Welsh assembly translation decision backed by review

Recently, there was a debate in Wales because certain speeches were not going to be translated into Welsh from English any longer. A third party review panel was brought in to consider the plan and decided that translations will be stopped and effectively save £250,000 per year. The Welsh Language Board opposed this and may propose a legal challenge. The Welsh do not believe they are being treated as equal citizens and worry that this is the beginning of the decline of their language. The review panel wants to support the Welsh language in other, more meaningful ways that will spread the use of the Welsh language. They do not see this decision as harmful to the language and have requested that money be spent in other ways to promote the language more effectively.

(Full article here.)

Another article from the BBC website from a couple years ago discusses a revival in the Welsh language in the rural south. There is concern that the growing strength of the language could create a divide between Welsh speakers and English speakers. The article starts out with an interview with a native Welsh speaker. He says that being a Welsh speaker gives you an advantage in the workplace. After reviving the language, the Welsh speakers have gained a strong sense of nationalism. Now, the Welsh Assembly Government wants to create policies to further promote the language. The man believes that these policies have gone past an acceptable level. On the other hand, some people view the Welsh language as a necessary part of their identity and are embracing the new sense of nationalism. Other people are learning the language to set themselves apart from the norm and find meaning in their lives. No matter the reason, there is a concern that the language will cause English speakers to have a bitter attitude towards the Welsh or vice versa.

Britain presents a unique case because Wales is an specific area within Britain that speaks a different language than the rest of the country. More people speak English, of course, but Welsh is still prominent. Is it prominent enough to spend money translating documents? Would they then have to translate the documents into other languages as well? This new regulation may create the resentment that so many Welsh speakers are worried about. The Welsh seem to want to be a part of Britain and not separate themselves, but they worry their language could ruin this unity. It also seems that the Welsh government is going against many people’s wishes by promoting policies that benefit Welsh speakers only and isolate English speakers. With such a large debate among the Welsh people themselves, this will be a difficult debate to solve.