The role of psychosocial factors on language use among adult Welsh learners

Abstract

Abstract Adult learners of Welsh are an important part of the Welsh Government's strategy to increase the number of speakers and frequency of daily use. Despite this, it is known that many learners often face social and psychological barriers to using the language. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of use among learners and explore the influence of psychosocial factors thereon. An online questionnaire was completed by 746 learners. The results indicated that daily or weekly use of Welsh was higher with friends and family and in the workplace than with other people in less formal situations. More frequent use of Welsh was more likely among learners who lived in Wales, and were at intermediate or advanced levels. Conversely, more frequent use was less likely among learners over 60 and those who reported higher levels of anxiety around speaking the language. We discuss the implications of the results for minority-language revitalization and call for a more systematic approach to the influence of psychological factors on language use in the Welsh context.