Reflecting the growing political significance of cultural diversity, public policy interventions that seek to revitalise the prospects of regional or minority languages have become increasingly prominent in many parts of the world.

Recent research by Dr Huw Lewis, Dr Elin Royles and Dr Catrin Edwards at Aberystwyth’s Department of International Politics has focused on analysing the different approaches to language revitalisation that have been adopted by sub-state governments across Europe and North America. Based on this research, undertaken between August 2016 and July 2017, they were able to inform and influence the policy discussion that fed into the preparation of the Welsh Government’s ambitious national language strategy, Cymraeg 2050: A Million Welsh Speakers, published in July 2017.

Language revitalisation strategies

Key findings from the research are that language revitalisation strategies need to:

  • Strike a balance between the challenge of increasing the absolute number of minority language speakers and increasing social use of the language.
  • Take greater account of the implications of social changes such as the increase in levels of personal mobility, the rise in networked forms of social interaction and the decline in significance of local and territorially based communities.
  • Place more of an emphasis on regional level initiatives, alongside more familiar community-based ones.
  • Promote a response to immigration that is based on partnership with current speakers of the minority language, as exemplified by the Voluntariat per la Llengua programme in Catalonia.

Towards a million Welsh speakers

Based on their research expertise, the team developed strong links with public officials and other key stakeholders associated with policy efforts to promote the Welsh language. Consequently, when the Welsh Government embarked on the process of developing a new national language strategy, they were well-placed to contribute to the ensuing policy discussion.

They were able to inform and influence this process through close engagement with officials from the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Division, during the initial discussion phase, the public consultation and into the final drafting period (January-July 2017). During this period, they attended key meetings, delivered CPD training, drafted internal briefing papers, hosted a closed research briefing, and prepared a detailed submission to the official public consultation exercise for relevant government officials.

Eluned Morgan MS, then Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language publicly acknowledged the contribution of Drs Lewis, Royles and Edwards to the work of developing the Cymraeg 2050 strategy in a speech delivered in Aberystwyth in May 2019:

‘I want to see the number of people who enjoy speaking and using Welsh reach 1 million by 2050. I know that the Department of International Politics has played an active role in the development of the Cymraeg 2050 strategy and that you are still undertaking research on language planning issues so I would like to thank you for your support.’

Research team

Dr Huw Lewis, Dr Elin Royles and Dr Catrin Wyn Edwards - Aberystwyth University's Department of International Politics

Read the full REF impact case study