SÉQUENCE 9 : HÉRITAGE COMMUN ET

DIVERSITÉ
ENTRAÎNEMENT AU BAC

CONSTITUER UN DOSSIER DOCUMENTAIRE

Objectifs de la séance
− Adopter une méthodologie pour la constitution d’un dossier
− Mettre en relation divers documents
− Apprendre à utiliser un diagramme de Venn
− Exprimer similitudes et différences
− Travailler sur des extraits littéraires et de presse écrite
− Travailler sur des documents visuels : dessins de presse, caricatures, photos

1. Qu’est-ce qu’un dossier documentaire ?

A. Quels documents ?
Le dossier documentaire est constitué de plusieurs documents variés : un document
littéraire au moins, un document type article de presse et un document visuel.

Parmi les documents littéraires, le choix est vaste : extrait de roman, de nouvelle, de pièce
de théâtre, poème.

Il en est de même pour les documents visuels : publicité, simple couverture de roman, photo
pour illustrer un article de presse, dessin de presse ou caricature, bande dessinée…

B. Dans quel but ?C.

Le dossier documentaire est en lien avec une des thématiques du programme. Pour cette
séquence, nous avons étudié l’héritage commun et la diversité du monde anglo-saxon. Nous
allons donc proposer des documents en rapport avec cette thématique-là.

Mais il ne suffit pas de proposer des documents en rapport avec une certaine thématique :
encore faut-il que les documents soient utilisables, intéressants pour une mise en relation,
une illustration des différents aspects de la thématique en question.

En effet, ils pourront être rapprochés car similaires et permettront d’exprimer la similitude
(the same as…, both, similarly…., likewise…) ou opposés car différents et permettront alors
d’exprimer l’opposition (contrary to…, unlike …, wheras…, instead of …).

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Les documents visuels servent des objectifs différents selon que l’on a affaire à une
caricature, un dessin de presse ou une simple photo. Une photo illustre un article alors
qu’une caricature dénonce, critique avec humour…

C. Mettre en relation
La meilleure façon de mettre des documents en relation est de relaver les points communs
et les différences.

On peut soit utiliser un code couleur, soit faire un diagramme de Venn :

document 1

document document
2 3

Les points communs aux documents se retrouvent dans les zones qui se superposent. La
zone centrale étant le point commun aux trois documents ; les zones périphériques, les
différences.

2. Some examples

A. The Commonwealth
1. Press articles

Read the following extract from a press article published in 2017

Time for Myanmar to Join the Commonwealth

Joining the Commonwealth could help cement Myanmar’s democratic transformation and boost its
economy.

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Myanmar forfeited its Commonwealth membership in 1948 when it adopted a republican constitution
after gaining independence from the British. Until the 1949 London Declaration, a state had to be a
Dominion (that was nominally under the Crown), instead of a republic, to accede to the
Commonwealth. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar was one year too early, then. Today, however,
as Myanmar gradually integrates into the international community, its democratic transition under the
National League for Democracy (NLD) presents a suitable juncture in the country’s history to consider
attaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.

First, joining the Commonwealth would increase the credibility of the NLD regime’s commitment to
the consolidation of democracy, the protection of human rights, and the promotion of good governance
in Myanmar. Myanmar’s membership will indicate the acceptance of monitoring by the
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and Commonwealth INGOs, such as the
Commonwealth of Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). […]

Notably, membership in the Commonwealth will also signal the intention of the newly-elected
democratic regime to “lock” successive governments into a one-way transition toward democracy.
Through a range of sanctions that the Commonwealth may adopt, including the exclusion of errant
regimes from assistance programs or even the suspension of effective membership (witnessed on
several occasions), Myanmar’s Commonwealth membership will raise the cost for future governments
that flagrantly violate human rights, fail to meet minimal standards of democratic governance, or,
worse, subvert the country’s democratic processes (i.e. return to military rule). As such, membership
in the Commonwealth can bolster the confidence of domestic audience and international observers in
Myanmar’s commitment to democratic governance […]

Source : thediplomat.com

To check you understand the topic of this article, select the correct statements
Myanmar had already been a member of the Commonwealth before 2017
Myanmar had to leave the Commonwealth because of its political regime
The Commonwealth only accepts countries with democratic values
Joining the Commonwealth is an end in itself

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

Read the article from Reuters Press Agency published in 2021

UK and Canada impose sanctions on Myanmar generals after coup

Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling generals on Thursday for toppling the
civilian-led government while Japan said it had agreed with the United States, India and Australia that
democracy must be restored there quickly.

Western countries have condemned the Feb. 1 overthrow and detention of elected leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, which has also brought daily mass demonstrations to the streets of the Southeast Asian
country.

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Following sanctions from the United States announced last week, both Britain and Canada announced
measures.

Britain said it would impose asset freezes and travel bans on three generals while Canada said it
would take action against nine military officials.

“We, alongside our international allies, will hold the Myanmar military to account for their violations of
human rights and pursue justice for the Myanmar people,” British foreign minister Dominic Raab said.

Britain already had sanctions in place on junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, accusing him of human rights
abuses against Muslim Rohingya and other ethnic minority groups.

Myanmar’s government made no immediate reaction to the new sanctions. On Tuesday, an army
spokesman told a news conference that sanctions had been expected.

The coup halted a tentative transition to democracy that began in 2011 after nearly half a century of
army rule, raising fears of a return to an old era of isolation despite the generals’ promise to hold fair
elections. […]

Source : reuters

To check you understand what happened in Myanmar and why this country has been
sanctioned, find in the article expressions corresponding to the following statements

Statement Quote from the text

The sanctions have been decided because
Myanmar doesn’t respect human rights
The UK made their decision after the USA.
The sanctions concern individuals
Myanmar generals have not respected their
promise of respecting democracy

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

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Taking into account the two documents and to check you understand what the
common points are and where the differences lie, complete this Venn diagram

article 1 ( the diplomat) article 2 (reuters)

-
- -
-
- -

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

2. A drawing

Study the drawing below

– Source : The Guardian

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To check you understand what the drawing illustrates, select the correct statement

This drawing is a caricature

This drawing is about British influence in Africa
This drawing is about British worldwide influence

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

B. Power of English language

1. An extract from a novel

Read the following extract from a novel where a young woman from the Caribbean
and has settled in Britain.

« Anyone in there? » It was the woman from downstairs. The landlady who had the evening before
looked on me in a very rude manner. « Just like a word. Can you open up? » Politeness and good
breeding left me no choice. I opened up the door a little way. [...]

I did not wish to appear ungrateful as the woman was obviously trying to be kind [...] I opened the door
wider for her before she thought me impolite. I merely meant for us to talk through a large opening.
But she walked straight through even though I had not formally invited her in. [...]

« Excuse me », I said, « but would you perchance have a basin that I might get a use of? »

« A what? »

« A basin », I repeated.

« Sorry. »

« A basin to put at the sink. »

« A bee – to put what? »

« A basin »

« I’m sorry but I don‘t understand what you’re saying. »

I thought to say it again but then remembered an alternative that would work as well. «A bucket », I
said.

« A what? » she started again.

Andrea Levy, Small Island

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To check you understand how language is crucial in identity, say if the statements
are right or wrong and justify with a quote from the text

Statement Right Wrong

The landlady speaks in a familiar way
…………………………………………………………………..

The young woman is educated and polite

………………………………………………………………….

The young woman speaks with an accent

…………………………………………………………………...

The landlady doesn’t understand the young woman

…………………………………………………………………….

The landlady doesn’t seem to want to make an effort

…………………………………………………………………….

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

2. An extract from a press article

Read the following extract from a press article

Why India Must Move Beyond English

India’s obsession with English holds back both its economic development and the quality of its
education.

A couple of weeks ago, a major (though seemingly contrived) controversy broke out in India over the
increased use of the Hindi language on social media. Language is a contentious issue in India, and has
been since Article 343 of the Indian Constitution declared “Hindi in the Devanagari script” the official
language of India in 1949. English, which was official during the British Raj, has remained co-official
with Hindi, despite efforts to phase it out.

English remains entrenched in India and is widely used by India’s elite, bureaucracy, and companies. It
is particularly important in its written form, as the official versions of most documents use English.
Most pan-Indian written communication as well as many major media outlets use English. However, at
the spoken level, English is much less prevalent and Indian languages are more widely used, with
Hindi serving as a lingua franca for most of the country except the its northeast and the deep south. It
should be noted that English is spoken or understood by about 150 million Indians, or about 10 percent
of the population. This means that around 90 percent of Indians do not understand or speak English.
[…]

Source : thediplomat.com

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To check you understand the topic of this article, select the correct statements

English is more and more widely spoken in India

Hindi is the language of the popular social classes
English is still the official language in India
English has become a written language but is not spoken by the majority of
the Indian population.
You will find the correction to this activity at the end

3. A caricature

Study the drawing

– Source : wikipedia

To check you understand the meaning of that visual document, select the correct
statements

This drawing depicts a scene in trenches

In this drawing, the characters are soldiers
In this drawing the characters represent countries
There is an Australian soldier

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 The soldiers prepare to attack
To understand the meaning of this drawing, we must read the dialogue out
loud
To die is mistaken with today
The goal of this drawing is to illustrate the Australian accent
The goal of that drawing is to mock the Australian accent

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

These three documents have a common point and differences : write a short text
expressing similarities and opposition to insist on these aspects

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

3. Your turn
Here is a series of documents : an article (document A), an extract from a novel (document B)
and a photo (document C). Read the texts and study the photo.

Write a text in which you present the topic of this file as well as the documents
expressing similarities and opposition.

Document A
Windrush scandal explained

Who are the Windrush generation?

The ‘Windrush’ generation are those who arrived in the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948
and 1973. Many took up jobs in the nascent NHS and other sectors affected by Britain’s post-war
labour shortage. The name ‘Windrush’ derives from the ‘HMT Empire Windrush’ ship which brought
one of the first large groups of Caribbean people to the UK in 1948. As the Caribbean was, at the time,
a part of the British commonwealth, those who arrived were automatically British subjects and free to
permanently live and work in the UK.

What is the Windrush scandal?

The Windrush scandal began to surface in 2017 after it emerged that hundreds of Commonwealth
citizens, many of whom were from the ‘Windrush’ generation, had been wrongly detained, deported
and denied legal rights. Coverage of these individuals’ stories began to break in several newspapers,
and Caribbean leaders took the issue up with then-prime minister, Theresa May.

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There was widespread shock and outrage at the fact that so many Black Britons had had their lives
devastated by Britain’s deeply flawed and discriminatory immigration system.

Why did the Windrush scandal happen?

Commonwealth citizens were affected by the government’s ‘Hostile Environment’ legislation - a policy
announced in 2012 which tasked the NHS, landlords, banks, employers and many others with
enforcing immigration controls. It aimed to make the UK unlivable for undocumented migrants and
ultimately push them to leave.

Because many of the Windrush generation arrived as children on their parents’ passports, and the
Home Office destroyed thousands of landing cards and other records, many lacked the documentation
to prove their right to remain in the UK. The Home Office also placed the burden of proof on individuals
to prove their residency predated 1973. The Home Office demanded at least one official document
from every year they had lived here. Attempting to find documents from decades ago created a huge,
and in many cases, impossible burden on people who had done nothing wrong.

Falsely deemed as ‘illegal immigrants’ / ‘undocumented migrants’ they began to lose their access to
housing, healthcare, bank accounts and driving licenses. Many were placed in immigration detention,
prevented from travelling abroad and threatened with forcible removal, while others were deported to
countries they hadn’t seen since they were children.

Source : the Joint Council of the Welfare of Immigrants

Document B
I never dreamed England would be like this. So cheerless. Determined, I held my breath but still I
could hear no birdsong. The room was pitiful in the grey morning light. I thought it tumbledown last
night but daylight was happy to show me more of its filthy secrets. Plaster missing from a bit of the
wall. Jagged black lines of cracking everywhere. A missing handle on the chest of drawers. No basin
in the sink. And there were lacy white patterns on the window pane. Frost. I was taught by my
headmistress, Miss Morgan, that frost is to be found on the outside of a window in England, but my
curious finger got fastened to this stuff. Sticky with cold it melted under my warm fingertip on the
inside of this room! For the useless fire roared with fierce heat only when I stood right on top of it. One
inch , that was all, one inch back and the heat no longer reached me. Two inches, and I was in need of
my coat. Three and it was as wintry as on the street. This room would not do. I could hear Celia
Langley laughing on me. « The Lord surely moves in mysterious ways, Hortense », her mocking tone
explained.

But I paid her no mind. I opened my trunk. The bright Caribbean colors of the blanket the old woman
had given me in Ochi leaped from the case. The yellow with the red, the blue with the green
commenced dancing in this dreary room. I took the far-from-home blanket and spread it on the bed.

Andrea Levy, Small Island

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Document C

– Source : Discover Society

You will find the correction to this activity at the end

4. Corrections et solutions des exercices

The Commonwealth
Myanmar had already been a member of the Commonwealth before 2017
Myanmar had to leave the Commonwealth because of its political regime
The Commonwealth only accepts countries with democratic values
Joining the Commonwealth is an end in itself

Statement Quote from the text

The sanctions have been decided because
Myanmar doesn’t respect human rights
The UK made their decision after the USA.
The sanctions concern individuals
« violations of human rights »
« pursue justice for the Myanmar people »
« accusing him of human rights abuses against
Muslim Rohingya and other ethnic minority
groups. »
« Following sanctions from the United States
announced last week »
« impose asset freezes and travel bans on three
generals »
« take action against nine military officials »

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 « had sanctions in place on junta leader Min
Aung Hlaing »
Myanmar generals have not respected their « The coup halted a tentative transition to
promise of respecting democracy democracy »

-about joining the -about sanctions

-about Myanmar
Commonwealth
-about democracy -pessimistic,
-optimistic tone reproachful, critical

This drawing is a caricature

This drawing is about Britsh influence in Africa
This dreawing is about British worldwide influence

Language

Statement Right Wrong

The landlady speaks in a familiar way
« Anyone in there? »
«Just like a word. Can you open up? »
The young woman is educated and polite
« would you perchance have a basin that I might get a use of »
The young woman speaks with an accent
« A bee – to put what? »
The landlady doesn’t understand the young woman
« I’m sorry but I don‘t understand what you’re saying »
The landlady is willing to make an effort
« A what? » she started again »

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 English is more and more widely spoken in India
Hindi is the language of the popular social classes
English is still the official language in India
English has become a written language but is not spoken by the majority of
the Indian population.

This drawing depicts a scene in trenches

In this drawing, the characters are soldiers
In this drawing the characters represent countries
There is an Australian soldier
The soldiers prepare to attack
To understand the meaning of this drawing, we must read the dialogue out
loud
To die is mistaken with today
The goal of this drawing is to illustrate the Australian accent
The goal of that drawing is to mock the Australian accent

Expressing similarities and differences

All the documents deal with the English language and its varieties. The first document is an
extract from a novel where the narrator comes from the West Indies and has difficulties
being understood in Britain because of her accent. Her landlady doesn’t sound ready to make
any effort. The second document is an extract from a press article that shows how English
which was the official language in India is progressively losing ground. Lastly, the last
document is a humoristic drawing giving an example of the Australian accent and the
misunderstanding that can follow.

Contrary to the first document, the drawing deals in a humoristic way with the issue of
accents ; yet, there are similarities between the two documents : one character is
misunderstood, likewise, another character mistakes a word with another.

The second document tackles the issue of a powerful language progressively losing ground
in front of another popular (and secondary ?) language, whereas in the other documents
English is the only language mentioned.

Your turn
The three documents deal with the immigration from the Caribbean to Britain.

The first document is taken from a website and is about the Windrush scandal. The Windrush
was the name of a ship from Jamaica which transported migrants who had been invited to
work in the UK after the war in order to help for the reconstruction of the country. The

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second document is an extract from a novel in which the narrator is confronted to the true
reality of life in Britain which is different from her expectations. The last document is a black
and white photo showing demonstrators in the street.

The photo illustrates the topic mentioned in the first document : both documents refer to the
so called Windrush scandal. Many British citizens from the Caribbean had had to prove their
nationality in order to be allowed to stay in the UK. They had come with their parents on a
boat called the Windrush to take part into the effort after the war to reconstruct the country.

Their parents had accepted to leave their country and the children were denied their
rights.As it is shown in document C : « the Windrush generation helped to build Britain ».

The first document alludes to the living conditions of these migrants : « lives devastated by
Britain’s deeply flawed and discriminatory immigration system ». Likewise, the photo leads
us to understand that the demonstrators reproach the government with their attitude
consisting in using these migrants.

Instead of dealing with the reason why these migrants came to Britain, the second document
focuses on the living conditions of migrants from the West Indies : they discovered a cold and
unwelcoming country : « cheerless », « pitiful », « filthy », « dreary ».

All the documents give a realistic portrait of the living conditions of the Caribbean migrants
with their motivations and difficulties not only whe

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