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Abstract
This paper seeks to evaluate the factors influencing students’ choice of Higher Education provision with specific reference to language of study. Placing the recent development of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (the National Welsh-Medium College) in an appropriate historical and theoretical perspective, this paper evaluates a major qualitative study relating to student choice in Wales. It argues that while location, reputation, finance and employability are the primary drivers for student choice, there is considerable evidence to demonstrate a latent demand for Welsh-medium provision in specific subjects and locations. Furthermore there is a clear link to future job prospects in patterns of linguistic choice amongst prospective Higher Education students.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the constructive advice provided by both Rosemary Cann and Huw Lewis on an early draft of this paper. We would also like to express our thanks to the unnamed referees who reviewed this submission and provided helpful suggestions for its improvement. Finally, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Centre for Welsh-Medium Higher Education, who commissioned this research, and who allowed us to reproduce data and findings from it in this article.
Notes
1. In 2005-2006 a flag denoting ability to speak Welsh was added to the HESA registration record. During the first year this section was voluntary for most students, and therefore the quality of the data recorded varied significantly between institutions. In 2006-2007 recording the data became compulsory and analysis of the data suggests that the 2006–2007 figures provide a good quality basis for analysis.
2. We should note here, as Coupland, Bishop and Garret (2006) point out that the predominant language of a community is not necessarily a reflection of the underlying linguistic attitudes of individuals and more specifically parents. As Hodges (2010) demonstrates the support for Welsh-medium Education in the south-east comes primarily from non-Welsh speaking households.
3. At each school, a nominated point of contact was identified (normally the Head of Sixth Form or Headteacher), who was asked to provide six to eight pupils for a discussion group of one hour's duration. In order to avoid over-sampling of pupils who were intending to study through the medium of Welsh, we asked that the nominated contact provide us with a cross-section of bilingual pupils, according to the following guidance: A cross-section of pupils who speak Welsh and intend going to university next year; 6-8 pupils from Year 13 (or Year 12 according to the sample framework) who speak Welsh; A balance of girls and boys; A mixture of pupils who intend studying within Wales and outside Wales; A mixture of pupils in terms of academic ability; A mixture of pupils who intend on studying through the Welsh-medium, and those who do not. All names used are pseudonyms and some data has been translated from Welsh to English by the authors.
4. It is worth noting that the one research site where course or institutional reputation was not mentioned in this exercise was a site where we spoke to Year 12 pupils (age 16-17) who had almost a full academic year to go before they would be required to make their choices.
5. A new funding model is currently being developed in Wales, where Welsh-domiciled students will pay £3290 in 2012/13, and the Welsh Government will meet the difference between this figure and the full tuition fee levied by the university. http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/educationandskills/2010/101130fees/?lang=en (accessed 6 July 2011).