How family language use influences children's Welsh development. New study
Left to right: Dr Hanna Binks and Dr Elin Royles
28 October 2026
Researchers at Aberystwyth University are launching a study to explore how language practices within families influence children's Welsh language development.
Studies suggest that language habits established in early childhood can have a lasting impact on the languages that people decide to use later in life.
While schools play a vital role in supporting Welsh language learning, everyday interactions at home are also considered crucial to the long-term future of the language.
The new study will focus on what researchers call ‘Family Language Policy’ – the ways in which families manage, support and pass languages on to the next generation.
The team will investigate how family beliefs, decisions and daily routines around language use shape young children's acquisition of Welsh.
Led by Dr Hanna Binks and Dr Elin Royles, the project brings together expertise in language policy, bilingualism and child language development.
The researchers will examine how family experiences relate to vocabulary growth in Welsh-English bilingual children aged between two and four years.
Dr Hanna Binks, a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Aberystwyth University, said:
“The pre-school years are a crucial period for language development, yet relatively little research has explored how different family language practices influence children during this early stage of life. By examining young children's language experiences, this project will provide valuable insights into how Welsh vocabulary develops and how language use within the home may shape that process.
“The findings will help address an important gap in our understanding of Welsh language acquisition and bilingual development, providing evidence that can support families, educators and policymakers alike.”
The team hopes the study will provide new insights into the factors that encourage children to use Welsh naturally in everyday family life and help inform future language planning and policy.
Dr Elin Royles, a Reader in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, said:
“One of the key challenges facing any minoritised language is ensuring that it is passed from one generation to the next. The Welsh Government has recognised the need to increase language transmission in the family to contribute to its aim to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050 and produced a national policy on Welsh language transmission and use in families in 2021.
“We currently have a limited understanding about how language choices are negotiated and sustained in bilingual families every day and how such choices impact on how a child learns Welsh. By working with bilingual Welsh-English families across Wales, this project will help us better understand the experiences, opportunities and challenges that shape children's use of Welsh at home and their language development.”
The findings will contribute to a growing body of research on bilingual language development and inform wider policy discussions about language transmission policies and the future of the Welsh language.
Taking Part
Welsh-English bilingual families with a child/children aged between two and four years old are invited to take part in the study. Parents or guardians who would like to participate, or find out more about the project, can contact the research team at hlb13@aber.ac.uk or visit https://tinyurl.com/mwa8nazj.
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