MA Gaelic/English Language

About this course

Scottish Gaelic is one of the oldest living languages of the British Isles, with a rich literary tradition stretching back over a thousand years and a contemporary presence in communities, broadcast media, and cultural life across Scotland. Studying it alongside English language offers a distinctive vantage point on how languages work, how they carry cultural meaning, and how they interact with identity, community, and history in ways that purely monolingual approaches to linguistics cannot fully appreciate. For those with an interest in Scotland's heritage and contemporary cultural landscape, this combination has particular depth. At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme combines the study of Scottish Gaelic language and culture through the centuries to the present day with the study of English language, developing your linguistic skills and your critical understanding of how language functions as a social and cultural practice. You will explore Gaelic literature, history, and culture alongside the structures and uses of the English language, developing analytical and communicative skills in both. A year abroad is included in the programme, giving you the opportunity to engage with language and culture in a different national setting, which broadens your academic and personal development. Graduates from Gaelic and English language programmes pursue careers in broadcasting, education, translation, publishing, cultural organisations, and heritage bodies. BBC Alba and other Gaelic media organisations, the national education system, Gaelic development agencies, and local authorities with Gaelic commitments are all significant employers of graduates with this combination of skills. The wider linguistic and communicative competences developed through an English language degree also open doors in journalism, communications, and many other professional fields. Postgraduate study in linguistics, Celtic studies, education, or translation is a natural continuation for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.

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