M.A. (Hons), PhD (Aberdeen)
Personal Chair, Dean for Impact & Engagement
- About
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- Email Address
- m.macleod@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 272548
- Office Address
Room B03 Taylor Building, Gaelic, School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture, Taylor Building University of Aberdeen Old Aberdeen AB24 3UB
- School/Department
- School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture
- School/Department
- Senior Vice Principals
Biography
I have worked at the University of Aberdeen since September 2004 and was promoted to Personal Chair in Gaelic in 2019.
I teach and carry out research in areas related to Scottish Gaelic language and culture. I am passionate about multilingualism and inter-cultural communication and have attempted to learn a number of other languages to various degrees of success.
I have held various leadership positions at the University, including a spell as Interim Head of School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture and Director of the Confucius Institute. I am currently Dean for Impact and Engagement.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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I am a member of several University committees, including: the Partnership Committee, Research Committee and Enterprise and Innovation Committee. I sit on the University's Gaelic Language Plan Advisory Group http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ppg/index.php?id=170&sub=11&top=2 also on the University's Senate.
- External Memberships
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- Chair of the Catherine McCaig Trust
- Member of the British Academy / UCML Strategic Committee for Languages in Higher Education
- Chair of Theatre gu Leor
- Member, Bord na Gaidhlig
Prizes and Awards
In 2021 I won the Donald Meek Prize for the best non-fiction Gaelic book Fichead Bliadhna air An Ard-urlar / A Century of Gaelic Drama published by the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.
In 2022 I was one of three AHRC Future of Languages Research Fellows.
- Research
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Research Overview
My areas of research include: modern Gaelic literature; the concept of Gaelic identity; the modern Gaelic community; Gaelic drama; language teaching and language planning.
Current Research
Gaelic drama, modern Gaelic literature, community language planning and adult language acquisition.
Knowledge Exchange
I have been appointed by the Scottish Government as a board member of Bord na Gaidhlig: the non-departmental public body with responsibility for promoting Gaelic and overseeing the implementation of the National Plan for Gaelic.
Collaborations
I recently collaborated with colleagues in Sabhal Mor Ostaig and Comunn na Gaidhlig to establish a pilot network for community language development officers.
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
I teach Gaelic language across the degree programme and sub-honours introductory courses on Gaelic society and literature. I also teach honours courses on: Modern Gaelic Poetry, Gaelic Dialectology, Modern Irish Language and Language and Identity.