Page 83 - 《客語及少數族群語言政策》附錄_少數語言法律

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raises a number of key questions regarding our vision for the Welsh language as a vibrant
language, equally viable in close-knit rural communities, dispersed social networks in urban
settings, and in virtual communities reaching across geographical spaces.
Viewing speakers as participants in a variety of different networks also raises questions
about our understanding of concepts such as ‘communities’ and ‘neighbourhoods’. Our
vision for a sustainable growth in the number of Welsh speakers recognises the key
contribution of communities and social networks bound by place and face-to-face
interaction. We recognise and value the role of these communities in providing a social
context for the use of Welsh. However, supporting the vitality of geographical communities
with high densities of Welsh speakers is one important element in a
complex picture. People live their lives based on a number of different social factors, with current
trends pulling people in several directions.

As the patterns defining our day-to-day interactions continue to change, and in view of the
likelihood that these will continue to evolve during the lifespan of the strategy, we need to
ensure that our understanding of what constitutes ‘communities’, communities of practice
and networks of speakers also continues to expand. We
foresee that the places where people spend a large proportion of their time, including workplaces,
interest clubs, new social venues, and electronic networks of all kinds, will become increasingly
important.
Our language planning must be sufficiently robust and flexible to respond to these trends.

Areas with a high density of Welsh speakers remain central to our vision. These are the places
in Wales which create the most favourable circumstances to foster Welsh speakers: the higher
the number of speakers living in a geographical area, the higher the probability of
opportunities being available to them to use the language in
day-to-day communication. These are also the places which have the highest number of fluent
Welsh speakers.
These areas tend to be characterised by the fact that they are rural in nature, with economies that
currently depend largely on the public sector, agriculture and tourism, with towns acting as centres
serving wide areas for services and employment.
There is no easy answer to the challenges facing these communities. However, we are clear
about the need for language planning and economic development to work in tandem in order
to create
Welsh-speaking communities that are economically and linguistically viable.

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