Final answer:
The Canterbury Tales were first written in Middle English because Chaucer wanted to reach a wider audience beyond the educated elite who understood Latin.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Canterbury Tales were first written in Middle English, which was the vernacular language of England at the time. Geoffrey Chaucer chose to write in this language to make his work accessible to a broader audience, moving away from Latin, which was traditionally used for literary works and was only understood by the educated elite.
The culture of the time, as reflected in royal and noble courts, increasingly favored the use of vernacular languages, and Chaucer's choice aligned with this trend. His decision also allowed him to capture the rich spoken quality of the language and reach the common people, leading to a wider appreciation and enduring legacy of his work.