Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon / A Nation Without a Language Is a Nation Without a Heart: Dyslecsia a’r Gymraeg / Dyslexia and Welsh

Wales is a small country in the United Kingdom bordered by England to the east with a population of just over 3.1 million people. Wales has a distinct culture and language from England, however English is the dominant language, and the language of the larger society. The Annual Population Survey estimates that about 29.5% of the population aged 3 and over speak Welsh, equating to around 900,000 people (Welsh Government (WG), 2023a). It is estimated that over 110, 000 people living in England can speak Welsh, and the Chubut province of Patagonia, Argentina has been home to Welsh settlers since the 19th century, with around 5,000 Welsh speakers (Jones, 2007). Welsh has a highly transparent orthography compared with the notoriously opaque English orthography. This chapter provides an overview of the typology of the Welsh language, touching on the dynamic and complex impact of English upon the use of Welsh, particularly within education, and how this has affected the interpretation of dyslexia in Welsh and subsequent support for learners. It provides a current overview of diagnosis, assessment and interventions available in Welsh as well as a synopsis of current research in the area. Finally, it identifies the resources available to support children and young people with dyslexia and/or literacy difficulties in Welsh.