Chaucer in the UIAD English Department

by Philippe With (level B2)

What a strange idea to suggest an event about Geoffrey Chaucer who was born in 1343. A couple of friends living in Oxford, that I hosted at home, wanted to share with me their passion for the Middle Ages and the famous author, Geoffrey Chaucer, known in England as the “Father of English poetry”. They spoke to me about his famous work, written before the Printing Press invention The Canterbury Tales and his characters, 29 ordinary people doing a pilgrimage and telling stories to pass the time.

I suggested to English teachers, with more or less success, a lecture in English with a bilingual PowerPoint. In the association Alliance Grenoble-Oxford, we met Jonathan Fruoco, professor of English literature when he came, few years ago, to speak about Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Jonathan Fruoco is an English teacher in Chambery and professor in Paris-Nanterre and he was very glad to speak in Grenoble (his hometown) about the Middle Ages.

But, I  thought that the topic was a bit difficult for students in English Department and I suggested a new idea, a sketch performed before the lecture. I wrote the script for four characters, G. Chaucer, a clerk, the innkeeper and the Wife of Bath. It was taken from the General Prologue when pilgrims are gathered in the Tabard inn of the innkeeper Harry Bailey. With the help of Rosana Delon, one of the English teachers and the delegates network, we found four people as actors with texts and nine extras. Different people brought costumes, like Michael who helped us very much.

After only one rehearsal, to explain the staging of the show, we presented it in a joyful mood.

It’s always a very difficult exercise for English students from different levels to understand totally a lecture in English. The room acoustics weren't very good, there was noise in the corridors and the speaker was sitting at his desk with a deep voice. But we can try to understand main ideas, helped by the bilingual PowerPoint or some groups of words or listen to the music of the English language.

And now, we can study one of the Tales. The most famous is “The Wife of Bath” in which a young knight is accused of raping a young lady of the court. The Queen spared his life with one condition, after a one year trip he will have to answer this question : What is it women desire ?

Isn’t that a very modern question ?

This lecture was organised with Alliance Grenoble-Oxford and on their website : www.grenoble-oxford.org, you can find :

_ The entire PowerPoint by Jonathan Fruoco

_ A photo gallery

_ The Youtube video of the sketch performed by 13 students

 

How to get chills in Cardiff

by Pierre Grange (level B2)

 

This Sunday, March 10, I had the opportunity to go to CARDIFF with a group of friends, not in search of the ghost of Roald DAHL (he was born in CARDIFF), but to attend the rugby match of the 6 nations tournament: Wales – France. It was my first time in Wales and of course, my first time in CARDIFF. 

We visited the castle, Cardiff bay, the Millennium Centre and the Pierhead Building.

We spent the pre-match walking the streets and arcades of Cardiff, particularly St Mary Street, the main street of the city.

 

The French supporters were really numerous.

It seems there were almost 10,000! 

Very good atmosphere. No violence with the Welsh. 

Despite the cool temperature (between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius), most of the girls were in very short mini-skirts and with amazing cleavage. 

I can tell you that all the French boys had a magnificent view of Welsh chests!

I am sure that alcohol helped them to resist the cold.

They didn’t drink only mineral water… 

As for the stadium, I didn't realise how right in the city centre it was, very close to Cardiff Castle.

The French team was going to tackle a major challenge: playing against Wales, in this world- renowned place : the Millennium Stadium (renamed Principality Stadium since January 1, 2016 for a period of 10 years because of a naming rights deal). 

Why this name? Principality is a Welsh mutual banking institution, specialised in savings and property loans, sponsoring the Welsh rugby championship since 1969. 

It’s the national stadium of Wales.

It was built for the Rugby World Cup in 1999 on the site of the old and famous stadium: Arms Park. 

*The setting:

The vision is almost surreal. A few hundred metres from Cardiff Castle, in the city centre, the Principality Stadium sits like a liner, stuck in the middle of the Welsh capital.

 

*Some numbers :

The Principality Stadium has a capacity of 74,000 seats.

It’s the third largest stadium of the Six Nations Tournament behind the Stade de France (80,000 spectators) and Twickenham Stadium (82,000 spectators).

It is also the second largest stadium in the world with a fully retractable roof.

 

 Many observers say it is the most beautiful stadium in the world.

 

It was an old dream for me to finally attend a rugby match in this stadium, so renowned for its architecture but above all for its atmosphere. 

*The atmosphere :

The smells emanating from the food trucks, the numerous pubs near the stadium, the music, the songs of supporters, the setting... and of course, the show on the pitch.

Match days always have something special, in some stadiums more than others.

It's difficult to dethrone this famous stadium of the Welsh capital. 

The Principality Stadium is also, during rugby matches, inevitably enhanced by Welsh songs.

This crazy atmosphere that reigns there comes in part from the resonance chamber formed by its roof.

For the match, the stadium roof was closed.  It was like we were in a cathedral. 

Rugby is considered a religion in Wales. 

How can you not get chills when tens of thousands of Welsh supporters sing their national anthem: “Land of my fathers”? It’s very impressive!

             Click on the photo to hear the Welsh anthem : ‘Land of my fathers’. 

*The game:

The match was indecisive for all the first half-time.

The Welsh team did its best, but in the end, the power of ‘the Blues’ made the difference.

 

After the match, a large majority of the spectators, Welsh and French together, went to St Mary Street area to drink a glass of beer either to celebrate the victory or to forget a painful defeat.

 

So. One of my old dreams has now come true. 

Well done FRANCE for your victory.

And thank you, Welsh public, for the chills and this moment of happiness.