Why Everyone Needs To Learn Welsh

Illustration by Will Allen/Europinion

When you, dear reader, read the title of this article - you perhaps thought something inconceivable and monumental had occurred. Had Welsh become the new medium of global business? Is Wales on a China-esque rise to become a global superpower? Did the Senedd declare independence and invade England?

Alas do not worry, you have not been living under a rock whilst this nation of just over three million people and eight and a half million sheep conquered the world. 

Wales remains part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and English continues as the dominant language in these isles. Even if the unbelievable had become reality – imagine Cardiff as the global financial capital and Swansea the political and cultural hub of the world – the lingua franca of trade, politics and media would still be English not Welsh.    

Welsh, or Cymraeg, is a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Breton. It is not only Britain’s oldest language, spoken for over 4000 years, but was also the medium of early Welsh law and society. 

Despite being a historic and national language, the number of Welsh speakers has continued to decline over time. In 1911 almost a million people could speak Welsh, this has now fallen to just 538,000 in 2021. In fact, the 2021 census recorded the lowest percentage ever (17.8%) of the Welsh population who could speak their national language. 

The reasons for this collapse are varied, but it is impossible to ignore the direct political influence from across the border. As early as 1536, Henry VIII banned the use of Welsh in governmental business and the legal system. The 1549 Act of Uniformity followed, declaring that all religious worship should be conducted in English. 

This linguistic oppression continued into the late 19th century. The Victorians viewed Welsh as a second-class language and the use of Welsh in schools was looked down upon by elites. This societal disapproval led to the infamous ‘Welsh not’,  a wooden plaque worn by children caught speaking Welsh at school. The ‘Welsh not’ would be passed around and the child left with the plaque at the end of the day would be punished. 

Recent administrations have attempted to revive frequent usage of the language. The Welsh government has set a target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050, taking a systematic approach to increase use of Welsh in every aspect of life. However, as demonstrated by the census data and historical prejudices, the hurdles are clear and multiple.

Given the challenges to get Welsh people to speak their national language and the lack of practical purposes for teaching the language in the broader United Kingdom, alongside the already woeful rates of foreign language skills in the British population; why, you might ask, is it important for us all to learn Welsh?

The argument in favour is not one based upon practicalities but on identity. British identity.

The United Kingdom is fundamentally a partnership between four nations, each with their own culture, history and languages. However, the health of this partnership has been slowly decaying and is now on permanent life support. 

The desire for Scottish independence was not quelled by the 2014 referendum, public support for independence has consistently hovered around the 45% mark and even reached 53% during the pandemic. Sinn Fein, a party dedicated to achieving a united Ireland, is the largest party in the Northern Irish Assembly. Welsh separatists have also been gaining ground, a recent poll put support at 41% of the general population, a figure that rises to 72% of younger voters. 

The state of the union is looking particularly unhealthy, and the forces of separation are not limited to the smaller nations. As Gavin Esler describes in his brilliant book, How Britain Ends, England has seen a rise of Anglo-nationalism and increasing levels of resentment towards the British system. Britain only survives if all four nations pull together, not apart, hence the current prognosis is not good. 

This is where language comes in, learning indigenous British languages across the UK can help foster a sense of cross-cultural understanding and unity among the inhabitants of the four nations. Language is not simply a practical tool but an important resource that, if deployed properly, could help break down divisions.

Learning a language is not merely grammar and vocabulary, but involves understanding history, culture and politics of nations and the people who live there. By teaching minority languages such as Welsh and Gaelic across the entire United Kingdom, it would engender a more inclusive and stronger British identity.

Brits, especially in England, would develop a greater understanding of their Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts; including why the four nations form the political entity of Britain and the bonds and ties that hold us together.

A possible model was espoused by Rory Stewart on The Rest Is Politics podcast. He suggested that every student should have the opportunity to spend a term learning an indigenous British language as part of the curriculum. 

Extending the availability of community classes would also allow adults to also engage, and greater promotion of Welsh or Gaelic programmes with English subtitles could aptly aid this mission.  

I am not saying that everyone in Newcastle must become fluent in Welsh, or the entire population of Exeter should start speaking Manx. I am simply suggesting that everyone in Britain should have the opportunity to learn a bit of each other’s languages and consequently develop a greater appreciation of the diversity of national identities that make up Britishness. 

Language is obviously not the cure to all of Britain’s problems, but it can be a start. Fostering a greater understanding of the different home nations and creating a more inclusive British identity can only be a positive step to mending broken relationships on these islands. 

So next time you open up Duolingo, instead of French or Spanish - why not Cymraeg?