Celtic and English Language MA (Hons)

The University of Edinburgh

Study Celtic and English Language at the University of Edinburgh and you will learn about extraordinarily rich cultures, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Our joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to study the languages, literatures and cultures of the Celtic world while exploring how English has evolved over time.

Combining the study of how language works with linguistic and literary tradition demonstrates that you are a good communicator, and someone open to other cultures and new ideas.

When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.

Celtic

At all levels of study on this four-year programme, we offer courses in the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of the Celtic world.

You have the option to study Scottish Gaelic and build up to advanced competency in the language.

A choice of pathways through the programme enable you to develop your own interests in particular areas, periods and disciplines of Celtic studies.

Our expertise covers:

• Scottish Gaelic from the late Middle Ages to the present, including language policy and revitalisation
• the medieval literary tradition in Early Irish and Medieval Welsh - the most extensive in the whole of Europe
• the rich oral tradition recorded from the 18th century to the present day
• poetry from the 18th century golden age of Gaelic literature
• 19th and 20th century responses to the rapid social, cultural, and linguistic changes in countries where the Celtic languages are spoken
• the writing, song, and media production emerging from the lively and varied contemporary cultural scene in Gaelic Scotland, Ireland, and Wales

Celtic language study

If you choose to study Scottish Gaelic, it does not matter if you are a complete beginner; we stream our Year 1 classes to suit all levels of prior knowledge or none.

You can also learn a medieval Celtic language at honours level (Years 3 and 4). Both Old Irish and Middle Welsh are available. For this path, you will study Celtic civilisation and literature in Years 1 and 2, with texts presented in English translation.

English Language

The English language has a well-recorded history of more than 1,000 years, and its changes can be traced through written materials ranging from medieval manuscripts to text messages, and more recently, through recordings of spoken English.

Your studies will develop your knowledge and understanding of:

• the principles of theoretical linguistics
• the way we learn language
• the regional and social variations of language, particularly the English language
• methods of communication

As part of the programme, you can opt to study the Scots language, which has its own rich linguistic and literary tradition.

English Language courses of particular interest to students of Celtic cover:

• the speech sounds of the world's languages
• variation in the languages of the world

Why Edinburgh?

Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh has a long-established Gaelic community and a lively contemporary cultural scene. Its collections are outstanding, as are the University's own resources for the study of Celtic and English Language.

Our programme is extremely flexible. In Years 1 and 2, in addition to Celtic and English Language, you will choose option courses from a wide range of disciplines. You will then specialise as you progress through your honours years.