Staff Profiles

An Dr. Cassandra Smith-Christmas

BA, MA, PhD.

Contact Details

Lecturer
School of Education
University of Galway
E: Cassandra.C.Smith-Christmas@universityofgalway.ie

Biography

Dr. Cassie Smith-Christmas is a Lecturer in Children's Studies. Her research focuses on the intersection of the family and society, particularly within the sociolinguistic sub-field known as 'Family Language Policy, ' and especially on children's agency in language revitalisation. She is currently a SFI-IRC Pathways awardee for her project 'Gaeltacht Families and Multilingualism (GAELFAM),' which centres on families living in Gaeltacht areas who speak a language in addition to/other than Irish or English in the home. This follows on other funded research fellowships and projects, including a Marie Sk¿odowska-Curie Action project ( 'Language, Families, and Society' LaFS; Grant No. 794800); the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (with Orlaith Ruiséal; 'An Nasc Idir an Teanga agus an Pobal i gCorca Dhuibhne/The Intersection of Language and Community in Corca Dhuibhne'); an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland postdoctoral fellowship (The Challenges of Minority Language Maintenance: Family Language Policy in Scotland and Ireland'; GOIPD/2016/644); as well as research fellowship at the Institute for the Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, and Soillse, the interuniversity Scottish Gaelic research network, at the University of the Highlands and Islands

Cassie's publications include a monograph Family Language Policy: Maintaining an Endangered Language in the Home (Palgrave, 2016), which continued her work on three generations of Gaelic-speaking family on the Isle of Skye undertaken as part of her PhD thesis (University of Glasgow, 2012). She is also co-editor of two volumes, Gaelic in Contemporary Scotland: The Revitalisation of an Endangered Language (University of Edinburgh Press, 2018) and New Speakers of Minority Languages: Linguistic Ideologies and Practices (Palgrave, 2018).

She has taught a number of courses and workshops on different aspects of language and social life, as well as research methods courses, including NVivo software training. She was also an invited lecturer for the MultiLing Winter School at the University of Oslo and a guest lecturer in an Erasmus+ exchange at the Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III, as well as an invited guest researcher at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

Research Interests

Multilingualism; Language Shift and Maintenance; Family Language Policy; Minority Language Issues; Code-Switching; Language and Migration; New Speaker Issues; Pragmatics; Conversational Analysis

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	'`Right an turn agadsa': The reflexivity between language socialisation and child agency in exploring `success' in FLP' Smith-Christmas, C. (2022) '`Right an turn agadsa': The reflexivity between language socialisation and child agency in exploring `success' in FLP'. Language & Communication, 86 :119-128 [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2021)	'Using a ‘Family Language Policy’ lens to explore the dynamic and relational nature of child agency' Smith-Christmas, C (2021) 'Using a ‘Family Language Policy’ lens to explore the dynamic and relational nature of child agency'. Children & Society, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2021)	'‘Our cat has the power’: the polysemy of a third language in maintaining the power/solidarity equilibrium in family interactions' Smith-Christmas, C (2021) '‘Our cat has the power’: the polysemy of a third language in maintaining the power/solidarity equilibrium in family interactions'. Journal Of Multilingual And Multicultural Development, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2020)	'Double-voicing and rubber ducks: the dominance of English in the imaginative play of two bilingual sisters' Smith-Christmas, C (2020) 'Double-voicing and rubber ducks: the dominance of English in the imaginative play of two bilingual sisters'. International Journal Of Bilingual Education And Bilingualism, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2020)	'How to turn the tide: the policy implications emergent from comparing a ‘post-vernacular FLP’ to a ‘pro-Gaelic FLP’' Smith-Christmas, C; NicLeòid, SL (2020) 'How to turn the tide: the policy implications emergent from comparing a ‘post-vernacular FLP’ to a ‘pro-Gaelic FLP’'. Language Policy, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2019)	'When X doesn’t mark the spot: the intersection of language shift, identity and family language policy' Smith-Christmas, C. (2019) 'When X doesn’t mark the spot: the intersection of language shift, identity and family language policy'. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2019 (255) [DOI] [Details]
	(2019)	'A Kind of Success Story: Family Language Policy in Three Different Sociopolitical Contexts' Smith-Christmas, C.; Bergroth, M; Bezcioglu-Goktolga, I (2019) 'A Kind of Success Story: Family Language Policy in Three Different Sociopolitical Contexts'. [DOI] [Details]
	(2018)	'One Cas, Two Cas’: Exploring the affective dimensions of family language policy' Smith-Christmas, C. (2018) 'One Cas, Two Cas’: Exploring the affective dimensions of family language policy'. Multilingua-Journal Of Cross-Cultural And Interlanguage Comm, [Details]
	(2017)	'‘Is it really for talking?’: the implications of associating a minority language with the school' Smith-Christmas, C (2017) '‘Is it really for talking?’: the implications of associating a minority language with the school'. Language Culture And Curriculum, 31 (1):32-47 [Details]
	(2016)	'Regression on the fused lect continuum? Discourse markers in Scottish Gaelic–English speech' Smith-Christmas, C (2016) 'Regression on the fused lect continuum? Discourse markers in Scottish Gaelic–English speech'. Journal Of Pragmatics, 94 (March 2016):64-75 [Details]
	(2014)	'Complementary reversing language shift strategies in education: the importance of adult heritage learners of threatened minority languages' Smith-Christmas, C and Armstrong, T.C. (2014) 'Complementary reversing language shift strategies in education: the importance of adult heritage learners of threatened minority languages'. Current Issues in Language Planning, 15 (3):312-326 [Details]
	(2014)	'Being socialised into language shift: the impact of extended family members on family language policy' Smith-Christmas, C (2014) 'Being socialised into language shift: the impact of extended family members on family language policy'. Journal Of Multilingual And Multicultural Development, 25 (5):511-526 [Details]
	(2009)	'Gaelic on the Isle of Skye: older speakers' identity in a language-shift situation' Smith-Christmas, C and Smakman, D (2009) 'Gaelic on the Isle of Skye: older speakers' identity in a language-shift situation'. International Journal Of The Sociology Of Language, (200):27-47 [Details]

Books

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	Family Language Policy: Maintaining an Endangered Language in the Home. Smith-Christmas, (2016) Family Language Policy: Maintaining an Endangered Language in the Home. Basingstoke: Palgrave. [Details]

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2024)	'Tús Maith: Empowering Children's Agentive Role in Language Revitalisation' Smith-Christmas, C; Ruiséal, O (2024) 'Tús Maith: Empowering Children's Agentive Role in Language Revitalisation' In: Agency in the Peripheries of Language Revitalisation: Examining European Practices on the Ground. :25-42 Bristol: Multilingual Matters. [DOI] [Details]
	(2023)	'Intergenerational Transmission: The Need for a Good Start' Smith-Christmas, C (2023) 'Intergenerational Transmission: The Need for a Good Start' In: Langue Bretonne, Langues Minorisées: Avenir et Transmission Familiale. :61-78 Rennes: TIR. [Details]
	(2022)	''Do Sheans': Children's Agency in Integrating Scottish Gaelic and Irish into 'Happy Families'' Smith-Christmas, C (2022) ''Do Sheans': Children's Agency in Integrating Scottish Gaelic and Irish into 'Happy Families'' In: Léann na Sionainne. :283-301 Baile Átha Cliath: Cló Léann na Gaeilge. [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2022)	'Conceptualising successful intergenerational transmission in terms of saibhreas: Family language support in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht' Smith-Christmas, C; Ruiséal, O (2022) 'Conceptualising successful intergenerational transmission in terms of saibhreas: Family language support in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht' In: Transmitting Minority Languages. :17-44 Switzerland: Springer. [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2020)	'Thuirt e, thuirt i: Code-switching and constructed dialogue in the speech of older bilinguals' Smith-Christmas, C (2020) 'Thuirt e, thuirt i: Code-switching and constructed dialogue in the speech of older bilinguals' In: Litreachas, Eachdraidh & Cànan: Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig 7. :382-397 Glasgow: Roinn na Ceiltis & na Gàidhlig, Oilthigh Ghlaschu. [Details]
	(2020)	'Child agency and home language maintenance' Smith-Christmas, C (2020) 'Child agency and home language maintenance' In: Handbook of Home Language Maintenance and Development. :218-235 Berlin: De Grouton Mouton. [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2018)	'Ide-eolaiochtai teanga i gcaidreamh teaghlaigh in Albain' Smith-Christmas, C. (2018) 'Ide-eolaiochtai teanga i gcaidreamh teaghlaigh in Albain' In: An Meon Folaithe. Cork: Cois Life. [Details]
	(2018)	'Land, Language, and Migration: World War II Evacuees as New Speakers of Scottish Gaelic' Smith-Christmas, C. (2018) 'Land, Language, and Migration: World War II Evacuees as New Speakers of Scottish Gaelic' In: New Speakers of Minority Languages: Linguistic Ideologies and Practices. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. [Details]
	(2017)	'Family Language Policy: New Directions' Smith-Christmas, Cassie,Macalister, John, Mirvahedi, Seyed Hadi (2017) 'Family Language Policy: New Directions' In: Family Language Policies in a Multilingual World Opportunities, Challenges, and Consequences. London: Routledge. [Details]
	(2015)	'Gaelic Scotland and Ireland: Issues of Class and Diglossia in an Evolving Social Landscape' Smith-Christmas, Cassie; Ó hIfearnáin, Tadhg (2015) 'Gaelic Scotland and Ireland: Issues of Class and Diglossia in an Evolving Social Landscape' In: Globalising Sociolinguistics: Challenging and expanding theory. :256-269 London & New York: Routledge. [Details]
	(2015)	'Voicing the ‘other’ Code-switching in discourses of Gaelic language ideologies' Dunmore, S. and Smith-Christmas, C.,Eivind Torgersen, Stian Hårstad, Brit Mæhlum and Unn Røyneland (2015) 'Voicing the ‘other’ Code-switching in discourses of Gaelic language ideologies' In: Language Variation - European Perspectives V: Selected papers from the Seventh International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 7), Trondheim, June 2013. :87-98 Amsterdanm: Johns Benjamins. [Details]
	(2014)	'Code-Switching in ‘Flannan Isles’: A Micro-Interactional Approach to a Bilingual Narrative' Smith-Christmas,Robert Lawson (2014) 'Code-Switching in ‘Flannan Isles’: A Micro-Interactional Approach to a Bilingual Narrative' In: Sociolinguistics in Scotland. :277-295 Basingstoke: Palgrave. [Details]
	(2013)	'Stance and code-switching: Gaelic-English bilinguals on the Isles of Skye and Harris' Smith-Christmas, C,Peter Auer, Javier Caro Reina and Göz Kaufmann (2013) 'Stance and code-switching: Gaelic-English bilinguals on the Isles of Skye and Harris' In: Language Variation - European Perspectives IV Selected papers from the Sixth International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 6), Freiburg, June 2011. :229-246 Amsterdam: Johns Benjamins. [Details]

Published Reports

	Year	Publication
	(2019)	An nasc idir an teanga agus an pobal i gCorca Dhuibhne/ The Intersection of Language and Community in Corca Dhuibhne. Smith-Christmas, C; Ruiséal, O (2019) An nasc idir an teanga agus an pobal i gCorca Dhuibhne/ The Intersection of Language and Community in Corca Dhuibhne. Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Washington, D.C. [DOI] [Details]
	(2022)	Líon agus Lonnaíocht na dTeaghlach atá ag tógáil clainne le Gaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Seoighe, Stiofán; Smith-Christmas, Cassie; Ó hIfearnáin, Tadhg (2022) Líon agus Lonnaíocht na dTeaghlach atá ag tógáil clainne le Gaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Glór na nGael, Baile Átha Cliath. [Details]
	(2015)	BAAL/CUP Seminar 2014: Languages in the UK: Bridging the gap between the classroom and the community in language learning. Smith-Christmas, C. (2015) BAAL/CUP Seminar 2014: Languages in the UK: Bridging the gap between the classroom and the community in language learning. Language Teaching, Cambridge. [DOI] [Details]
	(2014)	Language and Integration: Migration to Gaelic-Speaking Areas in the Twenty-First Century. Smith-Christmas, C. (2014) Language and Integration: Migration to Gaelic-Speaking Areas in the Twenty-First Century. Soillse, University of the Highlands and Islands. [Details]

Edited Books

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	Gaelic in Contemporary Scotland: The Revitalisation of an Endangered Language. MacLeod, M; Smith-Christmas, C (Ed.). (2018) Gaelic in Contemporary Scotland: The Revitalisation of an Endangered Language. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. [Details]
	(2018)	New Speakers of Minority Languages: Linguistic Ideologies and Practices. Smith-Christmas, C., O Murchadha, N, Hornsby, M., Moriarty, M (Ed.). (2018) New Speakers of Minority Languages: Linguistic Ideologies and Practices. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. [Details]

Blog

	Year	Publication
	(2020)	A Child Eye’s View of Language Revitalisation: Hope and opportunity for the future of Gaelic in Scotland. Smith-Christmas, C (2020) A Child Eye’s View of Language Revitalisation: Hope and opportunity for the future of Gaelic in Scotland. Blog [Details]
	(2019)	Friendnography and the Ethical Questions it Raises. Cassie Smith-Christmas (2019) Friendnography and the Ethical Questions it Raises. Blog [DOI] [Details]
	(2018)	To the ‘Underwear Crowd’: What gives you the right to question other people’s existence?. Smith-Christmas, C. (2018) To the ‘Underwear Crowd’: What gives you the right to question other people’s existence?. Blog [Details]
	(2018)	Language as a Story: Learning Irish in Corca Dhuibhne. Smith-Christmas, C. (2018) Language as a Story: Learning Irish in Corca Dhuibhne. Blog [Details]
	(2016)	I am a white linguist . Blog https://bildlida.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/i-am-a-white-linguist-by-dr-cassie-smith-christmas/. Smith-Christmas, C (2016) I am a white linguist . Blog https://bildlida.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/i-am-a-white-linguist-by-dr-cassie-smith-christmas/. Blog [Details]

Book Review

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	Review of McLeod (2020): Gaelic in Scotland: Policies, Movements and Ideologies. Smith-Christmas, C (2022) Review of McLeod (2020): Gaelic in Scotland: Policies, Movements and Ideologies. Language Problems and Language Planning Book Review [DOI] [Details]
	(2021)	Critical Perspectives on Language and Kinship in Multilingual Families by Lyn Wright (Book Review). Smith-Christmas, C (2021) Critical Perspectives on Language and Kinship in Multilingual Families by Lyn Wright (Book Review). Book Review [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2018)	Mi Padre – Mexican immigrant fathers and their children's education, by Sarah Gallo (Book Review). Smith-Christmas, C. (2018) Mi Padre – Mexican immigrant fathers and their children's education, by Sarah Gallo (Book Review). Language and Education Book Review [DOI] [Details]

Community Engagement Publications

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	Brochure to Support Parents to use Scottish Gaelic in the Home. Cassie Smith-Christmas (2018) Brochure to Support Parents to use Scottish Gaelic in the Home. Community Engagement Publications [Details]

Magazine Article

	Year	Publication
	(2015)	Language and Place: Insights from World War II Evacuees to Gaelic-Speaking Areas . Magazine Article http://www.earthlinesmagazine.org/earthlines-issue-11/. Smith-Christmas, C (2015) Language and Place: Insights from World War II Evacuees to Gaelic-Speaking Areas . Magazine Article http://www.earthlinesmagazine.org/earthlines-issue-11/. Magazine Article [Details]