Source – Free Images – Bev Lloyd Roberts
Over the last few years the Welsh Government set out a vision to boost the number of Welsh speakers to 1 million by 2050.
Supporting the Welsh language and culture is extremely important. Cultural and social issues have meant that the language has nearly disappeared many times in the past.
The language is nearly 4,000 years old and comes from Celtic language spoken by the early Britons. When English sovereignty over Wales became officially declared, unfortunately Welsh was mostly banned and it stopped being an official language. Welsh people had to learn English to be able to work or get education. The industrial revolution also made the situation worse as lots of English speakers moved to Wales, thus diluting the language further.
The 60’s luckily bought about a lot of fighting to get the language back to an official status, which was achieved in 1992 finally. Lots of people fought hard to keep the language around, which is why it is even more important now to continue to ensure it stays.
A Lack Of Support Can Be Problematic
Unfortunately, in modern times, there is a consensus from many people that Welsh is not a language spoken by many, and thus that makes it unimportant. It may not be prioritised as a language to be taught in otherwise more broadly spoken languages, like English.
Luckily there are also plenty of organisations and people who continue to support the language. The Welsh Assembly, for example, have injected plenty of cash into ensuring the language is taught in schools. Part of this is encouraging children to communicate using the language, rather than just learning it to never be used. The language is also featured on the Welsh National Curriculum, which is so important when it comes to the cultural identity of the country.
It is also important to note that the country is bilingual and lots of Welsh jobs are only open to people who speak Welsh and English. This has also resulted in an increase in the number of Welsh voice over artists. This helps with road sign reading, general communication and overall engagement with the community. This push to employ those speaking the language is certainly encouraging when it comes to keeping it alive.
Why Is It Important To Keep Welsh Language Alive?
There are lots of reasons it is important to keep the Welsh language alive. For those in Wales, it comes down to pride and the importance of keeping alive, something that their ancestors fought for.
On a bigger scale, it is so important to keep language alive. It is part of our global society. When a language dies out, the generations growing up lose that part of their culture. Language is an essential way to understand the culture you come from, so losing it literally means losing the ability to understand part of your own culture.
One of the key ways that businesses can help keep Welsh language alive is by offering additional subtitles or voice overs in Welsh to ensure that any training videos can be accessed by Welsh speakers. If you intend to do this, it is important to use a professional voiceover agency so that the language used is accurate.
