Integrative or instrumental Incentives? Non-Welsh-Speaking Parents and Welsh-Medium Education in the Rhymni Valley, South Wales/Integartivni ali Instrumentalni motivi? Nevalizansko govoreci starsi in solanje v valizanscini v dolini Rhymni, Juzni Wales

The linguistic resurgence of the Welsh language in Wales can largely be attributed to the success of Welsh-medium education. The demand for Welsh-medium education, especially in predominantly non-Welsh-speaking areas of South Wales, is greater than ever. Welsh-medium education is at the very epicentre of the National Assembly for Wales' vision to create "a truly bilingual Wales" (WAG 2003, 1). This paper examines parental educational incentives, asking why non-Welsh-speaking parents choose Welsh-medium education for their children in the Rhymni Valley, South Wales, a post-industrial locality where the social use of Welsh is comparatively low. Qualitative research methods were drawn upon; in-depth interviews were conducted to gather information from parents from the meithrin (Welsh-medium nursery), primary and secondary school sectors. The main parental incentives were cultural, educational, economic and personal. The findings of this study indicate that parents in the Rhymni Valley emphasised integrative incentives such as culture and nationhood whereas the conclusions of past studies have tended to emphasise instrumental incentives such as increased social mobility and economic prestige. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]