Working bilingually

There are 78,048 Welsh speakers according to the 2011 census. Carmarthenshire has the highest number of Welsh speakers in any of the Unitary Authorities in Wales.

43.9% of Carmarthenshire residents can speak Welsh. 56% of the children in Carmarthenshire receive Welsh medium education.

Carmarthenshire has a unique asset in its bilingual population and a significant contribution to make towards creating a truly bilingual Wales.

Our role in delivering a bilingual service

The Welsh language is the key to the identity of many of our population, many people can express their opinions and needs better in their first language. There are certain groups of Welsh speakers who really need to receive a service in their first language in order for their needs to be met effectively. It is our duty to facilitate the language choice of our users.

According to a survey, 66% think that more should be done to promote the Welsh language – it is not only Welsh speakers who believe so.

We have produced some guidance to help you offer a bilingual service in the workplace regardless of your own language level.

• Using Welsh on the phone
• Using  Welsh  – In Correspondence  (on paper and electronically) 
• Organising a meeting or event that is open to the public
• Arranging and conducting meetings (that include members of the public by invitation)
• Writing in Welsh and your Computer
• Signs, leaflets, posters, forms etc.
• What do I need to do if I am recruiting?
• Regulations

The Welsh Language Standards

The Welsh Language Standards ask us to ‘ensure that the Welsh language is treated no less favorably than the English language’, and specifically states that, ‘Persons in Wales should be able to live their lives through the medium of the Welsh language if they choose to do so’.

Translation Unit

We have a team of professional translators that are here to support you in providing bilingual information (Welsh - English / English - Welsh). Our translation team can either proof your work or provide a full translation service. Please do not use online tools such as Google Translate as they can often provide incorrect translation. When you are submitting work to be translated please provide an accurate word count (for submissions over 100 words) and any supporting information that can assist our team. Submit your content for translation or check the progress of an existing request.