Doing a PhD through the medium of Gaelic – a learner’s perspective

Beurla gu h-ìosal / English below

Is mise Rebecca agus tha mi san dàrna bhliadhna den PhD agam aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, colaiste na Gàidhlig san Eilean Sgitheanach, le taic-airgid bho Sgoil Ceumnachaidh na h-Alba airson Ealain agus Daonnachdan. Ged gu bheil mi a’ dèanamh am PhD agam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, chan i a’ Ghàidhlig a’ chiad chànan agam. Rugadh is thogadh mi san Ostair agus thàinig mi a dh’Alba ann an 2022 airson na Gàidhlig ionnsachadh. Chòrd e rium cho mòr ’s gu bheil mi fhathast an seo is fiù ’s a’ dèanamh am PhD agam sa Ghàidhlig. ’S e obair chruaidh a th’ ann a bhith a’ dèanamh sgrùdadh tro mheadhan cànan cèin is tu fhathast ga ionnsachadh. Ach, chanainn-sa gur e obair chruaidh a th’ ann a bhith a’ dèanamh PhD ann an cànan sam bith.

Bha e duilich dhomh an toiseach faighinn cleachdte ri bhith ag obair an dà chuid air an rannsachadh agam agus air mo chuid Ghàidhlig is mi a’ faireachdainn mar nach robh mi a’ cur ùine gu leòr seachad air an rannsachadh fhèin. Ged a tha duilgheadasan air a bhith an lùib a bhith a’ dèanamh am PhD agam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, tha mi cuideachd air a bhith a’ faighinn chothroman nach fhaighinn-sa tro mheadhan na Beurla. Tha e air a bhith uabhasach fhèin feumail don rannsachadh agam gun do rinn mi oidhirp air a’ chànan an-uiridh is mi a-nis fileanta gu leòr gus agallamhan a dhèanamh sa Ghàidhlig mar phàirt den rannsachadh agam.

Seo agaibh cuid de na rudan a tha air a bhith nan cuideachadh dhomhsa ann a bhith a’ cumail orm le mo chuid Ghàidhlig gu cunbhalach, gun fhios nach bi iad feumail do chuideigin eile cuideachd!

Cruthaich clàr-ama na Gàidhlig dhut fhèin!

Tha e tòrr nas fhasa dhomh rudan a dhèanamh, ma tha iad nam pàirt den latha àbhaisteach agam. Mar eisimpleir, leughaidh mi ann an leabhar Gàidhlig gach madainn fad 10-15 mionaidean, coimheadaidh mi air prògram Gáidhlig fad 20 mionaidean aig àm dìnnearach gach oidhche agus èistidh mi ri Rèidio nan Gàidheal fhad 's a bhios mi ri còcaireachd no bèicearachd aig deireadh na seachdaine.

Lorg cothroman gus an cànan a chleachdadh!

Lorg tachartasan Gàidhlig, buidhnean còmhraidh no àitichean eile anns am b’ urrainn dhut a’ Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh (m.e. Co-labhairt Oileanaich na Ceiltis 😉). Chan eil dòigh nas fheàrr ann gus cànan ionnsachadh na bhith ga cleachdadh.

Bi coibhneil riut fhèin!

Chan fheum a h-uile latha a bhith làidir a thaobh na Gàidhlig. Chan eil càil ceàrr air a bhith a’ gabhail fois bho àm gu àm. 

’S e slighe fhada a th’ ann an ionnsachadh cànain – agus a th’ ann am PhD – ach nì clachan beaga gu tric càrn mòr uaireigin. Ma chumas tu ort, tha mi cinnteach gun dèan thu an gnothach air 😊

~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~

My name is Rebecca and I am in the second year of my PhD at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye, with funding from the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities. Even though I am doing my PhD through the medium of Gaelic, Gaelic isn’t my first language. I was born and raised in Austria and moved to Scotland in 2022 to learn Gaelic. I liked Scotland and Gaelic so much that I decided to stay and am even doing my PhD through the medium of Gaelic now. Doing your PhD in a foreign language is definitley not easy, especially when you’re still learning the language. But doing a PhD is never easy, irrespective of which language you are writing it in.

I found it quite difficult to find the balance between language learning and research during my first year. Investing a significant amount of time and effort into language learning meant that I constantly felt like I wasn’t spending enough time on my actual research. But looking at things now, it was definitely not a waste of time. I wouldn’t be able to conduct interviews and write my thesis in Gaelic now if I hadn’t put the effort in during the first year. Doing my PhD through the medium of Gaelic has provided me with opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have gotten if I had done it through the medium of English.

So, here are a few things that I have found helpful for integrating language learning into my PhD journey. I hope they’re helpful to some of you too!

Create a Gaelic routine for yourself!

I find it easier to do something if it’s a normal part of my daily routine. So, I’ve incorporated a few Gaelic things into my daily life: I read about 10-15 minutes in Gaelic every morning, I watch about 20 minutes of Gaelic TV every evening and I listen to Rèidio nan Gàidheal while I cook or bake on the weekends.

Find opportunities to use the language!

Find Gaelic events, conversations groups or other places where you can use your Gaelic (e.g. Celtic Students Conferece 😉). There is no better way to learn a language than to actively engage with it.

Be kind to yourself!

Not every single day needs to be a productive language learning day. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break every once in a while.

 

Learning a language takes a long time – as does doing a PhD. But “Nì clachan beaga gu tric càrn mòr uaireigin” ‘small stones often, make a big cairn one day’. If you keep working on things regularly, in small steps, I’m sure you will get there 😊

Rebecca Madlener

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, UHI