Is the prevalence of Welsh in schools stopping the language decline?

Des de la segona meitat de la dècada de 1990, l'educació en gal·lès ha augmentat significativament. En l'article oferim un resum de com es realitza l'escolarització en gal·lès juntament amb una mostra dels efectes que té a partir de les dades del cens del Regne Unit de 2001. El cens mostra un augment del nombre de parlants de gal·lès al País de Gal·les, sobre tot entre les capes d'edat més joves. S'han produït canvis en la geografia lingüística de Gal·les, amb un alarmant descens del nombre de parlants tradicionals en aquelles zones considerades com a bastions de l'idioma. Aquest canvi es deu sobretot a la immigració, un fenomen de gran intensitat en els últims vint anys. Aquest article conclou amb la visió que els avenços del gal·lès en l'educació tenen com a contrapès els efectes de la immigració. Mots clau: Sociolingüística, educació, immigració, llengua gal·lesa.Since the mid 1990's, education through the medium of Welsh has increased significantly. A brief outline of Welsh medium education is given, followed by an introduction of its effect on the results pertaining to the Welsh language of the 2001 UK population census. This census shows an increase in Welsh speakers in Wales, particularly in the younger age groups. A shift in the linguistic geography of Wales, and an alarming decline in those areas traditionally considered to be the strongholds of the language is also revealed by the census results. This shift is largely due to immigration, a phenomenon which has become particularly significant in Wales over the last twenty years. This article ends with the conclusion that the progress made in the arrest of language decline through Welsh medium education is being counterbalanced by the effects of immigration. Keywords: Sociolinguistics, education, immigration, Welsh language.Desde mediados de la década de 1990, la educación en galés ha aumentado significativamente. Ofrecemos un esquema de cómo se está realizando la escolarización en galés junto con una muestra de los efectos que está teniendo a partir del censo del Reino Unido de 2001. Dicho censo muestra un aumento del número de hablantes de galés en Gales, sobre todo entre las capas de edad más jóvenes. Se han producido cambios en la geografía lingüística de Gales, con un alarmante descenso del número de hablantes tradicionales en aquellas zonas consideradas como fortalezas del idioma. Tal cambio se debe sobre todo a la inmigración, un fenómeno de gran intensidad en los últimos veinte años. Este artículo concluye con la visión de que los avances del galés en la educación tienen como contrapeso los efectos de la inmigración. Palabras clave: Sociolingüística, educación, immigración, lengua galesa

Primary care interventions to encourage organ donation registration: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Previous research has proposed that primary care interventions to increase organ donation rates can help address the discrepancy between organ donation rates and the number of patients awaiting transplant. However, no systematic review has been conducted to examine interventions in this setting. OBJECTIVE: To synthesise evidence from previous organ donation interventions conducted in a primary care setting. METHODS: Six databases and grey literature were systematically searched between November 2016 and July 2017. Inclusion criteria included English language, studies published after the year 2000 and unpublished studies. A quality assessment and narrative synthesis was conducted. RESULTS: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, nine of which examined actual organ donor registration as their primary outcome. Eight interventions increased registration to be an organ donor. Successful interventions utilised active methods of participant engagement that encouraged donation at the point of patient contact. DISCUSSION: Despite the small pool of studies that met the inclusion criteria, the results suggest that primary care interventions could produce promising results for increasing organ donation registration. However, additional higher quality studies are required before firm conclusions can be made. Barriers to implementation were also found and suggest that the feasibility of a primary care environment for organ donation intervention should be investigated

Who's opting-in? a demographic analysis of the U.K. NHS Organ Donor Register

The NHS Organ Donor Register (NHS ODR) is a centralised database for U.K. residents wishing to be organ donors. Opt-in membership to the NHS ODR demonstrates an expression of a wish to donate, which can be key in decisions made by family members at time of death. By examining the demographic breakdown of the 24.9 million registrants, campaigns can be better targeted to increase membership among those groups underrepresented on the NHS ODR. Data from the NHS ODR (as of March 2017) was analysed using Chi2 Goodness of Fit analyses and Chi2 Test of Independence for the categorical variables of gender, nation of residency at time of registration, ethnicity, organ preference, registration age and age at registration. Goodness of fit analyses showed significant differences between demographic representation on the NHS ODR compared to the U.K. population. Cramer's V showed significant associations were only of note (above 0.1) for age, ethnicity in the U.K. as a whole and ethnicity in England. Older (70+) and younger people (0-14) were underrepresented and those of White Ethnicity overrepresented on the NHS ODR. Although association strength was weak, more women and less residents of England were present compared to the U.K. population. Tests of independence showed significant differences between age at registration and current age on the register and cornea donation preferences. These results indicate areas for targeting by campaigns to increase NHS ODR membership. By understanding the strength of these associations, resources can be utilised in areas where underrepresentation is larger and will have the most impact to demographics of the NHS ODR. Additionally, by identifying which groups are over and underrepresented, future research can explore the reasons for this in these demographic groups

The position and professional status of the tutor of English for academic purposes in Higher Education

Numbers of international students in UK universities have risen dramatically in the past decade and currently comprise a significant proportion of the student population. This has led to an increase in tutors of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to teach international students on pre university courses, and once they have enrolled onto subject-specific courses. Despite heightened interest in EAP tutors, they are still an under-researched group. In response, this exploratory study examines the position and professional status of EAP tutors in a number of universities in the UK. The study employed a qualitative research strategy comprising semi-structured interviews with ten EAP tutors to explore their experiences and perspectives. A number of key themes emerged from the data regarding how EAP tutors view their role and their position in universities. The findings support the contested nature of the role described in the literature. This is evidenced in reservations regarding the designation EAP Tutor, variations in how tutors see their role, and in the responsibilities included. The participants are not linear careerists and did not plan to become EAP tutors. The data show that EAP occupies a position in the margins of academia, and tutors feel undervalued and in a lower status position compared to other groups. Although the majority of the sample consider the position of an EAP tutor to be a profession, with some reservations, the evidence indicates that it is an emerging profession, and that EAP has made significant progress towards professionalisation. The research suggests that there are key issues still to be resolved but that EAP can strengthen its position within the university and as a profession. It is hoped that a greater understanding of the role will help improve the position and professional status of EAP tutors, and thus benefit the international students they teach