SMCE4010 F25 Songs and Speech of Gaelic Scotland

• Delivery: In-person
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Day of the week: Tuesdays
• Dates: September 9th to October 14th, 2025
• Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Location: TBD (In-person on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto)
• Cost: $325 (includes HST)

Course Overview

This course will provide an introduction to speaking and singing in Gaelic, the Celtic language of Scotland. Students will learn pronunciation, basic vocabulary and useful phrases. Music is an effective tool for learning language. Each class will explore a different type of traditional song from Scotland’s rich Gaelic heritage.

Students will encounter a range of songs and styles and understand the cultural context behind them. Musical styles will include mouth music, waulking and other work songs, children’s and ceilidh songs, songs of love and loss, and traditional Gaelic psalm-singing.

Method of Teaching

Instruction will include a mix of lecture-style delivery of information on the history, sound patterns and musical genres in addition to opportunities for students to interact with each other to practice simple conversation exercises and participate in group singing. There will be in-class use of multimedia resources including audio and video recordings as well as printed text. While not required, self-directed study will be encouraged, with students practicing their singing and newly developed language skills or accessing on-line supports between sessions to reinforce learning. No prior knowledge of Gaelic or ability to read music are required.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn pronunciation and basic conversational phrases in Scottish Gaelic
• Explore several styles of traditional Gaelic music
• Learn and sing Gaelic songs in a supportive, communal setting
• Gain a deeper awareness of the interconnection between language and song

About the Instructor

David Livingston-Lowe is an alumnus of the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto and a graduate of the Celtic Studies Program. David has a broad interest in the Celtic languages and has been teaching Gaelic for over thirty years. He studied Scottish Heritage at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Gaelic in the Isle of Skye and the Gaelic College in Cape Breton, as well as Irish in Donegal and Connemara. He has worked as a translator and language consultant in addition to teaching Gaelic and Scots language and literature at St. Mike’s.

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