Undergraduate Gaelic 2023-2024

This is an 11-week course in the modern Scottish Gaelic language for students who have little or no prior experience of the language, or for students with no formal qualifications in Gaelic.

You will learn Gaelic through a mixture of interactive language classes, a class which focuses on conversational skills, and a programme of homework exercises, together with self-directed learning.

By the end of the course, you will be able to speak, read, write and understand Gaelic at a basic level and you will have mastered a large working vocabulary. 

This is a Gaelic language course for students who are relatively fluent in the language already and have studied it to at least Higher in school (Higher Gaelic or Gàidhlig) or have studied it to a similar level elsewhere. 

Gaelic is Scotland's oldest living language. In this introductory course you will learn about the Gaels, their history and their role in the shaping modern Scotland. You will also learn about how Gaelic language and culture became minoritised in its own country. Students will learn learn about various contemporary initiatives that are aimed at saving and promoting this indigenous language and culture and this will be compared to minority languages and cultures elsewhere in the world.

This is an 11-week course in the modern Scottish Gaelic language for students who have completed GH1007 Gaelic for Beginners 1A. 

You will attend three interactive language classes and one conversation class each week, as well as undertaking self-directed learning. 

By the end of the course you will be expected to have mastered a large working vocabulary and to be competent in understanding and using most of the major structures of the language. 

This is the second-half of the first year Gaelic language course for students who are relatively fluent in the language already and have studied it to at least Higher in school (Higher Gaelic or Gàidhlig) or have studied it to a similar level elsewhere. 

This is the second year Gaelic language course for people who started learning in their first year.  It builds on the foundations already set in the first year and continues to develop vocabulary, grammatical structures and idioms in both writing and speech.

Godlike ‘immortals’, elves, fairies, the walking dead, the Loch Ness Monster: uncanny Otherworldly beings feature widely in the literature and folklore of medieval Scotland. This course will explore the nature and significance of Gaelic Otherworld-traditions in their wider North Atlantic context. We investigate how Germanic and Celtic beliefs merged in Gaelic Otherworld-lore, how these related to pre-Christian myth and religion, and why they continued to be significant in Scotland many centuries after Christianization. All texts will be studied in translation.

This is the first half of the second year Gaelic language course for students who are relatively fluent in the language already and have studied it to at least Higher in school (Higher Gaelic or Gàidhlig) or similar level.  It follows on from GH1513. It continues to develop accuracy in the language and increases usage across a wider variety of domains.

This course follows on from GH2009 and is for people who started learning in their first year.  It continues to develop a range of linguistic competencies in written and oral language.

This is the second half of the second year Gaelic language course for students who are relatively fluent in the language already and have studied it to at least Higher in school (Higher Gaelic or Gàidhlig) or similar level.  It follows on from GH2013.

This survey course is an introduction to Scottish Gaelic literature from the 17th century to the modern day. Scottish Gaelic has one of Europe's oldest secular literatures and this is an exciting choice for anyone with an interest in Scotland's history, literature and culture: it is taught using translated texts and originals for those whose Gaelic language is good enough. Students will gain new perspectives on key areas of Scottish society such as Jacobitism, the Clearances, the Highland Land Wars, the Celtic Twilight Movement and the Gaelic renaissance in the modern period. This course is suitable for anyone in Programme Year 2 with an interest in Scottish society.

A level 3 Gaelic language class for students not taking Honours in Gaelic.  The course is topic based and will enable students to deal with a large range of subjects in Gaelic. The course also develops students' generic writing and oral skills.  The course runs over both semesters.

A level three Gaelic language course for students taking honours Gaelic. The course runs over both semesters and is topic based, enabling students to develop their ability to deal with a large range of subjects in Gaelic. The course also develops students' generic writing and oral skills.

This course explores Gaelic learning from earliest times to the demise of traditional Gaelic society in the eighteenth century: its various branches, the principal literary, artistic and scientific achievements of the period, and the contact and exchange between native culture and the wider world.

This is a course for developing practical translation skills from Gaelic to English and English to Gaelic; it considers theoretical concepts associated with Translation Studies

This course introduces students to the Gaelic language and society of the early modern period c1200-c1700.  Students will learn to read short texts in the original language (with help); students will also read translated texts and scholarly materials about historical and cultural topics of that period.

The course will involve two hours per week of reading, analysing and discussing several of the most important Gaelic novels of the twentieth (and twenty-first) century.

In this course you will learn about the different methodological approaches used to study language and identity and you will then gain experience of applying theory and methods from the course in the design of a research project on Gaelic identities. 

This course is taught through seminars accompanied by practical exercises and interactive group work to develop practical skills for conducting small-scale research.

A course on Gaelic poetry post-1950 looking at some of the following themes: modern Gaelic identity, exile (and existentialism), Scottish nationalism, biculturalism, love and sexuality, and faith.  Poets who will be studied inlcude: Derick Thomson, Iain Crichton Smith, Christopher Whyte, Myles Campbell and Meg Bateman.

A level four Gaelic language course for students taking honours Gaelic. The course runs over both semesters and is topic based, enabling students to develop their ability to deal with a large range of subjects in Gaelic. The course also develops students' generic writing and oral skills.

This course explores Gaelic learning from earliest times to the demise of traditional Gaelic society in the eighteenth century: its various branches, the principal literary, artistic and scientific achievements of the period, and the contact and exchange between native culture and the wider world. 

This is a course for developing practical translation skills from Gaelic to English and English to Gaelic; it considers theoretical concepts associated with Translation Studies.

The course will involve two hours per week of reading, analysing and discussing several of the most important Gaelic novels of the twentieth (and twenty-first) century.

The dissertation course for honours Gaelic students is student-led.  Students decide in consultation with academic staff what topic they would like to research and write about for their final dissertation.  Students can chose any topic from the broad field that is Gaelic studies, including topics related to: Gaelic literature (a writer or a theme), Gaelic sociolinguistics, language planning, Gaelic cultural practices, etc.

In this course you will learn about the different methodological approaches used to study language and identity and you will then gain experience of applying theory and methods from the course in the design of a research project on Gaelic identities. 

This course is taught through seminars accompanied by practical exercises and interactive group work to develop practical skills for conducting small-scale research.

A course on Gaelic poetry post-1950 looking at some of the following themes: modern Gaelic identity, exile (and existentialism), Scottish nationalism, biculturalism, love and sexuality, and faith.  Poets who will be studied inlcude: Derick Thomson, Iain Crichton Smith, Christopher Whyte, Myles Campbell and Meg Bateman.