A critical analysis of the role of community sport in encouraging the use of the Welsh language among young people beyond the school gate Lana Evans Thesis submitted to Cardiff Metropolitan University in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff April 2019 Director of Studies: Dr Nicola Bolton Supervisors: Professor Carwyn Jones, Dr Hywel Iorwerth Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ I ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................................... II PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS ............................................................................................................. III CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 The Regression of the Welsh Language during the Twentieth Century ......................................................... 2 Political Attempts to Reverse the Decline ...................................................................................................... 4 Educational Initiatives .................................................................................................................................... 9 Sport as a Proposed Solution ....................................................................................................................... 10 AIM AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................................ 11 THESIS STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................... 14 CONCEPTS OF CAPITAL, HABITUS AND FIELD .................................................................................................... 14 Social Capital ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Cultural Capital............................................................................................................................................ 20 YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE WELSH LANGUAGE ................................................................................................... 24 Language Acquisition ................................................................................................................................... 24 Welsh in School ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Welsh in the Home ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Welsh in the Community ............................................................................................................................... 31 International Perspectives of Minority Cultures and Languages in Youth Sport ........................................ 34 SPORT POLICY .................................................................................................................................................... 35 Governance ................................................................................................................................................... 40 SPORT DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................................................................ 43 Community Sport Clubs ................................................................................................................................ 45 Social Inclusion, Exclusion and Marginalisation ........................................................................................ 48 Youth Sport Development ............................................................................................................................. 50 WELSH SPORT AND THE FUTURE GENERATION POLICY ..................................................................................... 56 SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................... 61 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ................................................................................................................................... 66 THE CASE STUDY DESIGN .................................................................................................................................. 67 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION .............................................................................................................................. 70 INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS ...................................................................................................................... 72 SAMPLING AND FIELDWORK LOCATIONS ........................................................................................................... 74 Phase 1: The School ..................................................................................................................................... 75 Phase 2 and 3: The Community Sport Clubs................................................................................................ 77 Phase 4 (I) and (II) ....................................................................................................................................... 79 DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................ 81 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 85 Gaining Access and Voluntary Informed Consent ....................................................................................... 86 Anonymity, Confidentiality, and Trustworthiness ........................................................................................ 88 Data Storage ................................................................................................................................................. 89 Altering Naturalistic Behaviours .................................................................................................................. 90 CHAPTER FOUR LOCAL PERSPECTIVE INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................... 92 YR YSGOL- THE SCHOOL ................................................................................................................................... 92 A Proud Welsh Speaking Environment ......................................................................................................... 92 Language Competency and Perceived Ability .............................................................................................. 98 The Use of English at Ysgol y Bont ............................................................................................................ 104 Linguistic Habits ........................................................................................................................................ 109 Y GYMUEND- THE COMMUNITY ...................................................................................................................... 114 The Locally Contextualised Language ....................................................................................................... 114 Availability of Welsh Speakers ................................................................................................................... 115 Marking Welsh Identity .............................................................................................................................. 124 Increasing Anglophone Ability and Confidence to Use Welsh ................................................................... 128 Community Sport and Promoting Welsh .................................................................................................... 134 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................ 141 CHAPTER FIVE POLICY INFORMERS’ PERSPECTIVE INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................. 143 A Recognition of the Welsh Language .......................................................................................................