Pre-renaissance (14th-15th centuries)

The 14^th century was a difficult time for England. The country was waging the Hundred Year's War with France. At the same time England suffered from three epidemics of the plague. This was a real tragedy for the country, because half of its population died from the "black death".

Norman-French and Anglo-Saxon were moulded into one national language only towards the beginning of the 14^th century. During this stormy century the English nation was being formed, English became the spoken language of the country, English literature was born.

The London dialect was the central dialect and could be understood throughout the country. That's why it was the London dialect from which the national language developed. Sir Gawain and Green Knight (c.1373) is a treasure of the period. Written by an unknown author it is rich in details about the manners, dress and sports of the time. The scholastic Latin Church literature still ranked high, but a new spirit was already noticeable in the cultural life of the country. The new spirit was marked by an optimism unknown to the Middle Ages. It was best reflected in the works by Geoffrey Chaucer, the last poet of the Middle Ages and the first poet who paved the way for English realistic literature, free of the influence of the Church.

1. Topical vocabulary:

to defeat	наносить поражение	to abandon	покидать
to establish	устанавливать	to surrender	уступать, сдаваться
knight	рыцарь	bachelor	бакалавр
to suppress	подавлять	master	магистр
vowel	гласная	to wage	вести, проводить
diphthong	дифтонг	to mould	формировать
to express	выражать	treasure	сокровище
supremacy	верховенство, превосходство

2. Find the following word-combinations in the text and translate sentences including them:

A strong feudal monarchy; the power of the Catholic church; the language of the nobility; to have one's own literature; to bring the romance; Knights of the Round Table; to support the feudal system; an oppressed nation; any memorable literature; to be nearing; to mean a thing or an idea; a difference in the meaning; a store of synonyms; formal speech; to form the first university; a difficult time; this was a real tragedy; to become the spoken language; the central dialect; an unknown author; to rank high; an optimism unknown to the Middle Ages.

3. Paraphrase using the Active Voice:

The army was defeated by William; a strong feudal monarchy was established; three languages were spoken; Anglo-Saxon dialects were not suppressed; the newly formed pronunciation; French suffixes began to be used; the idea was clearly expressed; an interesting example is to be found; his swine will be turned into Normans; the words are used in conversation; corporations were called "universities"; schools were founded; the second university was formed; the graduates were awarded degrees.

4. Fill in the blanks with the suitable prepositions:

The legends ____________ King Arthur is ____________ the best known romances; funny stories ____________ town people; communication ____________ three languages went on ____________ 200 years; these factors account ____________ the absence ____________ English literature; many French words came ____________ language; the pronunciation changed ____________ the influence of French; the struggle ____________supremacy ____________ French and English; his swine will be turned ____________ Norman ____________ morning; to have its own shade ____________ meaning; to make all the difference ____________ the written and the spoken language; to be the great center ____________ higher education ____________ English students; a large group ____________ students migrated ____________ Oxford; to suffer ____________ three epidemics ____________ the plague; a real tragedy ____________ the country; to die ____________ the "black death"; to be moulded ____________ one national language; (it) could be understood ____________ the country; it's rich ____________details ____________the manners; to be marked ____________ an optimism; to pave the way ____________ English realistic literature; to be free ____________ the influence ____________ the Church; to appear ____________ the development of sciences.

5. Transform as in the model:

Model (Verb ® Noun): to defeat an army ® the defeat of an army.

To establish a strong monarchy; to support the system; to compose a poetry; to communicate in three languages; to pronounce under the influence; to use French suffixes; to struggle for supremacy; to relate to government; to remain in language; to differ in the meaning; to belong to the church; to develop sciences; to migrate from Oxford; to mould into one language; to reflect the optimism; to influence the literature; to mean an idea.

6. Match English and Russian equivalents:

1.	Романы повествовали о любви и приключениях.	1.	The power of the Catholic Church had become very great.
2.	Англосаксы сложили собственную народную поэзию.	2.	The Normans brought with them their culture and the French language.
3.	Под влиянием французского языка произношение изменилось.	3.	The Romans told of love and adventure.
4.	До 12 века люди считали книги и знания исключительной принадлежностью церкви.	4.	These factors account for an absence of English literature in the first century of the Middle English period.
5.	В результате такого процесса появился широкий слой синонимов.	5.	During this stormy century English literature was born.
6.	В течение этого бурного столетия родилась английская литература.	6.	Under the influence of French the pronunciation of people changed.
7.	Власть католической церкви стала всеобъемлющей.	7.	The new spirit was marked by an optimism unknown to the Middle Ages.
8.	Норманны принесли с собой свою культуру и французский язык.	8.	The Anglo-Saxon composed their own popular poetry.
9.	Эти факты объясняют отсутствие английской литературы в первое столетие Средневековья.	9.	Before the 12th century people thought that books and any kind of learning belonged to the Church only.
10.	Новое течение было отмечено оптимизмом, неизвестным в средние века.	10.	As a result of this process there appeared a large store of synonyms.

7. Say whether the following sentences are true or not:

1. In the year 1066, in the battle of Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon king's army was defeated by William, Duke of Norway, who became King of France.

2. The power of Catholic Church had become unlimited by the 12^th century.

3. There languages were spoken in England: the language of nobility was Anglo-Saxon, the churchmen spoke French and the common people used Latin.

4. Among the best known romances are the legends of King Henry and his Knights of the Round Chair.

5. The literature of the Church was romantic, telling about love and adventure.

6. The struggle for supremacy between French and English didn't take place at all.

7. The use of synonyms makes all the difference between the written and the spoken language.

8. Londinium was a great center of higher education for English students.

9. The 14^th century was a difficult time for England.

10. The Welsh dialect was the central dialect and could be understood throughout the country, that's why it became the basement of a national language.

11. The romantic Latin Church literature still ranked high, but a new scholastic spirit was already noticeable in the cultural life of the country.

12. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet who paved the way for English realistic literature, free of the influence of the Church.

8. Find in the text the sentences dealing with:

1. The defeat of the Anglo-Saxons king's army.

2. The origin of the Normans and their influence on the Anglo-Saxons' culture.

3. The literature of three social classes.

4. New factors appeared in language with the Norman conquest.

5. The result of the struggle for supremacy between French and English words.

6. The use of words of different origins in people's speech.

7. Centers of education for English students and degrees (for graduates).

8. The people's life during the 14^th century.

9. The development of English languages and the treasure of English literature of the period.

10. A new spirit already noticeable in the cultural life of the country.

11. The last poet of the Middle Ages, who paved the way for English realistic literature.

12. The explanation of the terms "epic", "romance", "fabliaux", "bestiaries", "scholastic".

9. Say everything you know about the development of the English language during the period from the 11^th to the 15^th centuries?

QUIZ

(More than one answer may be appropriate)

1. The name Arthur is possibly of:

a) Germanic origin

b) Roman origin

c) Celtic origin

2. King Arthur's historicity:

a) is always regarded as certain

b) is sometimes regarded as certain

c) is always denied

3. In many battles King Arthur defeated:

a) the barbarians

b) the Romans

c) the knights who tried to rebel in his kingdom against him

4. The saga was built up over the centuries and Celtic traditions of Arthur reached the Continent over:

a) Britain

b) Brittany

c) France

5. The writer's name who produced a huge Arthuriad in the 15th century and whose book is regarded as the standard "history" of Arthur is:

a) Edward Malone

b) Christopher Marlowe

c) Sir Thomas Malory

6. Arthur was son of:

a) Duke of Cornwall whose name was Gorlous of Cornwall

b) King of Britain whose name was Pendragon (Chief dragon)

c) Duke's wife

7. Arthur was brought up by:

a) Duke of Cornwall

b) Pendragon

c) A person who raised the boy in ignorance of his true family

8. He became King of Britain after:

a) Merlin had him crowned

b) he had pulled the sword from the stone

с) he put down eleven rulers who rebelled against Arthur as King of Britain

9. When Arthur married Guinevere he was given the Round Table:

a) by Merlin

b) by Guinevere's father

c) by Pendragon

10. The Round Table in Celtic legends is:

a) the institution of knighthood set up by Arthur at the behest of Merlin

b) the table at which Arthur seated his knights to avoid quarrels over precedence

c) a meeting place for those who desired to exchange news of their adventures and details of outlaws, monsters and evil customs to overcome

11. The knights of the Round Table were dedicated to the service of the Round Table code of chivalry:

a) right against wrong

b) good against evil

c) loyalty to King Arthur

12. When Lancelot's intrigue with the queen, Arthur's wife, came to light:

a) Lancelot and Guinevere fled

b) Guinevere was sentenced to death

c) Lancelot rescued the Queen and took her to his Continental Realm