UsingEnglish.com

History vocabulary for ESL students- The Middle Ages

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Medieval history vocabulary

By: Alex Case
Level: Advanced
Theme: General
Study Area: Vocabulary
      Page: /

Lesson Plan Content:


History vocabulary for ESL students – the Middle Ages

Find one thing in each section below which is not relevant to the topic of the Middle Ages in Europe, e.g. a thing that didn’t exist at that time.  

Iron bridge                                                                                             Castle  

Dungeon                                                                                                Gothic cathedral

Hut                                                                                                          Walled town

Drawbridge (a bridge that goes up and down)                  Moat (like a canal around a castle)

Tapestry                                                                                                 Thatched roof (= made of straw)

 

Jousting/ Tilting (fighting on horses with long sticks)       Falconry (hunting with birds)

Tennis                                                                                                    Football

Darts                                                                                                       Skating

Marbles                                                                                                  Bear baiting                                                

Dog fighting                                                                                           Skittles (similar to ten pin bowling)

Wrestling                                                                                              

 

The Crusades                                                                         Knight/ Chivalry

Chain mail (armour made of metal hoops)                        Mine

Bow and arrow                                                                       Cavalry

Cannon                                                                                    Siege engine

Rifle                                                                                                        Mercenary                                                  

 

Apothecary (similar to a modern pharmacist)                    Blacksmith

Tinker                                                                                                     Troubadour

Guild                                                                                                       Minstrel

Apprentice                                                                                             Serfs

Accountant                                                                                            Eunuch

Merchant                                                                                              Baron

Landed gentry                                                                         Tenant farmer

Carpenter                                                                                              Mason

Bricklayer                                                                                              Glassblower

Rat catcher                                                                                           Potter

 

Chastity belt                                                                                          Dowry

Veil                                                                                                         Bra burning

 

Monastery                                                                                              Excommunicate

Pilgrimage                                                                                             Evangelical Christians

The Inquisition                                                                       Nun

Astrology

 

The Black Death (= bubonic plague)                                  Leech

Humours                                                                                                Antibiotics

Herbal cure

 

Mead (a kind of wine made from honey)                                          Potatoes

(Wild) boar                                                                                             Black pudding (= blood sausage)

Rabbit                                                                                      Fasting

 

Poll tax                                                                                     Salt tax

Cheques                                                                                               Banks

Government monopolies                                                                    Tax farmer

 

Palanquin                                                                                              Steam engine

Horse and cart                                                                        Inn

Toll gate                                                                                                 Sailing ship

 

Torture                                                                                      The rack

The ducking chair                                                                                 Ordeals

Witch trials                                                                                             Poaching

Branding                                                                                                Corporal punishment                                

Mutilation                                                                                              The electric chair

                                                                                   

Lute                                                                                                       Passion plays (religious drama)

Dancing bears                                                                        Trumpet

Piano                                                                                                      Flute    

Match the sections above with these categories:

  • Buildings and architecture
  • Food and drink
  • Health and disease
  • Law and order and crimes
  • Music and entertainment
  • Professions, trades and social classes
  • Religion
  • Sports and games
  • The economy
  • Transport
  • War
  • Women and marriage

Choose one of the categories and discuss which things in that section were also relevant to a country you know about outside Western Europe.

------------------

Suggested answers

The words in bold are the odd words out that aren’t connected to the Middle Ages and the underlined parts in bold are the names of the categories

 

Buildings and architecture

Iron bridge                                                                                           Castle  

Dungeon                                                                                                Gothic cathedral

Hut                                                                                                          Walled town

Drawbridge                                                                                           Moat

Tapestry                                                                                                 Thatched roof

 

Sports and games

Jousting/ tilting                                                                        Falconry

Tennis                                                                                                    Football

Darts                                                                                                      Skating

Marbles                                                                                                  Bear baiting                                                

Dog fighting                                                                                           Skittles

Wrestling                                                                                              

 

War

The Crusades                                                                         Knight/ Chivalry

Chain mail                                                                                             Mine

Bow and arrow                                                                       Cavalry

Cannon                                                                                    Siege engine

Rifle                                                                                                        Mercenary                                                  

 

Professions, trades and social classes

Apothecary                                                                                            Blacksmith

Tinker                                                                                                     Troubadour

Guild                                                                                                       Minstrel

Apprentice                                                                                             Serfs

Accountant                                                                                          Eunuch

Merchant                                                                                              Lord

Landed gentry                                                                         Tenant farmer

Carpenter                                                                                              Mason

Bricklayer                                                                                              Glassblower

Rat catcher                                                                                           Potter

 

Women and marriage

Chastity belt                                                                                          Dowry

Veil                                                                                                         Bra burning

 

Religion

Monastery                                                                                              Excommunicate

Pilgrimage                                                                                             Evangelical Christians

The Inquisition                                                                       Nun

Astrology

 

Health and disease

The Black Death (= bubonic plague)                                  Leech

Humours                                                                                                Antibiotics

Herbal cure

 

Food and drink

Mead                                                                                                      Potatoes

(Wild) boar                                                                                             Black pudding

Rabbit                                                                                      Fasting

 

The economy

Poll tax                                                                                     Salt tax

Cheques                                                                                              Banks

Government monopolies                                                                    Tax farmer

 

Transport

Palanquin                                                                                              Steam engine

Horse and cart                                                                        Inn

Toll gate                                                                                                 Sailing ship

 

Law and order and crimes

Torture                                                                                      The rack

The ducking chair                                                                                 Ordeals

Witch trials                                                                                             Poaching

Branding                                                                                                Corporal punishment

Mutilation                                                                                              The electric chair

                                                                                   

Music and entertainment

Lute                                                                                                       Passion plays

Dancing bears                                                                        Trumpet

Piano                                                                                                     Flute    

 

 

Terms of Use

Lesson plans & worksheets can be used by teachers without any fee in the classroom; however, please ensure you keep all copyright information and references to UsingEnglish.com in place.

You will need Adobe Reader to view these files.

Get Adobe Reader


Trustpilot