Understanding Middle English is like learning another language. There are many
likenesses on paper, but transforming the knowledge from my brain to my lips requires
effort. Case in point is the pronunciation of a pure vowel. My pronunciations reek of
Modern English with The Canterbury Tales, and they have a Northern Illinois tinge.
Unlearning what one has learned as to spoken language is challenging. However, one aid
is imagination.
The challenge of Middle English is easier when actors in movies speak
similar accents. Resounding Chaucer's lines off the walls of my apartment lead to my
voice resembling William Wallace's from Braveheart. Character's accents may be heavy,
like Tim from Monty Python's Holy Grail. Listening to The Franklin Tale CD helps
as a vocal medium between pronouncing Middle English in contrast to Tim's
heavy accent. My ears are less trained than my eyes, explaining my reliance on
linguistics.
