Bac général Spé LLCER anglais 2026 [Corrigé]

SUJET 1 - Voyages, territoires et frontières 

Partie 1 : synthèse en anglais

The three documents explore the encounter between two worlds through different contexts, periods and narrative strategies. Yet, they all highlight the same experience : the particular moment when individuals from different cultures meet, observe each other, and try to communicate across linguistic and cultural frontiers. Whether on the American frontier, in the immigrant plains of Nebraska, or on Ellis Island, these encounters show both the challenges and the transformative potential of cultural contact.

Document A is an excerpt from Dances with Wolves, presents the encounter from the perspective of Dunbar, a white American soldier discovering the world of the Comanche. The narrative is introspective and written as a kind of a diary, which increases the personal, subjective nature of the encounter. His tone is ambivalent. The text changes between curiosity, admiration and uncertainty. The language barrier becomes an important obstacle, the central one, making the characters rely on gestures and their personal intuition. Yet this difficulty also produces a space for mutual respect: Dunbar observes the « crude honesty » of the « fierce one » and the intelligence of the « quiet one,» although the Comanche men demonstrate patience and openness. The run into is, therefore, portrayed as a slow but smart process of learning and recognition, where two different worlds carefully but willingly move toward each other.

Document B is an extract from Willa Cather’s My Antonia, which also shows a meeting between cultures, but this time it is a little bit different, because it is through the eyes of childhood. Jim Burden, American, meets Antonia Shimerda and her family, immigrants from Nebraska. The tone of the text is warm, vivid and also descriptive, increases the strangeness of the newcomers, of their environment and above all, their venerability. The family’s dwelling is quite rough and unfamiliar; what symbolizes their relocation.

Here again, communication is a central issue. Mrs. Shimerda uses quite broken English. Jim’s grandmother speaks loud as if they were deaf. According to Antonia, she uses gestures and rapid speech to communicate with Jim. Despite all the difficulties, their meeting is marked by immediacy and enthusiasm. The children easily play together and laugh, showing that cultural differences are easier to bear for children.

Document C is an image from The Godfather : Part 2. The young boy arriving at Ellis Island represents the moment of the transition between the Old and the New world. « Red Star Lines 7 » reduces the boy to a simple number, emphasizing the vulnerability and the anonymity of immigrants at the time. The image is in black and white. It increases the historical way and the harshness of the travel. This document is different from the two others, because it is silent. It symbolizes fear and hope.

These three documents show how the meeting between two worlds is marked and shaped by language and emotions, but also by movement and cultural differences. The energy of immigrant children to succeed in communicating or the silent child arriving in the United States. All the documents show how crossing borders can construct identities.

Partie 2 : traduction

Je n’ai rien écrit dans ce journal depuis plusieurs jours. Tant de choses se sont produites que j’ai du mal à savoir par où commencer.

Les Indiens sont venus me voir à trois reprises déjà et je n’ai aucun doute sur le fait qu’ils reviendront. Toujours les deux mêmes hommes avec leur escorte de six ou sept autres guerriers (je suis surpris que tous ces gens soient des combattants. Je n’ai pas encore rencontré un seul homme ici qui n’en est pas un.)

Nos rencontres sont très amicales, même si altérée par la barrière de la langue, qui rend nos échanges difficiles.

SUJET 2 - Arts et débats d’idées 

Partie 1 : synthèse en anglais

These three documents analyze Shakespeare’s presence in the English-speaking world by proving that his works circulate, inspire and provoke some kind of debate in all cultural spaces.

The documents do not have the same form: there is a photograph, an extract of a science-fiction short story and an article; nevertheless, they all show Shakespeare as a cultural icon and a more dynamic figure always interpreted by all societies.

Document A is a promotional image for the 2022 season at Shakespeare’s Globe that shows the institutional dimension of Shakespeare’s heritage. The images for Henry VIII, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Tempest represent the seau access to the show « 5 £ ». The critical is very good: « Pure theatre magic ».

This document is symbolic, it shows how much the author is known in the world, he is a part of the public culture. His plays are a real success. The Globe is an Elizabethan theater and is representative of the conflict that exists between modernity and tradition. It keeps authenticity while adapting the productions for modern audiences. In fact, this image makes Shakespeare a symbolic icon whose works are very important from an artistic point of view.

Document B is an extract from Isaac Asimov’s « The immortal Bard,» has a more critical and ironic point of view. The text shows a fictional scenario of Shakespeare transmuted through time and especially through the present time, and enrolled in a course concerning his own works. The text points to the way the famous author is interpreted today. On the stroke of humor, Shakespeare, who fails a course dedicated to Shakespeare, highlights the fact that today's academic discourse can somehow distort his plays. The scientists' notes on the author's writing speed call into question the myth of genius. Shakespeare then became a field of tension between academic authority, the imagination of the people and departure intentions.

Document C is an article in the Guardian which deals with the works of rapper Akala. The article in question shows that Shakespeare still has its place in contemporary art. The playwright's verses are compared to the rapper's lyrics, and the latter shows that Shakespeare's lyrics can still touch the world today and especially the youngest. There would thus be similarities between contemporary rap and Renaissance poetry. This document is essentially about reinterpretation. Shakespeare's legacy is not only broadcast in theaters or schools, but highlighted in community spaces, which gives it another dimension.

These three documents are to prove that Shakespeare is indeed present at all times and in several forms of art. If document A talks about popular performance, document B highlights the contradictions that exist from an academic point of view. Document C illustrates the link between different forms of art. All these documents put together and analyzed together reveal a legacy that is both rich in emotions and very stable over time. If Shakespeare is an iconic figure, his works continue to evolve over time and this is what characterizes the power of his legacy, the fact that he is constantly reinvented and transcribed into today's society.

Partie 2 : traduction

« (…) Je n’ai jamais vu un homme aussi impatient de découvrir ce que la postérité pensait de lui que ce pauvre Bill. Il s’est donné beaucoup de mal pour ça. »

« Vous avez inscrit William Shakespeare à mon cours ? » marmonna Robertson. Même en tant que fantasme d’ivrogne, l’idée le bouleversait. Et était-ce vraiment un fantasme d’ivrogne ? Il commençait à se souvenir d’un homme chauve, avec une manière étrange de s’exprimer …

« Pas sous son vrai nom, bien sûr », dit le Dr Welch. « Peu importe sous quel nom je l’ai inscrit. C’était une erreur, et voilà tout. Une grossière erreur. Le pauvre gars. »