Lesson Overview 

There are two, and probably many more, ideas that can easily get lost when having students study Beowulf.  One of these is that the story was originally created in Old English.  The second is that it wasn't originally written down - but was instead sung in the very mead halls that good king Scyld is mentioned having snatched from the enemy.  This short (but I believe very powerful) lesson attempts to address those "lost" ideas.   The students will first watch and listen to the performer Benjamin Bagby, reading/singing an excerpt from Beowulf accompanied on his harp in the original Old English.  Importantly, it is a section that the students have read (twice - once on their own [gosh homework is important], and then a second time aloud in class).  While the students watch (without taking notes or doing anything else other than watching) they will follow along with the help of a subtitled translation.  Some of the more astute students will be able to recognize the reading that we have already gone over in class.

    Next, after about 8-10 minutes of this - I will turn the subtitles off.  The students are still required to pay close attention (we will go over the handout below, before we begin any watching) - and now they have to try to infer what is happening from the clues that are given.  1) Bagby's very elaborate gestures and facial expressions  2) the few words that are common to modern English  3) the story as they know it.  After about 5 minutes of unsubtitled Old English performance, the students are immediately given time to write down their reaction (see the handout).  They are instructed to write without stopping  until the bell rings.  Remember, this is the second part of today's class - the first part being given over to choosing their Beowulf Groups for Puttin on the Beowulf - and getting started on that project.  See the handout for more instructions.

Thoughts on the Lesson 

We used to do another different type of assignment on Translation - which I included up above.  It has the students look at brief parts of different translations in a group and try to come to the same big ideas.  However, I much prefer this lesson as it not only emphasises the idea of translation but also has students look at the oral versus written paradigm.