Everyday use ‘crucial’ to future of Welsh language – new report

A new report has warned that the future of the Welsh language depends on how widely it is used in everyday life, not just in schools.

The Welsh Government-commissioned report says more needs to be done to ensure Welsh is heard and spoken in workplaces, sports clubs, online spaces and local communities if it is to thrive in the long term.

The findings come from the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities, which has been examining how the language can be strengthened across Wales. Its latest report focuses on areas where fewer than 40% of people speak Welsh — where just over half of all Welsh speakers now live.

The report argues that while education remains vital, it cannot carry the full responsibility for the language’s future. Instead, it calls for greater investment in the social, cultural and digital spaces where people spend their time.

Among its recommendations are stronger support for Welsh use in families, workplaces, youth services, sport and culture, as well as the creation of a dedicated fund to increase Welsh-language content online — particularly by supporting young digital creators.

Co-chair Dr Simon Brooks said the language’s long-term future depends on it being embedded in communities across the country.

“To ensure Welsh is a national language that belongs to us all, its future as a community language must be secured in every community across Wales,” he said.

“I urge the next Welsh Government to act on our recommendations with the ambition the language deserves.”

Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, also a co-chair, said the Commission found strong public interest in using Welsh, but too few opportunities to do so.

“As we carried out our work, we found a real appetite to use Welsh, but that the spaces to do so are too often absent,” she said.

“A little more than half of all Welsh speakers live in areas where Welsh is spoken by less than 40% of the population. Public policy must focus on creating much more favourable conditions.”

She pointed to international examples, including the Basque Country, where communities have actively created spaces for everyday language use.

Welsh Language Minister Mark Drakeford said the report would help inform future policy as the government works towards its target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

He said progress had already been made, with several recommendations from the Commission’s earlier report implemented during the current Senedd term.