Cyflogadwyedd, cyfrifoldeb,cael digon o’r Gymraeg? Dewisiadau ieithyddol dysgwyr Addysg Bellach (Employability, responsibility, had enough of Welsh? Further Education learners’ linguistic choices)

This article explores the reasons for the low number of learners studying through the medium of Welsh and bilingually in the Further Education sector, focusing on vocational learners. It suggests recommendations to improve the situation in the context of the Welsh Government’s target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. The research is based on semi- structured interviews with staff in schools and Further Education colleges, and on focus groups with Year 11 pupils, in four areas across Wales. The study found that economic, cultural and educational factors influence learners’ choices. The article proposes a language awareness programme as a means of expanding the discourse of Welsh as an instrument of employability and the discourse of the advantages of bilingualism to encompass social advantages.