WIREDGOV

The First Minister, Carwyn Jones, led a national conversation on the Welsh language, with people attending a conference in Aberystwyth and taking part live online.

Over 160 people attended the conference, with an additional 200 people taking part online and over 1,000 messages received throughout the day. Focus groups took place across Wales leading up the conference and over 2,500 people have filled in an online survey.

The First Minister said:

“The response to this national conversation on the future of the Welsh language has been encouraging. It demonstrates the passion and pride people feel for the language.

“We heard from people of all ages and backgrounds, including people who do not speak Welsh themselves.  I was particularly impressed by the young people who have been taking part and have been honest in their views. They are the future of the language and it is important they lead the way in ensuring it continues to flourish.

“Today is the beginning of a process to secure the future of the Welsh language. We will now consider the ideas and options presented to us and work with all those who have an interest in the language to ensure it is not only a living language, but a strong language.”

The views, opinions, ideas and examples of best practice shared in the conference, community discussions and online will be used to inform the Welsh Government’s actions to secure the future of the language and to further develop the policies that will see the language thrive.