Resources for Dealing Directly with Specialist Language Style
As previously detailed, there are numerous problems for students
attempting to access the specialist language of English. One of the
most difficult problems for students to overcome is the language and
style of William Shakespeare’s plays. The three biggest problems that
students face when reading Shakespeare are the Elizabethan language,
the use of iambic pentameter and the use of themes. It is important
that teachers develop resources and strategies to assist students in
overcoming these language barriers.
To overcome the language barriers of Elizabethan English, teachers
must provide students with the greatest possible opportunities for
understanding. By using a Shakespearean glossary such as that featured
in the appendix, students are able to gain knowledge of the meaning of
frequently used words in Shakespearean texts such as anon and doth.
When students learn the meaning of these common words, much of the
ambiguity of the language and its overall meaning is taken away.
A number of teaching strategies could be used to introduce this
resource to students. One of the most effective ways is to turn the
resource into a trivia game. By putting students into groups of four,
calling out a word from the Elizabethan English list and asking
students to respond with the words meaning from modern English,
students are given the greatest opportunity to learn the words’
meanings. Students are also given a cooperative, motivated and
enjoyment focused learning environment.
The use of iambic pentameter, while adding much to the meaning of
Shakespeare’s texts, is extremely difficult for students to read. If
the beats and punctuation of writing are read incorrectly, it could
change the meaning and interpretation of much of the play. For this
reason, it is essential that teachers provide students with activities
and exercises that will increase their knowledge of how to read this
difficult rhyming pattern. Resources such as ‘rules for reading
Shakespeare’ and ‘how to read a poem’, found in the appendix, are
ideal for students to learn how to go about reading Shakespeare.