Why study Gàidhlig?

Learning Gàidhlig will help you to improve your existing reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, essential for learning, life and work. You will be able to communicate your thoughts and feelings to other people better, as well as deal with those of other people.

Learning Gàidhlig will also enhance your appreciation and understanding of Scottish culture and heritage.

The increased interest in Gàidhlig recently now means there are more career opportunities for people who can speak it. You could work in the performing arts, teaching, media and writing, or in TV and radio.

Career Pathways

To see what career areas this subject could lead to and the routes to get there, download and view these career pathways:

Arts, Social Sciences and Languages

Communications and Media

Teaching and Classroom Support

What do I need to get in?

The school or college will decide on the entry requirements for the course. You would normally have achieved:

• National 5 Gàidhlig

What will I study?

The course provides you with the opportunity to develop your reading, critical reading, listening, talking and writing skills in order to understand and use Gaelic language. In particular, you will learn to develop your:

• ability to listen, read, talk and write in Gaelic, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
• ability to understand, analyse and evaluate texts, as appropriate to purpose and audience in the contexts of literature, language, media and culture
• ability to create and produce texts, as appropriate to purpose, audience and context
• ability to apply knowledge of Gaelic
• knowledge and understanding of Gaelic cultural heritage and the cultural heritage of others.

How will I be assessed?

Course Assessment

The course assessment has five components totalling 120 marks:

• Component 1: question paper 1: Leughadh (Reading) – worth 30 marks
• Component 2: question paper 1: Litreachas  (Literature) – worth 20 marks
• Component 3: question paper 2: Èisteachd (Listening) – worth 20 marks
• Component 4: Obair shònraichte–sgrìobhadh (Assignment–writing) – worth 20 marks
• Component 5: Còmhradh (Performance – talking) – worth 30 marks.

For the performance component, you will be asked to take part in a discussion on a topic chosen by yourself using detailed Gaelic language. Your performance will be set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and marked internally by an SQA assessor.

The question papers will be set and marked externally by the SQA.

The grade awarded is based on the total marks achieved across all course assessment components.

The course assessment is graded A-D.  

Study Materials

• SQA Past Papers Gàidhlig National 5
• SQA Specimen Paper Gàidhlig National 5 (Reading)
• SQA Specimen Paper Gàidhlig National 5 (Literature)
• SQA Specimen Paper Gàidhlig National 5 (Listening)
• SQA Understanding Standards Gàidhlig

What can I go on to next?

If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:

• Higher Gàidhlig

Further study, training or employment in:

• Communications and Media
• Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism
• Languages
• Teaching and Classroom Support

Which jobs are related to this subject?

• Gàidhlig - Related Careers

Where can my parents find out more?

Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.

They can also read the information leaflet(s):

Nationals in a Nutshell - Gaidhlig (National 5)