Relevance: Many aspects of life today require knowledge of foreign languages, especially English. So many people are looking for effective ways to learn about it. There are many ways of learning English nowadays. In this project, we are going to do research in one of them, which is learning English through reading fiction.
Purpose: Exploring of the method of learning English through reading fiction.
The Object: English literature
The subject of research: Works by English authors, using the works by Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare.
Methods: analysis, comparison, search.
Tasks:
1. Find information about English Literature;
2. Consider the works by William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens;
3. Determine the usefulness of their works in the English language studies;
4. Compare the method of learning English through reading fiction with other methods.
English Literature.
English literature dates back to the 5th century. This historical period is also called Anglo-Saxon. Since then, a small number of works have come to our attention, most of which are church literature.
The next period of English literature was the Anglo-Norman Period (XI-XIII in.). At that time, the country was invaded by the Normans, who for several centuries established the rule of the Norman dialect, as well as the French language and literature. During the first century after the Norman invasion, Anglo-Saxon literature almost disappeared. It was not until a century later that literary monuments containing church contents and later secular ones representing translations of French works reappeared in that language. Thanks to this intermingling of languages, the Latin language gained importance in an educated society.
In the middle of the 13th century, poetry of political and social protest appeared, fanning the vices of the nobility and the clergy, protesting against taxes, against the abuses of officials, and even a king who covered up his favorites and dissolves parliament for this purpose. With the intensification of social struggles, literature in the 14th century gained great public interest. By the 14th century, a new English language had been formed, combining elements of Anglo-Saxon and French. It is noted that the Normans played a major role in the dissemination of Celtic stories, which also became a distinctive feature of the literature of the time [1].
The greatest English writer of the 14th century was Geoffrey Chaucer, who at the same time completes the Anglo-Norman era and begins the history of new English literature.
The 16th century was the time of the rise of English humanism, which emerged here later than in Italy and met with the Reformation. Classical literature and Italian poetry greatly influenced English literature. This century is also the age of William Shakespeare. It was at this time that he wrote works that had a great influence on the formation of modern English literature. Shakespeare was the deepest
expression of the main trend of the Renaissance.
After 1688, with the establishment of the constitution, the tone of literature was set by the bourgeoisie, whose influence was clearly felt in novels and on the stage.
At the end of XVIII in. In England, unlike other European countries, there was no such literary movement as Romanticism. There was not, as in France and Germany, a group of writers united on a romantic platform. However, a number of typical features of Romanticism that distinguished English literature in the early decades of the 19th century suggested a romantic direction in England. In the second half of the XIX in receives its dawn a new literary direction Realism. The most famous of these were the works of Charles Dickens.
As XIX V. approached the end of Europe, in English literature in particular, the realist and social direction began to give way to the resurgent ideas of individualism and aestheticism. The continuing growth of the industry introduces new themes in literature - urbanism, mechanism. Literature becomes dynamic, satire develops against capitalist way of life.
In the first half of the 20th century, the paths of the new generation were not yet clear. In most cases, they were realists who wanted to touch the occult forces of the soul. After, leading to the English literature survived a period of strong Russian influence, mainly Dostoyevsky.
So, after all the historical periods that the country has gone through, after the events that have had a certain impact on it, we see how English literature has progressed since its inception.
W. Shakespeare and C. Dickens` contribution to English
literature.
William Shakespeare’s influence extends to literature and theatre, even
today, as well as to the vocabulary and form of the English language. It is widely believed that he is the greatest English writer, and an eminent world playwright. Shakespeare’s works influenced many writers and poets, including Herman Melville and Charles Dickens. Shakespeare is the most cited writer after various Bible authors, and many of his words are used around the world on a daily basis. William Shakespeare’s neologisms are widely used in English.
Shakespeare discovered Romance first. They, namely Voltaire, laid the foundation for the emergence of the Shakespeare’s cult, which first spread around Europe and then to the rest of the world.
In the 20th century, Shakespeare’s work became the mythological foundation upon which the modern novel was built. As B. Pasternak observed: «it (Shakespeare) dissolves the time and mortality of a single sign in the immortality of its general value» [2].
As for Charles Dickens, his influence on English and world literature is almost as great as that of William Shakespeare. In the history of world literature, Dickens has entered as a brilliant humorist and satirist. In his novels, laughter becomes a powerful tool for denouncing and criticizing the evils of the bourgeois order. Thanks to him, the Cockney dialect finally took its rightful place in English literature. Dickens was one of the first writers to write in the realist genre. Charles Dickens' work opens a shining page in the history of critical realism in England [3].
There is an era in English literature. Dickens belongs to those great writers who are proud national English culture.
Proponents of various critical areas of literature have used Dickens' writings as material for their research. Over the years, attitudes towards his work changed, but inevitably readers reverted to his novels, interpreting their content in their own way. The problem of Dickens' works, the author’s appeal to enduring human values, prompts the reader to seek in his novels the answer to the emerging
problems of contemporary reality.
So we see how powerful William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens were
in shaping English and world fiction.
Reading of works by W. Shakespeare and C. Dickens in learning English
The ability to read is an important skill in learning any foreign language, without this skill, in the future, it will be impossible to absorb new material. The more and more literature a person reads, the better they become able to understand the speakers of the language.
Through reading, the person has the opportunity to learn a large number of new words, phrases and expressions, to understand how to use them correctly, and also to study the structure of constructing sentences.
Reading also helps to improve skills in different areas of language learning: grammar (we remember correctly when reading sentences, correctly spelling words), writing, etc. But of course, the main advantage is learning new information, Because knowledge of the language allows access to many artistic and scientific works.
The most appropriate way to learn English by reading is through artistic works, notably by classical English authors such as William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. This is due to the fact that classical fiction shows the most literate and cultural English language. Through these books, the person will not only be able to learn a great deal of literary vocabulary, the intelligent construction of sentences, but also be able to look at the changes in the English language and see various historical periods in England. This will help the learner to delve deeper into the language, to learn its history and culture.
William Shakespeare’s writings contain a vast number of phrases and expressions that are widely used not only by native speakers but also in our country, and for many, the origin of such expressions remains unknown. For example, such expressions as «To be, or not to be: that is the question...» («To be or not to be - that is the question» ), "Love is blind" - «Love is blind», and many others were created by William Shakespeare. His work is also the source of a great many idioms. Such examples are «In a pickle», which denotes «being in trouble, in distress», «The world is my oyster», which means «in a world of many different possibilities» and many others. These and other idioms are an integral part of modern English [4].
From the works of Charles Dickens, one can draw a great deal of phraseology. Such phraseologists as «take somebody’s arm», meaning «take someone under the hand, lead to the table», «to be in high spirits», which means «be in a good, cheerful mood», and many others, nowadays remain an important part of the English language and everyday speech.
Comparison of methods of learning English.
There are many different ways to learn English. Now we’re going to look at the most popular of them, and we’re going to compare them to see which method will be more efficient and universal.
One of the most popular ways to learn English in the 21st century is to use special apps for mobile phones. The advantages and disadvantages of this method include:
Pros:
1. Because the applications are in the mobile phone, the person learning the language will be able to use them at any time;
2. In many applications there are reminders that come to the phone every day in the form of notices, this is an excellent solution for those who forget to log in
daily;
3. Often such applications, in addition to basic grammatical rules and traditional vocabulary, help in the study of modern expressions, slang, etc.;
Cons:
1. This method exacerbates one of the main problems of our time: the excessive use of gadgets, resulting in health problems;
2. It can be difficult for most people to bring themselves to regularly visit an application and learn something new. It can happen on a subconscious level.
3. Almost all such applications are paid for and have a short free period.
The second most popular method of learning English is through the viewing of films, serials and videos in English.
Pros:
1. This method helps to quickly, easily and efficiently memorize new words and phrases;
2. When viewing films and serials, people learn the correct pronunciation of phrases and expressions;
Cons:
1. This method is not suitable for those who have just begun to learn the language, because to understand the voice of actors, a person must have at least a minimal knowledge of words and expressions;
2. This is not a way to study grammar, as in films and series, most dialogue is based on slang.
3. It is difficult to find films in the original, so you will need to buy a subscription to streaming services.
With regard to popular methods of learning English, one cannot fail to mention the method of learning English through reading literature. Of course, this method also has its pros and cons:
Pros:
1. This method is free of charge as most of the necessary books can be found in the library;
2. By reading fiction, one learns a large number of literary words and expressions;
3. In addition to learning a language from books, a person will increase his or her knowledge in various fields.
Minus:
1. Books often use only literary vocabulary, so using only this method of study will not be able to study modern speech, slang and phrases;
2. To be effective, people need to read as many books as possible, and there is not always enough time;
3. This method, like the previous one, is not suitable for everyone, because to understand what is read, a person must have at least a minimum vocabulary.
After all the above, the question arises as to what is the most effective and appropriate way for most people. It is not possible to give an unambiguous answer, since the convenience and effectiveness of a particular method depends only on the objectives and capabilities of the individual.
Conclusion.
During the research work, the history of English literature was considered, the work of the most prominent English authors, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, who made a significant contribution to the formation of not only English literature, but also English language in general, as well as found and considered different methods of learning English. Summing up all of the above, we can say that the study of English through the reading of English literature is one of the most effective methods of learning. By learning English through reading English literature, one gets a more accurate idea of the language being studied, as the works are written in a more grammatically and culturally correct language. Books by English authors not only contain a significant amount of vocabulary and expressions that can be useful for vocabulary development and further study, but through them a person can delve deeper into the culture of the country whose language he or she is learning.