The Role of Written Language in the Revitalisation of a Language: The Case of Welsh in Wales

This paper considers how written Welsh has contributed to, and continues to contribute to, the revival of the Welsh language in Wales. To put this in context, the paper first gives a brief introduction to Wales and the Welsh language, discusses the nature and history of written Welsh, and outlines the various factors that led to its steady decline in status and use as English became more and more dominant in Wales. The paper then examines how the long tradition of written Welsh has been used as a symbolic and practical resource in the revival of the Welsh language. Welsh is now taught in all schools in Wales, a major reason for the halt in the decline of numbers of Welsh speakers. This does not, however, mean that the future of the Welsh language is secure. English is increasingly used outside educational settings - in the family, social, work and leisure domains. Other strategies are required to ensure that Welsh is used as a 'language for living' (Llywodraeth Cymru 2012). As an example of a minority language in danger of being superseded by a much more powerful national and international language, the discussion in the paper may be of relevance to language revitalisation efforts in Taiwan. The focus on written language may be of particular interest to those concerned with the standardisation and promotion of written Taiwanese.