The Welsh government has set a target to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, along with doubling the daily use of the language. However, with figures from the latest census showing a decrease in the number of Welsh speakers compared to a decade ago, the achievability of this target is uncertain. Efforts to promote the language, such as referring to the Brecon Beacons National Park only by its Welsh name, have faced criticism. Despite this, a majority of Welsh people surveyed expressed support for increasing the use of Welsh. The Welsh Language Commissioner, Efa Gruffudd Jones, emphasized the need for strategic actions to increase Welsh speakers and daily usage of the language. Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage has stated his intention to scrap the target if his party forms the next Welsh government. In her manifesto, Ms. Gruffudd Jones proposes measures such as increasing Welsh language use in workplaces, providing more public services in Welsh, and mandating Welsh language training for new teachers. The criteria for Welsh-medium schools include a minimum of 70% of lessons in Welsh for secondary schools and at least 80% of school activities in Welsh for primary schools. Target to achieve one million Welsh speakers by 2050 set – how likely is it?

Is the target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050 achievable, along with a doubling of daily language use? Wales’s government has set this goal, but recent census figures show a decrease in the number of Welsh speakers compared to a decade ago.

In 2021, an estimated 538,000 people in Wales (17.8% of the population) reported being able to speak Welsh, down from 562,000 in 2011 (19% of the population). Efforts to promote the language, such as the Brecon Beacons National Park using only its Welsh name Bannau Brycheiniog, have faced criticism.

A YouGov poll of over 1,300 Welsh individuals found that two-thirds (67%) support efforts to increase Welsh language usage, while a fifth (20%) oppose such initiatives. Efa Gruffudd Jones, the language commissioner, stated that the language’s status has remained relatively stable over the past two decades.

In her manifesto for the upcoming Senedd election, Gruffudd Jones proposed measures to enhance the language’s presence, including more workplace use, expanded Welsh public services, and required Welsh language training for new teachers. She emphasized the importance of ensuring opportunities for skill development and access to Welsh-medium education for all who desire it.

Welsh government criteria dictate that at Welsh-medium secondary schools, at least 60% of lessons are conducted in Welsh, while at Welsh-medium primary schools, at least 80% of activities are in Welsh from age seven onwards.

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