In a way, Chaucer's writings have a lot in common with modern tabloids. Just like with The Enquirer and other gossip magazines, many more people in Chaucer's period read his work than were willing to admit to it. At the time, the two primary languages were that of the aristocracy and the church--French and Latin, respectively. No one who was anyone would be caught dead reading the language of the poor and conquered Anglos--English.  As a favorite of the king--as can be seen in the many royal appointments he was given and the ransom paid for his release when held prisoner by an enemy power--Chaucer made a conscious decision to promote the use and acceptance of Middle English by writing his works in English.  That decision, coupled with his brilliant style and gift for irony, is why he is known today as "The Father of English."