MA Gaelic/English Language
About this course
Scottish Gaelic is one of Europe's living Celtic languages, spoken across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with a literary tradition extending back over a thousand years and a contemporary presence in broadcasting, education, and cultural life. Gaelic is also a language under pressure: its number of native speakers has declined significantly over the past century, and efforts to revitalise it through education, media, and public policy are an important part of Scottish cultural life. Studying Gaelic at degree level means engaging with both a rich inherited tradition and a living language that communities are working to sustain and develop. English language, studied alongside it, brings the scientific tools of linguistics to bear on how language works, how it is structured, and how it changes. At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time programme allows you to explore Scottish Gaelic language and culture through the centuries to the present day, developing your language skills alongside your knowledge of Gaelic history, literature, song, and the social and political dimensions of language revitalisation. You will develop the Gaelic language skills that are relevant to contemporary employment in the Gaelic sector, which includes broadcasting at MG ALBA, education, public sector roles, and the creative industries. Your English language studies will develop your understanding of linguistic structure, phonetics, morphology, syntax, and the social dimensions of how language is used and how it changes over time. A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the opportunity to study in a different academic context and to broaden your linguistic and cultural perspectives. Graduates go on to careers in Gaelic-medium education, broadcasting, cultural organisations, public sector bodies, and creative industries. Proficiency in Gaelic combined with linguistic training is a distinctive professional asset in the growing Gaelic sector. Postgraduate study in Celtic studies, linguistics, or education is a natural continuation.
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