Migration, Demography, and Minority Language Learning: A Case of Wales
Migration, Demography, and Minority Language Learning: A Case of Wales

Summary/Abstract: The present article discusses the role of adult migrants to Wales in the country’s demographics and maintenance and promotion of the Welsh language. The Welsh society is an ageing society, predicted in the long run to rely on immigration as a solution to the socio-economic problems of the demographic decline. At the same time, the Welsh Government (WG) is strongly invested in revitalising the Welsh language through legislation and policies. The WG acknowledges that immigration is a challenge for the Welsh language and emphasises the role of new speakers in its revitalisation and maintenance. Drawing on data from two ethnographic studies in Wales, I discuss the experiences of Polish adult migrants with Welsh, their motivations to learn it and their attitudes and ideologies towards the language. I also provide recommendations for adjustments in language planning on the micro-level.

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