Fiona O'Hanlon

Dr Fiona O'Hanlon is a Senior Lecturer in Language Education and Director of Ethics at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh. She specializes in languages education, focusing on bilingual and immersion education, Gaelic-medium instruction, and modern languages policy in Scotland. She holds a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and serves on SCILT's Board (Scotland's National Centre for Languages) and the Gaelic Language Plan Working Group at the University of Edinburgh.

Education:

• MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature (University of Edinburgh)
• MSc in Education by Research (University of Edinburgh)
• PhD in Education (University of Edinburgh)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (University of Edinburgh)

Research Interests: Her work explores language education equity, teacher training for minority languages, and the role of education in language revitalization (e.g., Gaelic and Welsh). Key themes include pupil/teacher experiences in bilingual settings, language policy implementation, and civic participation through language learning. Recent projects include a comparative study of Gaelic/Welsh-medium education and evaluation of Scotland's 1+2 languages policy.

Grants & Projects:

• ESRC-funded study on language, identity, and civic participation in Scotland/Wales
• Development of a National Framework for Languages with SCDE
• Self-assessment tools for modern languages teaching in primary/secondary schools

Advisory Roles:

• Co-director of the Centre for Racial Equality in Scotland (CERES)
• External examiner for BA Gaelic and Education at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Teaching & Supervision: Supervises PhD students in bilingual education, language policy, and mixed methods research. Current advisees include scholars investigating Gaelic early childhood education, CLIL in science, and student-staff partnerships in academia.