s strategy.
One primary focus of the Welsh Assembly’s plan is Welsh-language provision in Further Education. Jacob Morris is Cardiff Students’ Union’s Welsh Language Officer, whose job is to ensure the Welsh language is treated fairly within the university.
As a Welsh and Politics student, Jacob has a special interest in Cymraeg 2050, and says that the goal is achievable, but not without hard work.
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