Mai des langues – Faire parler les portraits

Dans le cadre du Mai des Langues 2025, les élèves de Terminale du lycée français international de Kyoto ont mené un projet original en anglais, mêlant expression orale, écriture créative et regard critique sur les représentations du pouvoir.

À partir de tableaux royaux emblématiques, ils ont imaginé une manière singulière de faire parler l’Histoire : en détournant les codes de la représentation monarchique, ils ont donné voix aux souverains et membres de familles royales à travers des monologues ou dialogues inédits.

Ces textes, écrits en anglais, explorent des pensées intimes, décalées ou quotidiennes, loin de l’image figée que véhiculent souvent les portraits officiels. Le projet permet ainsi d’allier expression personnelle, réflexion historique et travail linguistique, dans une mise en voix incarnée et souvent surprenante.

Découvrez les réalisations des élèves ci-dessous et laissez-vous surprendre par ces portraits… qui parlent.

Queen Victoria’s Monologue

Par Eden

Queen Victoria is reflecting about her role as her mother and a queen and complains about her husband not helping.

The house dog

Par Hugo

The family has bought a new dog and the children are having an argument about who gets to name it.

Respect in the Royal Family ?

Par Kyo

Conversation between Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark about football games, where Alexandra is quite uniformed about. (English is not her mother tongue!) Thus Edward points out that she’s pretty so she can not be intelligent, besides he mentions how she has to suck in her stomach, to get skinnier, etc. because for him he is “superior” than women, hence she is just an “accessory” for him even though she is the queen.

Little Lady

Par Lila

Three year old Zara Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, pictured attending the polo match at Smith’s Lawn Polo Ground in Windsor.Here she is pictured playing peekaboo over the Royal fence. 17th June 1984.
Zara is in the garden with her family. The little boys are running around and Zara wants to join them.

The royals’ grandparents who are arguing

Par Lilou

It’s the first time that Queen Mary and King George VI come to meet the little prince Charles Philip Arthur George and his parents. The grandparents are excited, they want the baby’s attention. Elizabeth invites her parents-in-law to come to sit down for the picture with their grandson.

A Girl’s Hobby

Par Naomie

Girls only need to act elegantly and be helpful around the house, whereas boys are free to take up any hobbies they want.

Henry VIII’s diplomatic meeting

Par Gabriel

King Henry VIII is having à diplomatic meeting with King Phillip the 2nd of Spain, with both royal families present. During the meeting between both kings, Henry VIII’s child Mary I is disturbing the scene by constantly asking questions to her father. Elizabeth 1 and Edward VI, the king’s other children, try to make Mary shut up. The scene unfolds…

Bad hair day?

Par Naoko

Girls can be sporty and boys can be passionate.