It is often said that Wales’s devolved political institutions suffer from a ‘democratic deficit’, associated with a ‘media deficit’. This article uses the political philosophy of Jürgen Habermas to interpret these claims. The article begins by discussing the central problem and applying Habermas’s theory of legitimation to it (1), before turning to the theory’s key concept, namely the public sphere (2). Part 3 argues that an informal political public sphere is lacking in Wales today and that this undermines the legitimacy of the devolved political settlement, supporting this argument with data (3). The final part of the article places the Welsh case in a broader context, and opens the discussion regarding possible solutions (4). Author: Dafydd Huw Rees

A series of video podcasts which feature conversations about contemporary Sports Ethics issues. The topics include: Sportswashing Fairness Competetive categories Racism Nationalism Role models The podcasts are accompanied by a set of notes and indicative bibliographies for each topic and a list of terms. The resource is suitable for students studying Sport related subjects at A level and degree level.  

The purpose of this booklet is to share good practice in developing educational provision and teaching in a minoritised language in universities. The good practice covered in this booklet come from focus groups held with lecturers and students looking at their experiences of Welsh and Irish medium education at universities in Wales and Ireland. This booklet discusses: good practice in encouraging students to study in a minoritised language developing provision in a minoritised language; teaching in a minoritised language supporting students in a minoritised language assessments in a minoritised language normalising the use of a minoritised language among students. We anticipate that this booklet will be useful not only for lecturers and providers of higher education in these countries, but also for lecturers, higher education providers and providers in other education sectors in other parts of the world who are developing educational provision and teaching in a minoritised language.

A presentation by Dr Seren Evans on her research into the role of Artificial Intelligence in predicting non-contact leg injuries within Rugby Union, and a recording of a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and its implications, challenges and opportunities for researchers with: Dr Cynog Prys, Senior lecturer, Sociology and Social Policy, Bangor University Dr Seren Evans, Lecturer, Sports Sciences, Bangor University Dr Neil Mac Parthaláin, Senior lecturer, Computer Science, Aberystwyth University Professor Huw Morgan, Physics, Aberystwyth University The event took place in Aberystwyth on 27 June 2024.

This resource looks at crop production in Wales. It is suitable for learners in further and higher education studying programmes from levels 2 to 6. There are eight units each containing information on different aspects of crop production These include aspects of cultivation, establishment, growth, manuring, crop protection, harvesting and storage. The units are as follows: Introduction to crop growing in Wales Crop cultivation Crop establishment Crop growth and establishment Manuring Crop protection Harvesting Crop Storage This resource is on Welsh Government's HWB website and was published by Welsh Government.

Recordings of the sessions that were held at this year's Technology and Bilingualism Conference. The conference included a variety of sessions to discuss how technology can be used within bilingual and Welsh medium provision in the higher education, further education and apprenticeship sector.  

The aim of this article is to analyse the different readings available regarding the history of the Welsh settlement within official narratives of the past in Chubut Province, Argentina. This not only includes the products of the provincial state, but also those of other actors in Chubut society, including the Welsh community itself. In order to do this, the analysis will focus on interpretations produced over three periods: firstly, between the 1930s and 1955, when Chubut was a national territory; secondly, a portion of the first years of the existence of Chubut Province between 1958 and 1975; and finally, between the 1980s and the present, with particular attention given to the celebrations of the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the landing of the first settlers in 2015. The changes observed between different historical narratives, as well as the elements of continuity between them, are also considered. Throughout these three periods, it is shown that official narratives of Chubut’s past have placed the history of Welsh colonization as a cornerstone for the establishment of the province, giving it a hegemonic role. Author: Guillermo Williams

A new video resource that brings the history of the Welsh language to life in 4 minutes. From its origins in the Brythonic language and the earliest written versions through the Acts of Union and the Industrial Revolution to the establishment of the Urdd and Welsh-medium schools in the twentieth century, this video goes from the year 40 to 2022, when the language was used for the first time in the biggest sporting stage, the football World Cup. “Today, over half a million speak the language and the Welsh Government wants to have one million Welsh speakers by 2050 so that the Welsh language becomes an integral part of everyday life, in communities, school, at work and in digital technology.” A resource to be used widely with learners of all ages, and specifically for Welsh Second Language A Level Unit 5 (The Welsh Language in Society).   Welsh subtitles can be selected on video in YouTube (English subtitles available soon). Funded by Welsh Government.

The aim of this article is to construct the history of the irrigation system in the Lower Chubut Valley created by the Welsh settlers that arrived in Patagonia (Argentina) in 1865, which complicated the relationship that existed between this infrastructure and the ever-changing sociopolitical framework. This will involve focusing on the institutions that the Welsh settlers themselves established and the conflicts that arose between them and the Argentine state, which took over the administration of irrigation in 1943. Emphasis will be given to the agency of water within the process that led to reinforcing and growing the irrigation infrastructure, and attention will also be given to the symbolic dimension of the objects that constitute this infrastructure, thereby enabling a reflection on their changing meanings. Author: Fernando Williams

A website from the UK Parliament: Learning that offers online bilingual teaching resources for learners from the age of 5 to post-16 and beyond. The resources introduce and deal with topics across the UK curricula; including elections, debating, British Values and the work and role of the UK Parliament in our democracy.

This material presents an account of China by naturalist and traveller Thomas Pennant (1726–98). The work forms part of Pennant's multivolume manuscript 'Outlines of the Globe', kept at the National Maritime Museum.

An appealing, contemporary volume presenting an accessible introduction to the discipline of the Welsh language, edited by lectures at the School of Welsh, Cardiff University; Dr Angharad Naylor, Dr Llion Pryderi Roberts and Dr Dylan Foster Evans. It presents the richness, breadth and passion of the language as an academic discipline, and will motivate interest and curiosity in familiar and new fields - such as language, literature, language sociology, literary critique, culture and inheritance and creative writing. Online Open Access (link below) Also available to buy as a paperback on the University of Wales Press website or in your local bookshop.