XXVI Международный конкурс научно-исследовательских и творческих работ учащихся

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Знакомство с мифами и легендами Великобритании для изучения английского языка

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Вахрушев М.Е. 1

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1МБОУ СОШ №50, г. Ижевск

Федорова Е.А. 1

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1МБОУ СОШ №50, г. Ижевск

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Introduction

The research topic is "Exploring the Myths and Legends of Great Britain for English Language Learning".

The aim of this work is to study British legends and myths to expand one's vocabulary in the English language.

The relevance of this work is determined by the fact that English mythology carries significant cultural value. Its study contributes to development in many areas of language acquisition, specifically in learning lexical units.

The research hypothesis is based on the assumption that studying English vocabulary and language through myths enriches one's lexicon and improves speech quality.

Research Objective:

1. To define and understand the concepts of "myth" and "legend".

2. To familiarize oneself with the main myths and legends of England.

3. To make a student survey to assess their knowledge of the topic.

4. To learn how to work with educational, methodological, and online resources on this topic.

5. To learn to synthesize and summarize the obtained data.

Object of the research: The vocabulary used to convey cultural value in the myths of England.

Subject of the research: The myths and legends of England.

Research Methods:

1. Exploratory method

2. Theoretical analysis

3. Practical application

4. Research method

Chapter 1. English Myths and Legends.

1.1 Basic Concepts

A myth is an ancient folk tale that conveys people's ideas about the origin of the world, natural phenomena, gods, and heroes [1].

A legend is a genre of non-fairytale prose folklore, based on oral traditions; it is a poeticized tale about a historical or fictional person, event, etc., often with fantastic elements in the plot [1].

English mythology is a collection of myths from ancient England. The narratives were often developed by different generations and were sometimes rejected and replaced by other legends. These tales consist of a complex of folk stories that were prevalent in England after the Norman Conquest, combined with traditions from Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Christian mythology [1].

The main and most popular myths and legends of Great Britain are:

The Legend of King Arthur. It tells of the quest for the Holy Grail, a magical table, and the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table. The legend recounts that Arthur, who later became the legendary ruler of Britain, was a bastard son. His origin and path to the throne are shrouded in magic: the wizard Merlin was by his side.

The Legend of Robin Hood. It narrates the story of a brave fighter for justice who robbed the rich and gave the spoils to the poor. The tale is about a young Saxon noble who, due to unjust circumstances, becomes an outlaw and retreats to the forest. There, he gathers a band of like-minded outlaws, known as his "Merry Men." Together, they lead a life of vigilantism, robbing the wealthy to provide for the poor and fighting against the tyranny of officials and despotic nobility.

The Legend of Lady Godiva. According to the legend, the Earl's subjects suffered from exorbitant taxes, and Godiva begged her husband to reduce the tax burden. One day, during a feast, while heavily intoxicated, Leofric promised to lower the taxes if his wife would ride a horse through the streets of Coventry naked. On July 10, 1040, she rode through the entire town on horseback, completely naked. The townspeople, who loved their patroness and respected her for her kindness, had been warned in advance. At the appointed time, they fulfilled her request: they closed the shutters and doors of their houses, and no one went out into the street, so no one saw the beautiful naked horsewoman. The Earl was astonished by the woman's selflessness and kept his word by reducing the taxes.

The Legend of King Sheave. According to the plot, an ancient king of Lombardy mysteriously appears from the sea in an empty boat.

The Legend of Richard the Lionheart. It tells of the King of England and crusader whose adventures during the Crusades became the basis for numerous legends and tales. The image of the English King Richard I the Lionheart is shrouded in an aura of romance and bravery. His name was often mentioned in medieval epics as a hero of legends and romances. However, if we turn to history, the picture is not so rosy. Moreover, the king received the nickname "Lionheart" not for outstanding bravery, but for incredible, demonstrated cruelty.

The Loch Ness Monster is an urban legend stating that a large monster inhabits the Scottish Loch Ness lake. The first written mention of it dates back to the 6th century AD. The life of Saint Columba recounts the saint's triumph over a "water beast" in the River Ness. According to legend, Columba once came to Loch Ness and saw the local people burying one of their men, who had been mauled and killed while swimming in the lake. He had been slain by the Nisag (the Celtic name for the monster). Columba drove the monster away with prayer. Rumors of a monster inhabiting the waters of Loch Ness emerged in the 1930s following the publication of an article in the press by Gasparini, a London correspondent from Milan. He came across a story about a Scottish fisherman who had pulled a peculiar fish from the water. However, turning this into a sensation proved difficult, so Gasparini embellished the incident somewhat, inventing his own personal monster. A couple of days after publication, the story spread to other newspapers: British publications widely circulated the Italian's account. The story accumulated ever more new and incredible details. The monster even acquired an affectionate nickname: Nessie.

The Legend of the Black Dog. In the counties of East Anglia, stories have been told since the Middle Ages about Black Shuck. Black Shuck is a phantom hound from English folklore, said to roam the eastern part of England. According to eyewitness descriptions, it is as huge as a car, and its eyes glow with a green or red fire. Legend has it that in 1577, Black Shuck burst into a village church, brought down the bell tower, and ran out, leaving claw marks on the church door that locals still show to the curious [3].

Chapter 2. The vocabulary of Myths and Legends of England.

2.1 Mythological Vocabulary of Great Britain

Having analyzed the myths and legends, we have compiled a list of the most frequently used words in the "mythological" lexicon. The most common ones were:

Table 1 – Mythological lexicon

Vocabulary derived from little-known myths and legends was less common:

Table 2 – Mythological lexicon

2.2 Practical part

I have conducted a survey among 6th-grade students of my school to determine their familiarity with the myths and legends of England.

Survey questions:

1. What English words related to myths and legends do you know?

2. Are you familiar with the myths of England?

3. Would you like to study myths and legends in English classes?

(see Appendix 1)

I have surveyed 59 students and I have drawn the following conclusions:

The most commonly recognized words by the 6th-grade students were:

- Legend

- Monster

- Ghost

Less popular, but also known words were:

- Witch

- Castle

The most famous myth and legend across all of England turned out to be the legend of the Loch Ness Monster.

However, the most significant findings came from the answers to the question: "Is it worth studying legends in English class?" – 53 people answered "Yes!" This demonstrates the students' significant interest in this topic.

Conclusion

Based on the studied myths and legends, as well as the analysis of the obtained data, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The myths and legends of Great Britain are very diverse, but they are all interesting and, most importantly, can serve as reference guides for learning English. They can be excellent aids in developing vocabulary and improving speech quality.

2. In the course of the research, the author learned to use Internet resources and find important information within a large volume of educational and methodological material. I also learned to work with an extensive body of vocabulary and lexical units, set phrases (clichés), and to draw conclusions.

3. I can offer a recommendation for English teachers: the effective study of British myths and legends in English lessons is possible to increase student interest and serve as supplementary development for learning about the culture and the foreign language itself.

List of references

1. Англо-русский словарь: около 34000 слов / Сост. В.Д. Аракин, З.С. Выгодская, Н.Н. Ильина. – Екатеринбург: «Урал - Советы», 1991. - 988 с.

2. Английская мифология. URL:

https://lingua-airlines.ru/articles/anglijskaya-mifologiya/ (Дата обращения: 05.04.2025 г.)

3. Википедия. URL:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki (Дата обращения: 08.04.2025 г.)

Appendix 1