Abstract
Arguably, the three most important early writers in the English language – indeed, one might say the founders of the language – are Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and John Milton (1608-1674). Yet our experience at the higher level of education is that students have had little exposure to the life and times of these writers or of their work. Our study shows that, while some Georgian school leavers have been exposed briefly to a bit of Shakespeare, few have chanced to encounter Chaucer and none to Milton. Moreover, while teaching what we might call “The Big Three” of English language and literature, much the same might be said at the master’s level: a bit of Shakespeare, little of Chaucer, and none of Milton. To the extent that students of English as a foreign language encounter any literature at all, they tend to be offered little other than literal translation. “Retell the text.” They miss the nuances of the English language as they would encounter them through the greatest of writers. It is, therefore, essential that those who teach any or all of these great writers develop a strategy to fit the needs of the students while meeting the objectives of the course. The key to making sense of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton is to make connections to what students already know, to their own experiences, to make these greatest of all English writers relevant to the lives of the students in ways they can understand.
 Keywords: English literature, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton
Highlights
While teaching English Literature to candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in English Language and Literature, we find that students are mostly accustomed to “retelling the text.”
The informal classroom feedback is an important way to reinforce learning and assess progress, but some kind of formal assessment can play a part in mastering the material, which in the cases of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton may not be intuitive to students for whom English is not a native language
Graduate students can achieve the objectives of their courses in Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton, but only with substantial remedial work in critical thinking. creative problem solving, and effective communication, both orally and in writing
Summary
While teaching English Literature to candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in English Language and Literature, we find that students are mostly accustomed to “retelling the text.” And the text is, for the most part, mundane. Their experience in reading anything in English, whether in school or at university, tends to be from workbooks. These “fill-in-the-blank” workbooks may be useful for beginning students, but they are insufficient for more advanced learners. Shakespeare, and Milton are obligatory for students seeking the master’s degree in English Language and Literature. It comes as a shock to first-year master’s degree candidates when they are required to do more than that with which they have been accustomed They must be taught the basics of critical analysis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
