Palaces

“English for Law Students”: A Method.

Expectations and Priorities | Do you expect English to be of use in your studies and in your career? How well do you know the cultures and histories of English-speaking nations?

CECRL | Project-Based Learning (PBL) | Content-Based Instruction (CBI) | Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

• PPTXSlides W01
• PDFBrochure, p. 24–25

• not this week — inscrivez-vous à un two-pager avant de sortir de la séance.

Évaluation de niveau, sans conséquence sur la moyenne.

Some History of British Exceptionalism Through Time.

Differences & Similarities | When looking at Great Britain, do you get a sense of commonality? More differences or more similarities between British and French culture? How about the British experience in 2026 and the French one?

Exceptionalism | Englishness | Britishness

• PDFBrochure, p. 26–27

• Why you should not use the word “anglo-saxon” too often today.
• A Case For the Relevance of British Exceptionalism.
• What Remains of the British Empire: Chagos, the Commonwealth, the Crown Dependencies.
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

The ou Ø

What to Make of Multiculturalism in English-Speaking Countries.

Universalism & Nationalism | How do diverse cultural identities fit within Britishness? Integration or diversity? Is there a balance? What about France?

Identity | Multiculturalism | Universalism | Integration

• PDFBrochure, p. 28–29

• Immigration in the UK since the 2024 election: numbers, “stop the boats”, the Burnham government’s deal with France.
• Multiculturalism in Great Britain: Consensus or Conflict?
• British Identities: Preserved, or Shaped by Time and Multiculturalism?
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

Le présent simple

Exemplarity | Why are people so fascinated with the royal family? Entertainment, or a greater impetus behind the institution? Would a royal family serve a purpose in France?

Monarchy | Nature | Rights | Duties

• PDFBrochure, p. 30–31

• The Crown, Netflix series.
• What can the King actually do? The royal prerogative in 2026.
• Republicanism in Great Britain.
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

L’aspect de l’-ing

Casting Lawmakers | Should the UK preserve its Parliament’s traditional form or modernize it? Where do the Lords fit? Should Parliament reflect today’s society more accurately?

Counter powers | Checks & Balances | Separation of Powers | Chambers | Veto | Censure

• PDFBrochure, p. 32–33

• The Shadow Cabinet: Rhetorical or Powerful? With Reform UK ahead in the polls, does the official Opposition still matter?
• Whips in the British Parliament: balancing parliamentary discipline and debate.
• Digital democracy and public engagement: the influence of technology and public engagement in policy-making.
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

Les barbarismes

Balance of Powers | Is the Prime Minister becoming too powerful? Should cabinet ministers maintain collective responsibility, or voice dissent?

Separation of powers | Balance of powers | Accountability | Control | Centralization

• PDFBrochure, p. 34–35

• The fall of Starmer, the rise of Burnham: who really chooses a Prime Minister?
• Examining the role of judicial review in Boris Johnson’s 2019 prorogation of Parliament.
• Executive accountability: from Windrush to the Post Office scandal.
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

The Dynamic Nature of Political Traditions.

The Political Divide | How healthy is the public conversation on politics? Common ground or polarization? How do you explain it?

Conservatism | Stability | Partnership | Government | Society

• PDFBrochure, p. 36–37

• Why did the Whigs lose their influence?
• What type of conservative is Kemi Badenoch?
• The Conservatives and the ECHR: leave or stay?
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

Soigner un document

Has the United Kingdom invented a “Third Way”? A Brief Political History.

The future | What will the British political landscape look like? Is it similar to the French one?

Liberalism | Socialism | Progressivism | Unionism | Labourism | Fabianism

• PDFBrochure, p. 38–39

• British Trade Unions & the Labour Party: yesterday, today, tomorrow.
• The British Left Today: Labourism, Socialism or the Progressive Tradition? Burnham, the Greens, Your Party…
• British Political Forces Beyond the Conservatives and the Labour Party.
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

La gestion de l’émotion

À déterminer selon l’actualité.

Nations | Is the rise of British nationalism(s) a typically British phenomenon, or a global trend?

Nationalism | Identity | Culture wars | Integration | Patriotism

• PDFBrochure, p. 40–41

• Nationalist Activism in Recent Years.
• The “Special Relationship”, Euroskepticism, the Commonwealth: Britain’s Relationship to the World.
• One Kingdom, Four Nations: More Devolution?
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

Une conversation professionnelle

A Simple Timeline of Early Documents of Constitutional Value.

Intelligibility | Paine: “When a Constitution can not be produced in a physical form, there is none.” Do lawmakers have a responsibility to make laws understood by all? Any merit in not having a codified Constitution?

Constitution | Due Process | Habeas Corpus | Codification

• PDFBrochure, p. 42–43

• The uncodified club: New Zealand, Israel and the UK.
• Contemporary challenges to the UK’s uncodified constitution.
• The Human Rights Act (1998): how did the British approach human rights compared to other nations?
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

La sémiologie visuelle

Internationalism | Nationalism is on the rise: the UK, Brazil, Turkey, Hungary, the United States. How do you make sense of it? Do you welcome it?

Nationalism | Europe | European Hierarchy of Norms

• PDFBrochure, p. 44–46

• The European Idea before The European Union.
• Brexit, ten years on (June 2016 – June 2026): who was right?
• The European Union Tomorrow.
• sujet semi-libre si classe surchargée.

Quiz : culture + grammaire, 30 à 45 minutes (20 % de la note).

90 minutes. Compréhension et expression écrites, grammaire, questions de culture sur le contenu du semestre — ou une seule question.