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Revised, Updated, and Expanded! With the immersion method dominating contemporary language learning, the knowledge of traditional grammar is at a low ebb, creating real barriers to any student wanting to learn dead or historical languages. This revised edition of Reading Old English aims to equip readers (advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and autodidacts) with the necessary tools to read the oldest recorded forms of the English language by explaining key language features clearly and methodically, without dumbing down or simplifying any of the core grammatical concepts. It includes a number of helpful exercises, a variety of interesting and unusual Old English texts to translate, as well as appendices covering the basics of traditional grammar and sound changes in Old English, along with an introduction to poetic structure. Robert Hasenfratz and Thomas J. Jambeck are both Professors of Medieval Studies at University of Connecticut. |
Reviews
"This is a book that will feed enthusiasm. Throughout the ten chapters in which the basics of Old English grammar are covered, cleverly chosen phrases and sentences of Old English gradually build a secure reading knowledge, leading the readers to translate confidently and idiomatically. Particularly impressive is the authors' willingness to confront readers with Latin."
Jane Roberts, Professor Emerita, King's College London and Senior Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, University of London
"Other introductory texts seem reluctant to abandon the 'serious' philological and historical background to Old English, a reluctance that can have serious consequences for the subject's appeal to today's students. By focusing on the main goal of learning to translate Old English texts, students gain access to this fascinating body of literature much more quickly. Their confidence is bolstered, and as my experience has shown, many of them go on to learn more about the language and culture once they have mastered the basics. In short, this approach generates enthusiasm and a desire to learn, rather than stifling it."
David F. Johnson, Florida State University