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Wales wants 1 mln Welsh speakers by 2050: first minister

Xinhua, August 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

An ambitious drive to double the number of Welsh speakers in Wales to one million was announced Monday by the region's first minister Carwyn Jones.

Jones unveiled the plan at the 2016 Eisteddfod, the festival of song and music taking place in the Welsh town of Abergavenny.

The Welsh government wants to increase the number of people learning and able to use the language with their families, in their communities and in the workplace by the year 2050.

It recognizes the need for the government to lead the conversation but also work in partnership with other institutions and organisations towards making the Welsh language central to public life in Wales.

A consultation will be run until the end of October to seek public opinion on the plan.

"Since devolution we have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to preserving and growing the language. In 2011 we introduced legislation to protect the future of the language, and we are confident the discussion we are launching today will continue to help us grow the language so it thrives as a vibrant, living part of our communities," Jones said.

"It is vital we support our most important resource, namely our people. We need to continue to support people to use the language in increasingly practical, creative and fun ways. Our language influences music, stories, traditions and daily life," he said.

Alun Davies, the Welsh Government's minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language, said: "We want everyone to have the opportunity to learn through the medium of Welsh both from early years right through to higher education."

Jamie Bevan, chairman of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh language society, told local media: "Welsh as a vibrant community language is on its knees. We're losing 3,000 speakers a year at the moment."

The last census in 2011 revealed the number of Welsh speakers in the region of 3 million people saw a drop of 20,000 compared to the previous census in 2001. Welsh language is on the curriculum at junior schools and all public, and road signs in Wales are bi-lingual in Welsh and English. Endit