Welsh Language Resurges: 61% Adult Learner Boom 2026

Key Points

• The number of adult learners on Dysgu Cymraeg courses has risen by 61% since 2017-18, reaching over 20,000 for the first time, with a 12% increase in the past year.
• Elinor Staniforth, 28, from Cardiff, rediscovered Welsh at Oxford University, learned online during Covid, became a finalist for Cymraeg Learner of the Year at the 2024 Eisteddfod, and now teaches the language.
• New figures from Y Canolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol (National Centre for Learning Welsh) highlight consistent yearly growth since 2016.
• Nearly 40% of learners join through workplaces, especially NHS and police; learners aged 16-24 up 56% in 2024-25; diverse ethnicities now 5% of learners (up from 1%).
• Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones warns of vulnerability due to stable speaker numbers amid population growth; calls for “bold and transformative” action to reach 1 million speakers by 2050.
• Dona Lewis, CEO of Dysgu Cymraeg, notes “huge demand” and consistent growth.
• Scott Gutteridge, 29, London-based actor from Llanelli, describes a “language reclamation” with abundant resources, young learners, and the “poetry” of Welsh; learned via bilingual Romeo and Juliet production and Nant Gwrtheyrn course.
• Learners include non-Welsh people: English/Scottish with family in Welsh-medium schools, incomers from Wales for love/work, eastern Europeans, Japanese, Singaporeans, and online from US/Australia.
• Challenges: Divide between school and adult learning; need for enjoyable, community-based learning to sustain the language.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) March 29, 2026 – A remarkable resurgence in adult Welsh language learning has seen enrolments on Dysgu Cymraeg courses soar by 61% since 2017, exceeding 20,000 learners for the first time amid growing enthusiasm for Cymraeg’s cultural richness.

This surge, detailed in fresh data from Y Canolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol, reflects a 12% yearly rise and consistent growth since the programme’s 2016 launch. Campaigners hail it as a “fire that’s burning again,” countering concerns over the language’s vulnerability despite stable speaker numbers against Wales’ population expansion.

What is driving the 61% surge in Dysgu Cymraeg enrolments?

As reported by Elinor Staniforth in an interview with The Guardian’s Welsh correspondent, the 28-year-old Cardiff resident credited her renewed passion to university life. Staniforth, who “hated Welsh lessons” at her English-medium school and “forgot all about it” post-GCSEs, experienced a shift at Oxford University. “I suddenly became very aware of being Welsh,” she said.

“There were only two Welsh people in the whole college. People would ask if I spoke Welsh, and I’d have to say no. It’s like a switch turned on while I was at uni. I was thinking that I’d missed out on something.”

Returning to Cardiff before the Covid pandemic, Staniforth joined an online class. She became a finalist for the Cymraeg Learner of the Year at the 2024 national Eisteddfod and now teaches Welsh herself.

“I found the classes for adults an amazing experience. I made such good friends, I learned about Welsh culture, I discovered new bands and books, a new world. I wanted to give back,”

Staniforth told The Guardian.

Dona Lewis, chief executive of Dysgu Cymraeg, welcomed the figures in a statement to The Guardian.

“We are really pleased with the numbers; the statistics show consistent growth since we were established. There’s huge demand and we have a big contribution to make to the language in the future.”

The data from Y Canolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol, accessible at learnwelsh.cymru, confirms enrolments have climbed every year since 2016, with a 61% jump from 2017-18 baselines.

Who are the new Welsh learners flocking to courses?

Workplace initiatives fuel nearly 40% of sign-ups, particularly in the NHS and police, per the National Centre’s report. Younger demographics are booming too: learners aged 16 to 24 rose 56% in 2024-25 versus the prior year. Diversity is increasing, with 5% of learners identifying from “diverse ethnicities” – up from 1% – among those providing details.

Scott Gutteridge, 29, a London-based actor raised in Llanelli, captured the momentum in The Guardian interview. He described a “language ‘reclamation’ of sorts” under way.

“It’s a fantastic time to start learning Welsh because there are so many resources available. It seems like a fire that’s burning again, there’s a lot more young learners. And there’s a lot of inspiring Welsh arts out there, I think people really connect with the poetry of the language.”

Gutteridge’s journey began with a bilingual production of Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe, as covered in The Guardian on September 25, 2025. He studied evenings and practised at work. “Sometimes it was difficult with dialects, but you just start somewhere. It’s Wenglish in the beginning, people are so happy you’re trying and giving it a go.” He praised a “magical” residential course at Nant Gwrtheyrn, the Welsh language heritage centre on Gwynedd’s Llŷn peninsula.

“I like learning anyway, but Cymraeg has an added element for me. It’s good for the mind, good for the heart, good for the soul.”

Staniforth highlighted the broad appeal beyond native Welsh households. Her circles include English and Scottish people with children or grandchildren in Welsh-medium education, those moving to Wales for love or work, eastern Europeans, Japanese and Singaporean learners, plus online participants from the US and Australia.

How vulnerable is the Welsh language despite this growth?

The Welsh Language Commissioner’s latest five-year report paints a sobering picture. Speaker numbers have held steady for decades but lag behind population growth, heightening vulnerability. Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones, as reported by The Guardian on March 3, 2026, stressed the need for a “Welsh language revolution.” She previously stated that “bold and transformative” intervention is essential if the Welsh government aims for a million speakers by 2050.

Jones’s warnings underscore that while adult learning thrives, broader systemic support is crucial. The commissioner’s findings align with Dysgu Cymraeg’s positive trajectory but highlight the gap: daily speakers aren’t expanding proportionally.

What divides school lessons from adult Welsh learning?

Staniforth identified a “big divide between school and adult learning” as a key complication.

“Considerably more kids go to English than Welsh school, and there’s not enough focus on them. If you learn a language you have to want to do it: asking an 11-year-old to do it when they have no interest in it will be challenging,”

she told The Guardian.

Gutteridge echoed this, contrasting enjoyable adult experiences with compulsory school lessons. Both emphasised community as vital.

“Learning Welsh has to be enjoyable, because finding and creating a community, that’s what keeps the language alive,”

Staniforth added.

What role do workplaces and youth play in this revival?

The 40% workplace uptake signals institutional buy-in. NHS and police lead, fostering environments where Cymraeg bolsters inclusivity and service delivery. The 56% spike in 16-24-year-olds suggests digital resources and cultural outputs – bands, books, theatre – are igniting interest.

Gutteridge’s Globe production exemplifies arts’ pull. Resources abound online and in-person, from Nant Gwrtheyrn immersions to apps, making entry accessible despite dialect hurdles.

Can adult learning secure a million Welsh speakers by 2050?

Experts like Lewis see Dysgu Cymraeg’s “huge demand” as pivotal. Yet Jones’s call for revolution implies policy shifts: more Welsh-medium schools, incentives, and integration. The 20,000+ learners represent promise, but scaling to a million demands bridging adult enthusiasm with youth education.

Staniforth’s teaching role and Gutteridge’s advocacy illustrate grassroots momentum. As Wales navigates identity in a bilingual future, this “fire” could illuminate the path – if fanned by concerted effort.