Course Catalogue : 

Track 1 - Engineering is dealing with conflict and conflicting ideas


Phase 1 - Arts and Politics


MEET THE TEACHER: Neil FITZGERALD 

With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and an MA in Critical and Cultural studies, I’m likely to use a Virginia Woolf essay or Shakespeare speech in my classes, and like Socrates, I like to pose unexpected philosophical questions. When I am not teaching English, I enjoy writing and recording audio dramas about Sherlock Holmes, painting in oils, and I’m a keen gardener and grower of English roses and Italian tomatoes.   

COURSE TITLE: ART & POLITICS 

TARGET LEVEL: B2.2/C1  

COURSE OBJECTIVES 
1.    To be able to develop your analytical and descriptive linguistic skills 
2.    To understand the landmark artworks and movements at key political moments from English-speaking countries 
3.    To improve your ability to think critically about the overlapping worlds of art and politics  

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

Is all art political? Starting with this question in mind, in this introductory course to Art History you will explore how the worlds of art and politics intersect. From the Renaissance portraits of kings and queens, to representations of war, photography and 20th Century propaganda and more recent movements of Street Art and Protest Art, this course will give you the tools to talk and think about the experience of art over time, as the political climate in which it is embedded has changed.  

SKILLS FOCUS 

You will be expected to participate actively in class. The course will introduce regular vocabulary sheets, targeted grammar exercises, and specific work on pronunciation to help you improve your speaking and writing skills.  

ACTIVITIES 

 Pair work and group work (group analyses of artworks, roleplays, debates) 
•    Oral presentations 
•    Games, quizzes, projects, challenges  

ASSESSMENT 

Class Participation: Regular attendance and active oral participation are required. (4/20) 
•    Assignment: An individual essay or artwork (pair work). (3/20) 
•    Final Presentations: One group presentation on a case study of political art. (10/20) 

KEY WORDS 

Art History, Politics, Aesthetics, Critical Thinking, Speaking  

Phase 2 - Violent Conflict


MEET THE TEACHER: Darren Paisley

I have studied a pretty large variety of things ranging from Linguistics and the English Language to Aquaculture, although I particularly love History and Botany. That said, if I were ever to set out on a Quixotic or Arthurian quest, my grail would simply be: The Truth. Born in the town of Paisley (sic), Scotland, my childhood took me from a lighthouse on a remote Scottish island to a little farming and mining “dorp” in the South African veld. I have lived in Brittany, France, since the year 2000 and - in all honesty - I cannot really now imagine living anywhere else!

COURSE TITLE : Violent Conflict

TARGET LEVEL – B2 to C1

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 

By the end of the module you will be better able to:
… take a step back to understand and explain human conflict(s) by:
-        Analysing and categorising violent incidents
-        Researching and Mediating a conflict (incident, situation, war, …) with reference to causality, context, type, Interaction Rituals, & Confrontational Tension

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Using tools drawn from History, Geography, & Sociology – we will analyse conflicts at varying scales and times with a view to explaining them (and without recourse to justification or moralising). In other words, this class aims at arriving at an objective understanding of the theme - and of cases exemplifying it - however difficult the achievement of this goal may be in practice.

The course lays the foundation for a deeper awareness of the social nature of human conflict, as well as providing an opportunity for students to improve their English language skills in articulating what is often an emotional minefield. This last feature will push us towards choosing more distant examples of conflicts – ones for which the slow passage of time has allowed a build-up of careful and reflective thought and, inversely, a cooling of the emotional white heat inevitably generated by such events.

SKILLS FOCUS:

-        Expressing: causality and temporality; conditionality and possibility
-        Mediating and Interacting
-        Adopting an objective stance with a view to explaining emotive events

ACTIVITIES

-        Analysing violent situations
-        A case study: Kenya & Mau Mau in the 1950’s Persistence of the fog of war
-        Mediation: Researching and explaining a conflict (Participants, Scale, Context, Type, Course …)
-        Writing, Presenting, Debating

ASSESSMENT

1.    By Wk 3: Present a historical conflict (3/20) 
2.    By Wk 5: Write a report analysing the conflict via typology of collective violence (3 /20) 
3.    Wk 6: Mediate the conflict in terms of Interaction Rituals and Confrontational Tension (10 /20) 
4.    Participation (4 /20) 

KEY WORDS
Conflict, History, Confrontational Tension, Interaction Rituals, Charles Tilly’s Typology of Collective Violence, Explanations vs Arguments


Track 2 - The Engineer As Storyteller : Developing Voice, Presence and Narrative Impact


Phase 1 - Unleashing Creative Power Through Story (J. Toulouse)


MEET THE TEACHER: Jeanne TOULOUSE 

My teaching style has been shaped by:  
•    being an exchange student in the United States, where I took debating, journalism, drama, and psychology, and discovered positive reinforcement as a powerful pedagogical tool;  
•    studying Sociology and Economics before specializing in American and British Civilizations and Literature for the Agrégation; living and teaching abroad for 10 years; founding and running Model United Nations and Debating Clubs in Santo Domingo and the United Arab Emirates;  
•    becoming an improv nerd ten years ago, using improv and drama to empower English language learners, allowing mistakes, and helping students find their voice over time. 

COURSE TITLE: Unleashing Creative Power Through Story 

TARGET LEVEL : B2.2/C1  

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

1.    Learn to speak more naturally, react in the moment, and work well with others—all essential for engineers working in teams or presenting ideas. 
2.    Learn core creative skills—creating, building, repurposing, and combining—through improvised storytelling exercises. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

As an engineer, you will need to craft narratives that connect with diverse audiences and to deliver them with the right tone.  This dynamic, hands-on course helps you develop that storytelling power through improvisational theatre techniques, tapping into the creative energy of both the individual and the group.
  
SKILLS FOCUS
 
•    Become a sharper, more responsive listener. Think on your feet and adapt under pressure 
•    Expand your vocabulary and aim for precise, impactful word choices.
•    Collaborate fluidly and supportively in group settings 
•    Align your body language, voice, and intent; recover gracefully from mistakes 
•    Speak and write with greater fluency, precision, and impact 

ACTIVITIES
 
•     Hands-on, experiential learning—you’ll be active in every session. 
•    Small-group collaboration, 2–4 students per activity, with no passive audience members. 
•    Reflection & discussion after activities to solidify learning. 

ASSESSMENT 

•    Active participation in improvisation, storytelling, and debriefing sessions (40%) 
•    Short written pieces based on class-generated material (30%) 
•    Final performance in pairs or groups (30%) 

KEY WORDS 
Storytelling, improv, improvisation, instant collaboration, narrative, combine, listen, voice, creativity, hansd-on

Phase 2 - The Art of Narrative (N. Fitzgerald)


MEET THE TEACHER: Neil FITZGERALD 

With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and an MA in Critical and Cultural studies, I’m likely to use a Virginia Woolf essay or Shakespeare speech in my classes, and like Socrates, I like to pose unexpected philosophical questions. When I am not teaching English, I enjoy writing and recording audio dramas about Sherlock Holmes, painting in oils, and I’m a keen gardener and grower of English roses and Italian tomatoes.   

COURSE TITLE: The Art of Narrative 

TARGET LEVEL: B2.2/C1  

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

•    To be able to develop your written and spoken communication skills 
•    To learn about different narrative structures and techniques
•    To improve your ability to engage an audience  


COURSE DESCRIPTION 

‘In the end, we’ll all become stories.’ - Margaret Atwood 

Through the exploration of many different types of narrative, from the stories writers and politicians tell to biographical sketches, the sales pitches of entrepreneurs, and how to make history interesting, you will learn how to construct more engaging narratives. You will read a range of texts and closely examine elements such as narrative structure, metaphor and analogy, along with the power of editing and rewriting. 

SKILLS FOCUS 

You will be expected to participate actively in class. The course will introduce regular vocabulary sheets, targeted grammar exercises, and specific work on pronunciation to help you improve your speaking and writing skills.  

ACTIVITIES 

•    Pair work and group work (group analyses of texts, roleplays, debates) 
•    Oral presentations 
•    Games, quizzes, projects, challenges  

ASSESSMENT 

•     Class Participation: Regular attendance and active oral participation are required. (4/20) 
•    Rewriting genre activity - science-fiction (3/20) 
•    Assignment: Biographical thumbnail sketch (3/20) 
•    Final Presentations: Dragon’s Den sales pitch/3 Minute Essay (Audio Flux) (10/20) 

KEY WORDS 

Narrative arcs, writing, rewriting, speaking, rhetorical devices, metaphor 


Track 3 - Engineering is convincing 


Phase 1 - Critical Thinking (D. Paisley)


MEET THE TEACHER: Darren PAISLEY

I have studied a pretty large variety of things ranging from Linguistics and the English Language to Aquaculture, although I particularly love History and Botany. That said, if I were ever to set out on a Quixotic or Arthurian quest, my grail would simply be: The Truth. Born in the town of Paisley (sic), Scotland, my childhood took me from a lighthouse on a remote Scottish island to a little farming and mining “dorp” in the South African veld. I have lived in Brittany, France, since the year 2000 and - in all honesty - I cannot really now imagine living anywhere else!

COURSE TITLE: Rhetoric & Critical Thinking

TARGET LEVEL: C1/C2

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the module you will be better able to:
1.    write a speech and deliver a speech
2.    write a clear & coherent argumentative essay
3.    mediate a text by means of critical analysis

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This module is about honing your speaking, writing, and argumentation skills in English.
We will begin by analysing two famous (American) historical speeches in the light of the classical concepts of Logos, Ethos and Pathos to discover what made (and makes) them work. Students will then put all of this theory into practice by writing a speech of their own, and by cooperating with a partner to have it effectively delivered.
We will also practice writing clear and structured bodies of argumentative text focusing on three distinct levels: sentence – paragraph - essay. 
In addition, this module relies on concepts drawn from critical thinking and informal logic such as claims, issues, and explanations. These tools will be used to analyse a given text in a critical, that is, objective manner.
The word « Rhetoric » calls up various connotations, generally not very positive in nature. In this class, though, our meaning is the classical one of persuasive linguistic expression.
The word « Critical » is also often saddled with negative interpretations. However, its denotative meaning indicates rather an objective truth-seeking approach towards a given issue than any particular preconceived conclusion or attitude.

SKILLS FOCUS :

  • Public Speaking - by means of persuasive monologue
  • Writing - through coherent argumentation
  • Mediation – via explanation of a text
ACTIVITIES

•    Exercises and grammar support for writing
•    Speech analysis, production, & delivery
•    Claims, Issues, Argumentation, Fallacies, Explanations, Context(s)

ASSESSMENT

1.    By Wk 3: Write an Argumentative Essay – one per person, in class ( 6/20)
2.    By Wk 4: Speech production (pair work) – write one, deliver one (4/20)
3.    Wk 6: Write a group report analysing a media article (6 /20)
4.    Participation (4 /20)

KEY WORDS

Logos, Ethos, Pathos, Argumentation, Claims, Issues, Fallacies, Explanation, Context, Spoken & Written Language Differences


Phase 2 - Debating (J. Toulouse)


MEET THE TEACHER: Jeanne TOULOUSE 

My teaching style has been shaped by:  
•    being an exchange student in a United States public high school, where I took debating, journalism, drama, and psychology, and discovered positive reinforcement as a powerful pedagogical tool;  
•    studying Sociology and Economics before specializing in American and British Civilizations and Literature for the Agrégation;  
•    living and teaching abroad for 10 years; founding and running Model United Nations and Debating Clubs in Santo Domingo and the United Arab Emirates;  
•    becoming an improvisation theatre nerd ten years ago, using improv and drama to empower English language learners, allowing mistakes, and helping students find their voice over time. 

COURSE TITLE:  Debating  

RECOMMENDED LEVEL: B2+/C1  

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

By the end of this course, you will be able to: 
1.    Draft and deliver speeches on any topic with and without preparation and handle challenging questions. 
2.    Expand your vocabulary, rhetorical toolbox and range of arguments by engaging with diverse sources. 
3.    Listen actively, take effective notes, and perform reliably as a team player. 
4.    Speak confidently and at length, without a script, using posture, tone, intonation, facial expression, and body language. 
5.    Manage public-speaking stress  


COURSE DESCRIPTION 

This course takes you through 2 competitive debating formats (Public Forum, British Parliamentary). You will research, write, and deliver speeches for or against "motions" — from topical issues to philosophical questions, serious or light-hearted. Along the way, you will learn to think on your feet, use rhetoric and critical thinking, listen actively, take notes for rebuttals, and overcome stage fright. 

SKILLS SOUGHT 

Although the class will mostly focus on oral skills (speaking and interacting), reading and listening for speech preparation, note-taking during debates and speech writing will also be necessary.  

ACTIVITIES 

Prepare and deliver speeches. Ask and answer Points of Information. Map out and implement debate strategies. Propose future debate motions. Chair debates. Assess peers' performances. 

ASSESSMENT 
•    Participation and engagement 20% 
•    Flowing (ie organised note-taking) 15% 
•    Choosing debate topic, chairing and judging 15% 
•    Marked debate (Speech and Points of Information) 50% 
KEY WORDS 

Persuasion, analysis, argumentation, rhetoric, performance, structure, spontaneity, theatricality, debate 

Track 4 - Engineering is navigating languages and cultures 


Phase 1 - Exploring Intercultural Communication (Caroline Dawe-Coz)


MEET THE TEACHER: Caroline Dawe-Coz

With a BA in Russian and French and an MA in English, my career teaching secondary school students, adults, and language teachers has taken me to Haiti, French Guiana, Lebanon, the UAE, and back to Brittany where I began my profession. I adopt a student-centred, active learning approach, and I strive to create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, learning the basics of new languages, and engaging with people from different cultures. 

COURSE TITLE : Exploring intercultural communication

TARGET LEVEL : B2.2/C1   

COURSE OBJECTIVES  

•    To be able to develop your written and spoken skills
•    To listen actively and take notes    
•    To improve your ability to engage an audience                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                     
COURSE DESCRIPTION  
As an engineer working or doing research in a global context, you will need to understand how to handle intercultural differences and how different cultures perceive the world. In this phase you will acquire useful tips on how to react to behaviours that you might consider strange, especially when it comes to communicating, leading an international team, making decisions, building trust, giving feedback or expressing disagreement.

SKILLS FOCUS  

•    Reading and listening for detail                                 
•    Presenting skills: engaging the audience, applying effective body language and explaining complex ideas in a simple manner, adopting appropriate tone, intonation and word stress and using correct pronunciation                      
•    Academic writing          
•    Learning the art of small talk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
ACTIVITIES  

•    Role play    
•    Group discussions    
•    Presentations     
•    Interacting with an engineer who has worked for several international companies                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
ASSESSMENT  
•    Class Participation: Regular attendance and active oral participation are required (4/20)     
•    Role play (3/20)         
•    Mediation – read an article and write a summary in class (3/20)
•    Final Presentations: Give an interactive presentation (10/20)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
KEY WORDS  
Cultural conditioning (values and norms), cultural diversity, intercultural communication in the workplace
 

Phase 2 - Material Culture (Lachell FAURE)


MEET THE TEACHER: Lachell FAURE 

I grew up in the United States, and I’ve since spent half my life abroad living in Japan for six years and in France for thirteen. Along the way, I’ve taught English to learners from many countries and walks of life. These experiences have deepened my interest in how everyday objects—and the etiquette around them—acquire social meaning across cultures. 

COURSE TITLE: MATERIAL CULTURE 

RECOMMENDED LEVEL: B2.2/C1 

COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the module you will be better able to: 
1.    Engage in discussions about cultural differences 
2.    Investigate the historical context of cultural norms in various cultures 
3.    Discuss the implications of cultural appropriation 
4.    Analyze the influence of media and its implications on culture 

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

Strengthen core intercultural communication skills through an exploration of the cultural meanings of objects across societies, including their historical development, social labels, and etiquette. 

SKILLS FOCUS 
•    Mediation: Interpret cultural meaning from texts/media/peer talk for different audiences. 
•    Interaction & negotiation: Use conditionals, modals, and hedging to suggest, clarify, and negotiate respectfully. 
•    Production: Deliver short, structured responses and presentations on everyday objects. 
•    Interpretation & critical language: Infer main ideas and implied meaning from tone/language and support/justify claims with evidence. 

ACTIVITIES 

•    Research and Analytical skills – Investigate the cultural history and social meaning of everyday objects by analyzing short texts, videos, and peer interviews 
•    Active Listening – Listen to cultural stories through pair exchanges and peer feedback 
•    Empathy – Conduct role plays and listen to personal object biographies to learn to see the world from perspectives different from one's own 
•    Cultural Intelligence – Interpret unfamiliar social norms and adapt one's behavior by discussing etiquette, appropriation, and hidden rules behind objects 

ASSESSMENT 
  • Participation (20%) in class attendance, contribution to tasks & discussions 
  • Ongoing Assessments (30%) 
    • Create a concept map on one's own culture and identity 15% 
    • Write a reflective essay on the significance of an object in one's own culture or personal experiences 15% 
  • Final Project (50%) Research a specific object or trend in a culture other than your own and give a presentation 
    • Bibliography (including one report from an information interview) 10% 
    • Oral presentation 40% 
KEY WORDS 
Intercultural Communication, Traditions, Culture, Identity and Expression, Global Trends  
 

TRACK 5: Engineering is considering geopolitics, the environment and culture


Phase 1 - How Geopolitics affects sustainability (R. DELAUTRE)


MEET THE TEACHER: Raphaël DELAUTRE

For over a decade, I served as a language officer in the French Army—in branch training schools, Land Force Headquarters, and on deployments including the Balkans. Precision saves lives. Ambiguity costs them. Back in civilian life, I turned to environmental protection and biomimicry: learning from Nature (capital N, please—a little respect). She has been running R&D for 3.8 billion years. She knows a thing or two about resilience. I love travel, Paris, fantasy literature—and I listen obsessively to Jean-Marc Jancovici (yes, that's in French). I believe engineers who understand power, territory and resources— and can communicate that clearly—will shape the future.

COURSE TITLE : HOW GEOPOLITICS AFFECTS SUSTAINABILITY 

RECOMMENDED LEVEL: B2/C1

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Understand how competition over resources, energy and supply chains shapes environmental outcomes.
2. Read and compare different sources: graphs, maps, policy documents, case studies and news reports. 3. Explain climate and resource risks clearly, using cause-effect language, hedging and policy vocabulary. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Sustainability is not just a technical challenge—it is a geopolitical one. Engineers who understand power, territory and resources will lead the transition. From colonial extraction to COP31's high-stakes diplomacy—where Türkiye hosts, Australia negotiates, and the Pacific Islands lead—you will learn to see the world through five lenses: resources, energy, supply chains, territory and stability. You will role-play, design 2050 scenarios, and build a portfolio that proves you can think strategically. The final challenge? Pitch a Resilient Community for 2050. Your tools? Geopolitical analysis, professional English, and a clear vision.

SKILLS FOCUS
Reading and comparing sources | Interpreting graphs and maps | Explaining cause and consequence | Using hedging and signposting | Defining technical vocabulary | Delivering group presentations | Giving and receiving feedback

ACTIVITIES
Vocabulary work; graph and map reading; case discussions on resources, energy, water, trade and diplomacy; COP31 simulation; scenario planning; group design challenge; peer feedback; final pitch with Q&A.

ASSESSMENT
20% participation; 20% weekly reading and vocabulary tasks; 20% analytical writing; 40% final group presentation (slides, 2–4 students, Q&A) on a climate-geopolitical challenge with evidence, key vocabulary and practical recommendations.

KEY WORDS
Geopolitics, sovereignty, supply chains, energy transition, resilience.

Phase 2 - Geopolitics and language - (C. DAWE-COZ)


MEET THE TEACHER: Caroline Dawe-Coz

With a BA in Russian and French and an MA in English, my career teaching secondary school students, adults, and language teachers has taken me to Haiti, French Guiana, Lebanon, the UAE, and back to Brittany where I began my profession. I adopt a student-centred, active learning approach, and I strive to create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, learning the basics of new languages, and engaging with people from different cultures. 

COURSE TITLE : Exploring the role of languages in geopolitics

TARGET LEVEL: B2.2/C1   

COURSE OBJECTIVES  
•    Analyse the link between language and identity at regional and national levels.  
•    Evaluate the power dynamics of dominant and minority languages, including their social and political impact.  
•    Understand the effects of colonization on language use and status in today’s world.  
•    Assess language as both a barrier and a tool for communication, inclusion, and exclusion.  
•    Develop key academic skills through research, writing, debates, and seminar organization. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION  

This course explores the relationship between language and regional and national identity, the power dynamics of dominant languages, the colonial legacy of language, language as a barrier and the status of minority languages.  There will also be a focus on intercultural communication. You will do individual and group research, write an article, take part in debates and organise a seminar on your chosen subject related to languages and geopolitics.

SKILLS FOCUS  

You will be expected to participate actively in class.  
The course seeks to improve your critical analysis, mediation, listening, writing, and speaking skills. 

ACTIVITIES  

•    Individual and group research
•    Note-taking and mediation
•    Academic writing    
•    Taking part in debates and a seminar

ASSESSMENT  

•    Class Participation: Regular attendance and active oral participation are required (4/20)     
•    Mediation – read a case study and write an article about it (3/20) 
•    Debating – take an active role in a debate (3/20)        
•    Final Presentations: Take part in a seminar (10/20)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
KEY WORDS  

Politics, geography, international relations, conflict, identity, languages, linguistics 
 



Track 6 - English Boot Camp (by invitation only) 


(A. Northan/C. Tonard)

The idea of this course is for teachers and students to come together to help those of you who are experiencing some difficulties with your written and/or spoken English. English is not an easy language to learn which can cause a lot of stress and frustration!
In addition, not everyone has had the same learning opportunities in the past, so this course is to help “level the playing field” and give you a boost for your exams and future careers in an enjoyable way.
This course is by invitation only.