External summary

Among the Celtic languages taught at Edinburgh University in the department of Celtic and Scottish Studies, Scottish Gaelic, as an indigenous language of Scotland, receives the greatest emphasis.  Early Irish and Medieval Welsh are also offered at Honours level.  Since the establishment of the first Chair of Celtic in Scotland in 1882, the department has played a leading rôle both in research and in teaching.  Celtic is a versatile academic discipline that includes both linguistic and literary scholarship, and in recent years an important socio-political dimension has emerged with particular focus on the modern Celtic languages, and especially on the situation of Scottish Gaelic in the devolved Scottish context.  The study of Celtic develops the ability to engage in critical dialogue with literature and culture past and present, and to frame conceptually rigorous arguments in engaging with both texts and language.

In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise in 2008, 30% of the research in Celtic Studies at Edinburgh University was rated as 3*, internationally excellent, with a further 20% rated 4*, world-leading.

The languages, history, politics and culture of the Scandinavian countries have had a considerable impact beyond the Nordic region. At the University of Edinburgh you will explore Scandinavian culture, past and present, alongside the study of the Scandinavian languages. Edinburgh has an excellent reputation for its research in this area. Regular research seminars and cultural events provide students with opportunities to find out more about the latest developments in Scandinavian culture and research.

Whichever of the three main languages – Danish, Norwegian or Swedish – you choose to specialise in, you will also gain a passive knowledge of the other two during the course of your degree programme. You do not need a previous knowledge of any of the languages (with the exception of the joint honours programme with Business Studies) as courses are available for beginners. The relatively small class sizes provide an informal and supportive learning environment.

Located at the heart of the city, itself UNESCO's first World City of Literature, the University offers a rich array of unique resources which facilitate scholarship and learning.  Excellent libraries are among the many factors that make the city an ideal place for the study of literature.  As well as the wealth of resources in the main University Library, the National Library of Scotland, one of the finest bibliographical collections in Europe, is only five minutes’ walk from both departments.  The Archives of the School of Scottish Studies are an outstanding research resource offering material from both the Gaelic and the Scots tradition collected over a period of over sixty years.

The Celtic and Scandinavian Studies programme is designed to

1. Offer students proficiency in Scottish Gaelic language and/or Early Irish and Medieval Welsh language as well as the study of their historical, literary, cultural, and political contexts.
2. Provide students with a thorough grounding in the literature of Scottish Gaelic and/or or Early Irish and Medieval Welsh, enabling them to access a wide range of original material.
3. Offer students proficiency in one of the main Scandinavian languages  as well as the history and culture of the target country
4. Enable students to recognise and evaluate the social, historical and intellectual contexts by which literary texts are shaped.
5. Engage students in the theoretical debates about language and literature in order to encourage critical engagement with texts.
6. Understand developments at the forefront of both subjects and to participate in research-led study.

Educational aims of programme

The programme aims to provide students with an understanding of Scottish Gaelic and its cultural environment through the study of language, literature, history and culture.  Language acquisition, including oral and aural instruction, plays an important role in allowing students to have a deeper understanding of Scottish Gaelic literature and culture through their direct engagement with primary sources as well as with theoretical concepts.  The programme enables students to have a subject expertise in Celtic Studies with the option courses allowing those interested to expand their knowledge to that of other Celtic languages.

The programme aims to develop the student’s interest in and complex knowledge and understanding of the target country or countries, including their language, history, literature, culture and social issues. The programme offers society the resource of intellectually trained individuals capable of acting as conduits of knowledge and understanding between British and non-British cultures, as well as using the acquired knowledge to contribute to the wealth creation of Britain and other nations. The programme is taught within the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures.

The programme aims to develop the critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills of students by engaging with a broad range of texts and a variety of theoretical approaches.  By enhancing the linguistic, literary, and critical faculties of individual students, the programme prepares them to contribute to a society in which an understanding of texts of all kinds is crucially important.

In their Honours years students will be able to choose from a wide range of courses reflecting the interests and research expertise of their lecturers.

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

1. Scottish Gaelic (written and spoken)
2. The linguistic structures of Scottish Gaelic and/or other Celtic languages
3. A wide range of literary genres, past and present, of Scottish Gaelic and/or other Celtic languages, and a critical understanding of their formal structures
4. The history and culture of the Gaelic-speaking world
5. The significance of historical and cultural contexts to our understanding of literary works in Scottish Gaelic and/or other Celtic languages
6. The target language (written and spoken)
7. Linguistics issues related to the target language (its structure, usage, registers, etc)
8. Scandinavian literature from past to present, including the main genres prevalent in each period
9. The history and culture of the target country or countries
10. Political, social and economic issues related to
11. Key methods and concepts of linguistic, literary, and historical analysis in both subjects
12. Current research and emerging issues, at the very forefront of both subjects

Teaching/learning methods and strategies.

For both Celtic and Scandinavian Studies, acquisition of 1, 2, 6, and 7 is through classes, tutorials and regular coursework. Additional support is provided through access to the facilities for language learning in the Language and Humanities Centre and to recommended materials on the Web.

Acquisition of 3-5 and 8-10 is through a combination of lectures/classes and tutorials in Years 1 and 2, and subsequently developed through small-group teaching in Years 3 and 4.

In both Celtic and Scandinavian Studies, courses are taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars.

Throughout, students are encouraged to undertake independent readings to supplement and consolidate what is being taught/learnt and to broaden their individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Assessment

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

Celtic and Scandinavian Studies graduates will be able to:

1. retrieve, sift, select and analyse and interpret information from texts and other media in Scottish Gaelic and one of the main Scandinavian Languages;
2. reason critically and cogently, assessing and applying critical methods, including those for historical, literary, cultural, and political analysis;
3. identify and solve problems;
4. work independently to plan, undertake and complete a variety of assignments in a scholarly and literate fashion;
5. evaluate and critique other scholars’ deployment of methods of literary and critical analysis;
6. formulate questions and structure an argument to express resolutions to these questions critically and analytically;
7. examine self-reflexively the intellectual practices that they are using;
8. demonstrate their creative, reflective and imaginative thinking in extended pieces of independent scholarly writing.

These intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme.  Each course, whatever the format of the teaching, involves discussion of key issues, practice in applying concepts both orally and in writing, analysis and interpretation of material, and feedback sessions on work produced.

Great emphasis is placed, in the various methods of assessment used, on the student’s ability to demonstrate the above skills (1-8) through the production of cogent and coherent written and oral responses to problems and tasks set.  Students also submit a dissertation in their final year which is an ideal vehicle for demonstrating these skills (and especially 4), although they are constantly demonstrated also throughout their other work.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

Graduates in Celtic and Scandinavian Studies will be:

1. able to work independently and be self-reliant;
2. open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking;
3. intellectually curious and able to sustain intellectual interest;
4. able to demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and creativity in thought.
5. able to assess and respond to the ideas of others, constructing cogent arguments through critical reasoning and the application of linguistic, literary, historical and social concepts.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Graduates in Celtic and Scandinavian Studies will be able to:

1. process, structure and communicate ideas effectively and at an advanced level of proficiency, both orally and in written form in both Scottish Gaelic and one of the main Scandinavian languages;
2. communicate clearly and accurately, constructing cogent arguments;
3. participate constructively in group discussions, assessing and responding effectively to the ideas of others;  and
4. communicate effectively in English to inform others about aspects of Scottish Gaelic (and/or another Celtic language) and target Scandinavian  language, culture, history, politics and literature.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

Graduates in Celtic and Scandinavian Studies will be able to:

1. work autonomously, setting their own goals, and organising their own learning;
2. manage their time and priorities, working to self-imposed and external deadlines, particularly with reference to the planning and execution of essays, presentations and other writing and project work;
3. collaborate effectively and productively with and in relation to others in the presentation of ideas and information, and the collective negotiation of solutions;
4. adapt and transfer the critical methods of their discipline to a variety of working environments;
5. respond flexibly, adaptably and proactively to changing surroundings;
6. exercise sensitivity to ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings;
7. make decisions with confidence, based on their understanding and personal/intellectual autonomy;
8. work with, manage, and lead others in ways that value equality and diversity, and encourage their contribution to the organisation and the wider community.

Essays, dissertations, exam-essays and exams test students’ ability to work to a specific deadline (and there are penalties for failing to do so).  Sit-down exams, in particular, test students’ ability to fulfil tasks under pressure of limited time.  Presentations develop students’ skills in explaining and elaborating a topic in front of an audience and in participating in discussion with others.  The diversity and inclusivity of our curricula enables those who take this degree to develop further skills in all these areas.

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Expertise in one or more of the Celtic languages and in the target Scandinavian language is by far the most important technical skills acquired in the course of the Celtic and Scandinavian Studies programme. Students will be able to:

1. read, write, and speak Scottish Gaelic at a high level of proficiency, and/or be able to read Medieval Welsh and/or Early Irish, and be able to analyse literary material in the respective language(s);
2. translate from and into Scottish Gaelic or translate from Medieval Welsh and/or Early Irish;
3. read, write, and speak the target Scandinavian language at a high level of proficiency;
4. translate from and into the target Scandinavian language.

In addition, graduates will also develop:

1. IT skills—the ability to use computers for word-processing, information storage and for retrieving information from the worldwide web; and
2. library skills—the ability to use libraries for the recovery of information, and related research skills, including the ability to discriminate between different types of information.

Programme structure and features

Full details of the degree programme, structure and courses can be found at:

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk

Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials. 

Progression Requirements: Students are normally expected to have gained 120 credits from each year of study. 

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Teaching and Learning strategies employed at the University of Edinburgh consist of a variety of different methods appropriate to the programme aims.  The graduate attributes listed above are met through a teaching and learning framework (detailed below) which is appropriate to the level and content of the course.

Teaching and Learning Activities

In Year 1

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Language Workshops

In Year 2

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Language Workshops

In Year 3

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops

In Year 4

• Seminars
• Lectures
• Workshops

Assessment methods and strategies

Courses can be assessed by a diverse range of methods and often takes the form of formative work which provided the student with on-going feedback as well as summative assessment which is submitted for assessment.

In Year 1

• Written Examinations
• Coursework Essays
• Oral Examinations

In Year 2

• Written Examinations
• Coursework Essays
• Oral Examinations

In Year 3

• Year Abroad Work
• Dissertation

In Year 4

• Written Examinations
• Coursework Essays
• Dissertation

Career opportunities

Edinburgh’s Celtic graduates have always been very successful in gaining academic, educational, administrative, political and journalistic employment. Since the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, there has been increased demand for highly educated Gaelic speakers and cultural leaders, particularly within education, Gaelic-related research, and media and broadcasting.

Other items

1.  All students are assigned a Personal Tutor on admission to the degree programme, who oversees the course of the student’s degree programme, offers advice on academic matters and should be the student’s first point of contact for course-related worries or concerns.

2.  The School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures has a student support office, where students can go for advice on degree transfers, course changes, authorised interruption of studies, confirmation letters and general support. Information can be found at:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languages-cultures/current-students/undergraduate-support

3.  Student opinion is actively sought through participation in Staff-Student Liaison Committees, through the election of class- and tutorial-representatives, and by the wide circulation and review of detailed student questionnaires each semester.

5.  More detailed information on the department of Celtic and Scottish Studies, can be found at: http://www.celtscot.ed.ac.uk/

6.  Further information on the Scandinavian Studies department can be found at http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languages-cultures/delc/scandinavian-studies