Â鶹ÒùÔº

Wales is a bilingual nation where Welsh, its historic but minoritised language, shares official status with English. The Welsh Government’s national strategy seeks to revitalise the language and reach one million speakers by 2050, guided by the principle Cymraeg: it belongs to us all (Welsh Government, 2022). Yet the journey to ensuring that Welsh remains a vital part of everyday life has been uneven, shaped by many forces including migration, population change, intergenerational transmission, educational policy and digital media.

In recent years, the Welsh Government has increasingly framed Wales not only as bilingual but also as inclusive. Its Refugee and Asylum Seeker Plan set out an ambition to become the world’s first Nation of Sanctuary, emphasising a warm Welsh welcome and a commitment to helping migrants, particularly refugees and asylum seekers, integrate into communities across Wales (Welsh Government, 2019). The result is a distinctive sub-state model of linguistic integration in which both English and Welsh are positioned as languages of welcome and participation. Policy now explicitly frames Welsh as an asset for social integration and belonging. Rather than viewing international migration as a threat, educational initiatives now increase opportunities for migrants to access and learn the language.

‘Rather than viewing international migration as a threat, educational initiatives now increase opportunities for migrants to access and learn the Welsh language.’

While language and education policies have long focused on Welsh revitalisation, the growing diversity of Wales now raises important questions about how bilingual initiatives can better include multilingual repertoires. The Curriculum for Wales embeds a plurilingual approach to language education, reframing linguistic diversity as a pedagogical strength rather than as a barrier to integration. This shift is increasingly visible in practice. Despite the monolingual norms that shape adult migrant education across the UK, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision in Wales increasingly promotes the Welsh language. Numerous further education colleges and Adult Community Learning providers now embed Welsh within, and alongside, mainstream ESOL classes. This new provision, known as WSOL (Welsh for Speakers of Other Languages), reflects recognition of the role of Welsh in supporting linguistic integration.

What differentiates WSOL from ESOL is its focus on language learning as a route to belonging and social participation, while building shared understanding across diverse languages and cultures. Studies show that learning Welsh improves migrants’ integration experiences, and helps them build new identities that connect their multilingual pasts with belonging in Wales. This approach reflects a growing shift towards multilingual, participatory language education that values migrant languages as resources for learning and learner autonomy (Cooke et al., 2018).

Another important development is the growth of Welsh-medium immersion centres, which now serve increasing numbers of pupils from migrant backgrounds. These intensive programmes for latecomers sit at the intersection of language revitalisation and migrant inclusion, acting not only as linguistic transition spaces but also as sociocultural bridges that foster belonging, resilience and intercultural understanding. Emerging evidence shows that translanguaging, peer mentoring and wellbeing-focused support help learners use their full linguistic repertoires, strengthening Welsh acquisition and social participation.

While migrant populations have traditionally been underrepresented in Welsh-medium and bilingual initiatives, these examples contribute meaningfully to ensuring that Welsh becomes a language for all, and a bridge to understanding and valuing the new languages now present in Wales. Systemic challenges persist: limited funding, fragmented guidance and insufficient training continue to create inequities and weaken efforts towards inclusion and Welsh language revitalisation (Estyn, 2023). Wales also needs a clearer ethical vision of linguistic integration, one that values how host and migrant languages can coexist and enrich each other.

‘Embedding migrant multilingualism would help ensure that language learning truly reflects the linguistic diversity of contemporary Wales.’

With modern language uptake at a historic low in Welsh schools, it is vital to recognise the 45+ languages already present in education. Embedding migrant multilingualism would help ensure that language learning truly reflects the linguistic diversity of contemporary Wales. Further research is needed on how multilingual approaches can support Welsh and English acquisition while fostering integration. Within the constraints of the UK’s centralised immigration system, Welsh has the unique potential to bridge host and migrant linguistic communities. Realising this potential, however, requires initiatives that are genuinely inclusive and accessible, so that Cymraeg can belong to us all.

References

Cooke, M., Bryers, D., & Winstanley, B. (2018). ‘Our languages’: Sociolinguistics in multilingual participatory ESOL classes, Working Papers in Urban Language and Literacies No. 234. Working Papers in Urban Language & Literacies.

Estyn. (2023). Education and support for refugees and asylum seekers: Adroddiad Blynyddol | Annual Report.

Welsh Government. (2019). Nation of sanctuary: Refugee and asylum seeker plan.

Welsh Government. (2022). Cymraeg belongs to us all.