The Canterbury Tales | by Geoffrey Chaucer | ESL & ELT tasks

Task 1.  Comprehension.

Watch the video and answer the following questions:

1-The Canterbury Tales is written in _______.

AAncient English
BOld English
CMiddle English
DModern English

2-The 24 tales are narrated by _______.

AA knight
BHarry Bailey
CChaucer
DDifferent characters

3-The characters are together because of _______.

AA funeral
BA battle
CA pilgrimage
DA banquet

4-Characters include _______.

AA reeve
BA nun
CA king
DA knight
EA reeve, a nun, and a knight

5-The Canterbury Tales is a finished work.

ATrue
BFalse
6-What has the journey been like for the characters of The Canterbury Tales?
7-What can we learn about medieval times from The Canterbury Tales?
8-What are three features of Chaucer’s language and writing style?
Task 2.  Research, Writing & Speaking.
Additional Resources for you to Explore

For a comprehensive version of The Canterbury Tales, including analysis and notes, visit this site. For useful Chaucer resources, visit the Chaucer homepage at the British Library.

You can find more information about the lost letters of the Middle English alphabet here, and the history of the language here.

Learn more about the social world Chaucer represented, the different roles of each of the characters, and how they were divided here.

Plus, you can encounter a virtual tour of Chaucer’s England and the sites his pilgrims visit here.

The Canterbury Tales have supplied ample historical material, as well as literary influence and rollicking entertainment, by informing audiences about society during the Middle Ages—and sharing the way ordinary folk spoke and joked in the context of everyday life.

This article
 explores the variation in voice and narrative style throughout the Tales. The variation and vitality of the language is one of the most beloved traits of Chaucer’s writing.This article makes the case for Chaucer’s continuing popularity.

This piece explores what we know about the author and his creative process.

In this documentary, Chaucer is discussed as the “father of modern literature.”

Although Medieval society was dominated by the codes of religion, Chaucer’s world is anything but solemn, and is frequently radical—from the feminist tale of the Wife of Bath to the bawdy humor or scatalogical language of some of the vignettes.

Task 3.  Discussion, Writing & Speaking.
Why do you think The Canterbury Tales continues to resonate with readers?