For those of who teach either British Literature or Middle Ages History, I was wondering if anyone knew of a passage from a prayer or something done in Middle English that I can give my students to figure out. When we did Old English, I gave them the Our Father in Old English to see if they could figure out what it was. Any ideas?
2006-09-24 09:07:14 · 2 answers · asked by Chloe_06 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
I don't think Middle English is all that hard. Just give them a chunk of Chaucer and let them go at it--it won't be as hard to figure out as Old English, so I don't think it would need to be something they recognize to help with translation.
When I took History of the English Language, we just got stuff about astrolabes (and not one person made a joke about them, either--for shame, college students! Get thee to Bawdytown!) and Bible verses, stuff like that. If they can pronounce the passage, it'll become clearer much faster (since ME sounds a lot like English done in a lilting Irish accent.) But don't give them riddles--my Old English teacher did that and it was evil! The Canterbury Tales are a classic and fun to read in ME. That's what I'd teach.
2006-09-24 09:17:44 · answer #1 · answered by SlowClap 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I took Brit Lit in high school (about 5 years ago) we had to memorize and then recite the opening to the Canterbury Tales. And to this day I still remember parts of it. And if you give it to them to break down then they'll learn it that much more.
"Wan that april with his shoures soote
the droughths of march hath perced to the roote" (etc.)
2006-09-24 09:24:04 · answer #2 · answered by california_gurl16 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋