«Okay, okay,» Andrew paused. «Let me put you in the picture about Beowulf. Beowulf is an Old English epic poem, one of the most important works of Old English literature. And did you know that the story is set in the 6th century? In other words, in the year dot.»
I thought about what he had just said. Was «the year dot’ the same as the 6th century?
Then, I asked the question to Andrew. He laughed.
«I think so. And why are you asking, Ella?»
«Because I don’t think it’s the same thing,» I replied boldly.
«Nice try!» Andrew chuckled. «But don’t you know that everything too old can be called happening in the year dot?» He looked at me.
Everybody stayed silent.
«Now, back to the topic,» the professor said. «In fact, Beowulf hits the spot just out of the gate. First – because it’s written in Old English. Second – it’s not just odds and ends but the blend of fictional, legendary and historic elements.»
I tried to listen attentively.
«And what about dialects of Old English? Do you know any?» he asked.
No answer.
«Okay. We’ll speak about that later. Now, another question. Would you like to study Old English as a foreign language?»
I said:
«Yes, I’d love to. Studying and speaking another language is quite cool for a person.»
«Why do you think so?» he asked.
«Because any language develops our mind.»
«Indeed?» he smiled. «Okay. And what about speaking it? Do you find it hard? Does it give you any trouble to speak Old English?»
«I don’t think so,» I answered. «By the way, Old English isn’t that foreign, I suppose. First, it’s the same English, but a bit old.»
«So what? And what’d be your further reasons?»
«I didn’t finish yet. Second, if the language is old, it’s a variation of our mother tongue. Am I not right?»
«Actually, it depends on the perspective.» Andrew paused. «Now, what I’d like to pinpoint your attention upon is the characters of the poem…»
And so, he spoke up to the end of the class.
I admired him. He was so smart and intelligent! How could one person know everything that he had put on the line during the class? He did it very well. He could hit the ground running in a few moments! He wasn’t down-to-earth in any way. He acted his age. He always carried his point.
I wanted to be like him. But for me, it’d be quite a job. I couldn’t have such a hard-nosed attitude as he had. Andrew was full of beans at each class! We had his classes twice a week, but still, the payoff was seen. At least for me.
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