Disputes assertions by some academics that Chaucer was the first technical writer in English. Suggests that numerous examples of technical prose predated Chaucer's works. Argues that technical writing historians will find it more profitable to investigate the tradition of English practical prose than to find further firsts for their field. (SG)

Argues that medieval popular literacy can provide a crucial link for understanding alternative literacies. Claims that medieval practices explain some contemporary literacy practices, especially those outside the academy. (HB)

Advantage should be taken of the increased interest in teaching Old English literature, in translation, at the college and high school levels. The study of "Beowulf" and other Old English literature has proved to be a stimulating experience for students at the United States Air Force Academy and at Georgia College. At the academy, the…

Spenser's use of myth in the "Faerie Queene" to influence the reading public is described. Emphasis is placed on creating an attitude of legitimacy around the reign of Elizabeth I. (DE)

Women's roles and their impact on the Hispanos' historical past are examined. Three powerful cultural forces which through the centuries have shaped and conditioned women's lives in Iberian societies are considered: "donjuanismo,""marianismo," and the strong Iberian tradition of courtly, romantic love. (NQ)

Argues that medieval drama in performance suggests a number of important issues about the nature of literature, particularly about the way narrative and dramatic art can express the life of a community. Presents a series of exercises that start with familiar, nonthreatening situations in order to approach the richness of medieval plays and the…

This lesson plan highlights one episode in the "Divine Comedy" to provide students with an introduction to Dante's poem. After a brief introduction to the opening of the "Divine Comedy," which portrays Dante as a pilgrim guided by the poet Virgil on a journey through the Christian afterlife toward God, students read Canto 5 of…

Discusses language as being (1) substance, and as such a reflection of the mind, and (2) an activity played out in oratory and the pattern of discourse. Examples from classical, medieval, and contemporary works are cited to illustrate the various concepts of language and to present a historical view of the literary and oral traditions. (DS)

The Latin literature of the Middle Ages is unlimited. One could pursue one kind only for a year. Colleges love it, the students light up, and so does the teacher. (Author)

Discussion of the film The Lovers" (Universal), shown in Barcelona as El senor de la guerra." Bronwyn is the young female protagonist in the story of the eleventh century Celts. (DS)

It is suggested that a secondary school vocal or instrumental music director, even one with a limited background in early music, can establish a successful early music consort, but before establishing such a consort, the director should review thoroughly the main historical sources. These sources are listed. (KC)

An exploration of the connection between literature and the visual arts and its application in the foreign language literature class includes an illustration of how a medieval literary Spanish masterpiece becomes more clear when the text is compared with medieval pictorial art pieces. (four references) (Author/CB)