It's not really about preserving the language, although that aspect is certainly there in the mix. It's more about people's rights. As our language is the oldest living native language on this island, we should have the right to services in that language.
Actually, though, I sort of agree with DJ, but perhaps not in the way he expects. The Welsh Language Act 1993 is "PC gone mad", but only in the sense that it pays lip service to provision of services in Welsh without actually doing much. Welsh still does not have "official language" status or full equality with English. Even in communities where Welsh is the majority language and English is only spoken with visitors, many services are just not provided in Welsh (or the standard of the Welsh translation is so bad that people use the English versions because, even as their second language, it's easier to understand). Local authorities are required to have a Welsh Language Plan which sets out how they will give Welsh equal treatment, but then many of them blatantly ignore their own Welsh Language Plans and put up monolingual English signs, to give one prominently visible example, with no apparent penalties for doing so.
Bookmarks