The research is funded by Jiangsu Innovation and Training Program for College Students (No. X202511117085).
Abstract
This paper examines how translation practice under the Welsh-English bilingual policy affects the survival and authority of the Welsh language. Although the bilingual policy in Wales is often seen as a model of language equality, this study argues that translation is a place of power rather than a neutral communication tool. Drawing on translation and language power theories, including Venuti’s concept of domestication and Bourdieu’s framework of symbolic authority, this paper explores how institutional translation practices often position English as the primary governing language, while Welsh is secondary. Through the analysis of policy structure, administrative practice, and public discourse, this study identifies the gap between language visibility and functional authority. This paper further compares the Welsh model with Canada’s bilingual co-drafting system, showing how different institutional arrangements affect language equality. By proposing reforms such as bilingual drafting and institutional restructuring, this paper emphasizes that meaningful language equality depends on the structural process of incorporating translation into governance, rather than treating it as a complementary service.
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How to cite this paper
Translation, Power, and Language Survival: Rethinking Welsh-English Bilingual Policy in Contemporary Wales
How to cite this paper: Mingyuan Xu, Meng Liu. (2026) Translation, Power, and Language Survival: Rethinking Welsh-English Bilingual Policy in Contemporary Wales. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 10(6), 624-630.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.06.003