Since we read the Old English Beowulf in Seamus Heaney’s translation, the move to untranslated Middle English will be jarring. We’ll talk about this in class, but I also want to post a few links to resources here that might be useful as you begin to familiarize yourself with Chaucer’s language.

Here are links to audio files of experts reading sections of The Canterbury Tales. (Sorry, it’s not that Tom Hanks.) Audio Files

These lessons get into more detail than we can in this survey, but they’re very useful if you’re interested in learning more about Middle English: Middle English lessons

A great overview of Middle English linguistics from the Oxford English Dictionary: OED

The Middle English dictionary (also linked to in weekly assignment 2): ME Dictionary

Finally, a parallel text with a pretty good translation of the General Prologue into modern English. Remember to always use such translations to help  with reading the text in the original (not as a substitute): Parallel text