7 WELSH GOVERNMENT POLICY ON LANGUAGE TRANSMISSION AND USE IN FAMILIES PDF 358 KB
To consider
the report.
Decision:
To accept the
report and to note the observations received.
Minutes:
To accept the report and to note the observations received.
The Language Adviser
presented information about the Welsh
Government’s policy on
language transmission within the home. She
added that a consultation had been held last year prior to the first lockdown
period, and therefore the policy had not yet been submitted to committee as a
draft document.
She explained that the main purpose of the policy was
to focus solely on language transmission within the home, and to offer guidance
to enable parents and carers to introduce the Welsh language to children within
the home. The Language Adviser
welcomed the document, and explained that it detailed
a key field, by encouraging parents who had learned Welsh
themselves within the education system to transfer the language within the
household to their children.
She explained that there were a few further
developments, including:
· To develop a better understanding of language habits
and the reasons why speakers did not transfer the language
· The timing of the publication, prior to the
publication of the latest census results that would include useful data
regarding the Welsh language
· A lack of consideration regarding the impact of the
Covid-19 pandemic on language habits while the schools were closed.
· A lack of detail with some of the steps within the
policy and how to realise them.
· It ignored families where Welsh is used naturally.
· There were examples of how to inspire children to use
Welsh and re-ignite those skills by supporting the whole family.
Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and
offer observations. During the discussion, the following matters were raised:-
· Members agreed that the policy was lacking in detail, and needed up-to-date examples of how the steps
could be implemented.
· A member added that there was evidence from schools
that the negative impacts of excessive screen use over the lockdown period had
changed language habits. This also included children speaking English with
their siblings.
· A member observed that the report focused on areas
where children gained the language through the education system, but did not transfer the Welsh language in future to
their children at home. It was added that the reason for this was because
English was their mother tongue.
· A member observed that there was no emphasis on
problems in areas where Welsh was the natural language of the home for the
majority.
· A member added that there was no certainty about the
long-term impact of the lockdown periods on the language, as children's habits
had changed.