Les thématiques culturelles du brevet

Document 1. Extract from a British newspaper for young readers.
« Every Saturday morning, thirty pupils meet in a classroom in Bradford — not for maths or history, but for Polish. Their parents came from Poland after 2004, and they want their children to keep their mother tongue. « At home we speak Polish, at school we speak English, » explains Kasia, 14. « My little brother mixes the two, and my grandparents in Kraków don't understand him! » The Saturday school also teaches Polish traditions: in December, the children prepare Wigilia, the Christmas Eve dinner with twelve dishes and no meat. Kasia thinks she is lucky: « Being bilingual is like having two brains. » But she admits that it isn't always easy: « When I was younger, some classmates laughed at my name. Now they ask me to translate for them when we go to the Polish shop. » »

1. Who meets in the classroom in Bradford on Saturdays, and why?
2. Which two themes of the cycle does this text illustrate? Justify each one with an element of the text.
3. What is Wigilia? Give two details.
4. What difficulty did Kasia have when she was younger, and how has the situation changed? Answer with a full sentence.

Document 2. Comparing two schools, from a twinning project between a French collège and an English academy.

1. How long is the school day in each school? Which one is longer, and by how much?
2. Write two sentences about rules, one for each school, using « mustn't » and « are allowed to ».
3. Write two comparative sentences using the table (one with an adjective, one with « more… than » or « as… as »).
4. Which school would you prefer, and why? Two sentences with an opinion phrase and a superlative.

1. Complète avec must, mustn't, can ou don't have to : « In this museum, you ___ touch the paintings, but you ___ take photos without flash. You ___ pay: it's free, and children ___ stay with an adult. »
2. Mets l'adjectif à la forme qui convient (comparatif ou superlatif) : « Diwali is one of (colourful) ___ festivals in the world. Fireworks in Britain are (noisy) ___ in France, but they are (not / expensive) ___. »
3. Complète avec l'article si nécessaire (a / an / the / Ø) : « She learnt ___ Italian in ___ Rome ; now she is ___ translator and she reads ___ novels in three languages. »
4. Corrige les quatre erreurs : « My aunt lives to abroad since 2015; she speaks the Spanish and her country misses her, but she is agree that Madrid is more nicer than Lyon. »

1. Range ces mots dans la thématique qui convient (Languages / School and society / Travel and migration / Encounters with other cultures) : a refugee, a dialect, detention, a parade, to settle, homework, lyrics, a recipe.
2. Traduis en anglais : « avoir le mal du pays », « s'intégrer », « ouvert d'esprit », « une coutume ».
3. Explique en anglais la différence entre « to emigrate » et « to immigrate », puis entre « a journey » et « a trip », avec un exemple pour chacun.
4. Associe chaque fête à son pays et à sa date : Thanksgiving, Bonfire Night, Saint Patrick's Day — Ireland (17 March), the USA (fourth Thursday of November), the UK (5 November).

Your school is organising an « International Day ». Write the text you will read to present a country or a culture of your choice (80 words minimum), following the four steps.

1. Introduce the country or culture and say which language(s) people speak and why you chose it (one sentence with « because »).
2. Present one festival or tradition: when it takes place and what people do (two sentences, present simple).
3. Compare this culture with France, with one comparative and one sentence with « as… as » or « different from ».
4. Give one thing pupils must or mustn't do if they visit this country, and conclude with your opinion (« I find it… that… » or « In my opinion »).