Is the prevalence of Welsh in schools stopping the language decline?

• Autores: Catrin Jones
• Localización: Ianua. Revista Philologica Romanica, ISSN-e 1616-413X, Nº. 6, 2006, págs. 93-110
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • Since the mid 1990's, education through the medium of Welsh has increased significantly. A brief outline of Welsh medium education is given, followed by an introduction of its effect on the results pertaining to the Welsh language of the 2001 UK population census. This census shows an increase in Welsh speakers in Wales, particularly in the younger age groups. A shift in the linguistic geography of Wales, and an alarming decline in those areas traditionally considered to be the strongholds of the language is also revealed by the census results. This shift is largely due to immigration, a phenomenon which has become particularly significant in Wales over the last twenty years. This article ends with the conclusion that the progress made in the arrest of language decline through Welsh medium education is being counterbalanced by the effects of immigration.