Wales shows the way on language standards Welsh Language Commissioner ALED ROBERTS explains how a model of language standards transformed the consistency and quality of how public institutions provide Welsh language services. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of giving evidence to the Dáil. Evidence which will hopefully benefit the Irish government as it introduces new language legislation to protect the rights of Irish speakers to use the language. The session was an opportunity for me to share information, evidence, and views on how things work this side of the Irish Sea. Most of what I had to say focused on the model of language standards introduced in Wales in 2011, and implemented by organisations since 2016. Before the introduction of Welsh language standards, public organisations in Wales operated a system similar to that in Ireland, the ‘language schemes’. Organisations themselves were responsible for drafting these schemes and for deciding what they were committed to do in Welsh. This, of course, led to a situation where the availability and quality of Welsh language services was inconsistent from organisation to organisation and where people’s experiences varied greatly depending on which part of the country they lived. Introducing the model of language standards completely changed this picture. It is now the government, not the organisations, responsible for drafting the duties. The Senedd approves standards regulations, and once it has given its consent, it is my role as Commissioner to set and enforce the duties on organisations. The basic principle of the standards is to ensure that the Welsh language is treated no less favourably than the English language and to facilitate and promote it. At the outset, it was easier for organisations in areas where there is a high density of Welsh speakers to comply with the duties, because a high proportion of their staff could speak the language and much of the work already took place through the medium of Welsh naturally. However, over the past five years, as organisations put arrangements in place, significant changes have been seen in the availability and quality of Welsh language 16
The basic principle of the standards is to ensure that the Welsh language is treated no less favourably than the English language and to facilitate and promote it
services in areas where there is a smaller percentage of Welsh speakers. Take my home county of Wrexham as an example - set in the northeast of Wales, bordering with England. According to the 2011 Census results, some 13% of Wrexham’s population speak Welsh, a figure which is lower than the national average of around 20%, and significantly lower than in some counties in the west where up to 65% of people speak Welsh. Historically, very few people in this area would have expected to be able to receive services in Welsh. There were also very few opportunities for young people leaving
ISSUE NUMBER 4 – 2021 - UIMHIR EISIÚNA 4 anphoblacht
