Researchers at Aberystwyth University are launching a study into how everyday language use at home influences young children’s Welsh development.

Led by Dr Hanna Binks and Dr Elin Royles, the project will examine how family experiences relate to Welsh vocabulary growth in Welsh-English bilingual children aged two to four. It brings together expertise in language policy, bilingualism and child language development.

The researchers will focus on “Family Language Policy”: the beliefs, decisions and daily routines through which families support and pass on languages. They want to understand how those choices shape children’s acquisition of Welsh during the pre-school years.

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The university says language habits established in early childhood can have a lasting influence on the languages people choose to use later in life. While schools play a vital role in Welsh learning, the team says everyday interactions at home also matter to the language’s long-term future.

Dr Hanna Binks, a lecturer in the university’s Department of Psychology, said:

“The pre-school years are a crucial period for language development, yet relatively little research has explored how different family language practices influence children during this early stage of life. By examining young children’s language experiences, this project will provide valuable insights into how Welsh vocabulary develops and how language use within the home may shape that process.”

“The findings will help address an important gap in our understanding of Welsh language acquisition and bilingual development, providing evidence that can support families, educators and policymakers alike.”

The researchers hope the work will help families, educators and policymakers better understand how Welsh develops in the early years, and the part that language use at home plays in that process.