Added value of Welsh language skills in Wales: perceptions, aspirations and the challenge of realising linguistic potential

1
Added value of Welsh language skills in Wales
perceptions, aspirations and the challenge of
realising linguistic potential

• Catrin Redknap
• Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg/Welsh Language Board
• June 2010

2
Wales and the Welsh language background facts

• Population of Wales 2.9 million
• Welsh speakers in 2001 20.8 (582,400)
• 40.8 amongst children 5 -15 years old

3
able to speak Welsh
4
The Vitality of Welsh A Statistical Balance
Sheet November 2009

• Percentage speaking fluently as percentage of
  those able to speak Welsh (2004-06) 58
• 61 in 1992
• http//www.byig-wlb.org.uk/english/publications/p
  ublications/the20vitality20of20welsh20a20stat
  istical20balance20sheet20november202009.pdf
•  

5
2004 Welsh Language Survey (Welsh Language Board
2006)

• 88 of fluent speakers speak Welsh daily
• 26 of those not fluent speak Welsh daily
• http//www.byig-wlb.org.uk/english/publications/p
  ublications/4068.pdf

6
Translating competence into use

• Linguistic considerations
• Need for broad spectrum of linguistic resources
  to operate in domestic, social, informal and
  workplace settings

7
Translating competence into use

• Other considerations
• Structural (including critical mass)
• Organisational
• Legislative
• Attitudinal

8
Buy-in in terms of demand for Welsh-medium
education

• Widely-held views on educational, cognitive,
  cultural and employment-related benefits of
  bilingualism and multilingualism

9
Added advantages of Welsh-medium education

• Mixed and complex picture
• June 1998 A Competitive Edge Why
  Welsh-medium Schools Perform Better (IWA, David
  Reynolds, Wynford Bellin, Ruth ab Ieuan)
• http//www.byig-wlb.org.uk/english/publications/p
  ages/publicationitem.aspx?puburl/english/publicat
  ions/publications/4855.pdf

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Added advantages of Welsh-medium education

• Added value in terms of achievement in
  English, Science, Mathematics and MFL
• http//www.byig-wlb.org.uk/English/publications/Pu
  blications/4841.pdf

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Aspirations v Reality (or real output as
opposed to anticipated output)

• Do pupils achieve required skills to required
  level?
• How easy is it to assess usefulness of skills
  in the workplace?
• How successful and consistent is the message
  about Welsh-language skills?

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Costs of Welsh-medium education

• Personal commitment
• Distance and transport
• Learning support materials and qualifications

13
Assumption Welsh-language skills an asset in the
workplace

• Sub-assumptions
• Enhanced range of job opportunities
• Career progression
• Financial gain

14
Impact of Bilingualism on Earnings

• Andrew Henley and Rhian Eleri Jones, Earnings
  and Linguistic Proficiency in a Bilingual
  Economy (School of Management and Business,
  University of Wales, Aberystwyth, 2003)

15
Language skills and occupational outcomes

• Language and Occupational Status Linguistic
  Elitism in the Irish Labour Market (Boorah,
  Dineen and Lynch, The Economic and Social Review,
  vol. 40, number 4,Winter 2009)

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Assumption language skills an asset in the
workplace

• 2 pre-requisites
• Appropriate and targeted skills
• Clear articulation of the need for skills

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Appropriate and targeted skills

• Continuity of Welsh-medium provision
• Training of practitioners
• Strategic planning of opportunities to opt
  for Welsh-medium provision

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Clear articulation of the need for skills

• Challenge of maintaining coherent account of
  benefits of Welsh-language skills as pupils
  progress through their school career and into
  the workplace
• Availability of convincing evidence of value
  of bilingual skills in the workplace

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Evidence of the need for bilingual skills in the
workplace

• Public sector 1993 Welsh Language Act and
  Welsh Language Schemes
• Private sector patchy nature of evidence
  base

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Patchy nature of evidence base

• Difficulty of establishing consistent method
  of defining language skills (level and nature of
  skills)
• Plethora of vocational training and
  qualification frameworks
• Complexity of private sector (interests and
  priorities)
• Variable prominence of linguistic skills

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Welsh-medium Education Strategy (Welsh Assembly
Government, April 2010)

• Work with all partners to promote the
  understanding and recognition of the value of
  Welsh as a skill in the workplace
• Raise awareness of the benefits of
  Welsh- medium and Welsh language learning amongst
  stakeholders
• Work with partners to raise awareness of the
  benefits and the value of Welsh-language skills
  in the workplace, targeting parents, carers,
  learners and employers in particular

22
Welsh-medium Education Strategy (Welsh Assembly
Government, April 2010)

• Partner bodies to raise awareness of the value
  of Welsh- language skills with parents, carers
  and learners
• Improve careers education, advice and guidance
  in relation to Welsh-medium and Welsh-language
  education and employment opportunities
• Ensure that those advising on subject choices,
  careers information, and work experience/placemen
  ts give consistent positive messages about the
  value of Welsh- language skills, Welsh-medium
  study and employment opportunities.  

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Welsh-medium Education Strategy (Welsh Assembly
Government, April 2010)

•  
• Encourage AOs (awarding organisations) to
  increase the number and range of Welsh-medium
  qualifications (below HE level), in response to
  learner and sector needs and national strategic
  objectives. Work with SSCs/standard-setting
  bodies to measure and meet sector needs for Welsh
  language skills.
• http//wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/publ
  ications/guidance/welshmededstrat/?langen

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•  
• More meaningful and clearly articulated message
  about the value of bilingual skills beyond the
  classroom key component of future efforts to
  sustain the development of Welsh-medium education