Your Mission
Big question: Are real spies like James Bond?
Final task: You will play a job interview to join MI5 or MI6.
Grammar: must, have to, mustn't, don't have to.
Watch, guess, learn the words.
Two services, two missions.
M, Q and the real C.
Must, mustn't, don't have to.
Final task in pairs.
Who will be the next 007? (October 2026)
Daniel Craig played James Bond for the last time in No Time to Die (2021). Now the UK is waiting for a new Bond. The new actor will be the seventh official James Bond.
Amazon MGM Studios now controls the franchise. The director of the next film is Denis Villeneuve (Dune) and the writer is Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders).
According to reports, the final screen tests took place in London at the end of October. Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O'Connor are reportedly among the finalists, with a fourth secret actor. Nothing is confirmed: on 30 October 2026, no actor has been officially announced.
| Word | En français |
|---|---|
| a screen test | un essai filmé |
| casting | le choix des acteurs |
| a rumour | une rumeur |
| to announce | annoncer |
Warm-up quiz
1. When did the last Bond film, No Time to Die, come out?
2. Who played Bond in it?
3. Which Daniel Craig film is often called one of the best Bond films?
Your teacher's favourite: Skyfall (2012). You will study it in Session 1 and Session 4.
MI5 and MI6: who does what?
James Bond is a fictional MI6 agent.
True or false?
1. MI5 works abroad.
2. MI6 is the Secret Intelligence Service.
3. James Bond is a real agent.
4. MI5 protects the UK at home.
The finalists, according to reports
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Jack Lowden was born on 2 June 1990 in Essex, England. He grew up in Scotland. He played a soldier in Dunkirk (2017). Then he became famous as River Cartwright, an MI5 agent, in the series Slow Horses.Photo: Scottish Government, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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Callum Turner was born on 15 February 1990 in Hammersmith, London. He worked as a fashion model first. He played Theseus Scamander in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and starred in the series The Capture (2019).Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Josh O'Connor was born on 20 May 1990 in Southampton, England. He played a farmer in God's Own Country (2017). In 2019, he played Prince Charles in The Crown and he won an Emmy Award for this role.Photo: Max Surprenant, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Grammar: the simple past
Regular verbs: play, played · work, worked · star, starred · Irregular verbs: be, was · grow, grew · become, became · win, won.
Time markers: in 2017 · two years ago · when he was young · then · last year · since 2019 (present perfect) · for ten years.
Dates: We write He was born on 2 June 1990. We say He was born on the second of June, nineteen ninety.
Exercise 1: put the verbs in the simple past
1. Jack Lowden (grow) ______ up in Scotland.
2. Callum Turner (work) ______ as a model.
3. Josh O'Connor (win) ______ an Emmy Award.
4. Jack Lowden (play) ______ a soldier in Dunkirk.
5. Josh O'Connor (become) ______ famous in The Crown.
Exercise 2: say the dates
Write the dates in words, then say them aloud.
1. 2 June 1990 · 2. 15 February 1990 · 3. 20 May 1990
Exercise 3: timeline
Put these events in order on a timeline, then tell the story with first, then, after that, in ...:
A. Josh O'Connor played Prince Charles. · B. Jack Lowden was born. · C. Dunkirk came out. · D. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald came out.
Your argued vote
Step 1. Vote for one actor. Step 2. Give at least three arguments.
| To... | Sentence starters |
|---|---|
| give an opinion | I think... · In my opinion... · I'm convinced that... |
| give reasons | because... · since... · thanks to his role in... |
| compare | He is more ... than... · He looks as ... as... |
| add or contrast | Moreover... · However... · Although... |
| conclude | That's why... · To sum up... |
Model answer: In my opinion, Jack Lowden should be the next Bond because he already played an MI5 agent in Slow Horses. Moreover, he is more serious than the other actors. However, Callum Turner looks as elegant as Daniel Craig. To sum up, I'm convinced that Jack Lowden is the best choice.
Class tally
| Actor | Votes |
|---|---|
| Jack Lowden | |
| Callum Turner | |
| Josh O'Connor | |
| Another actor |
Sources:
Session 1 · Bond, James Bond
Warm-up: 007
Look at this number: 007
What do you know about it? Say it in English!
I know that… / He is… / He works for… / He has got…
Watch the trailer of Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall: official trailer (YouTube)1st viewing, no sound.
- Where is the action?
- Who are the characters?
- What is happening?
2nd viewing, with sound. Raise your hand when you hear: MI6 · M · agent · attack · London
Remember
James Bond is a fictional secret agent. He works for MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service. His boss is called M. In Skyfall, MI6 is attacked in London.
Vocabulary bank: tap to translate
Session 2 · MI5 or MI6?
Two Services, Two Missions
The United Kingdom has two famous intelligence services: MI5 and MI6.
MI5 is the Security Service. It works inside the UK. It protects the country against terrorism and against foreign spies on British soil. Its headquarters is Thames House, in Westminster, London.
MI6 is the Secret Intelligence Service, or SIS. It works outside the UK. Its officers collect secret information in other countries. Its headquarters is a big green and cream building next to the River Thames, at Vauxhall Cross. You can see it in several James Bond films.
"MI" means "Military Intelligence". Both services were born in 1909.
MI5
Security ServiceAt home
French equivalent: DGSI
MI6
Secret Intelligence ServiceAbroad
French equivalent: DGSE
Quiz: MI5, MI6 or both?
Session 3 · Fiction vs Reality
In the films
The boss of MI6 is called M.The man with the gadgets is Q.
In real life
The boss of MI6 is called C.MI6 also has a real Q!
Q Becomes C
In the Bond films, Q is the man who invents the gadgets. In real life, MI6 also has a "Q": the director of technology and innovation.
In 2025, the real Q became C. Her name is Blaise Metreweli. She is the first woman to lead MI6 in its history. In the films, a woman, played by Judi Dench, was already the boss of MI6. Real life caught up with fiction!
The boss of MI5 is called the Director General. He is Sir Ken McCallum. The heads of the two services are the only members whose names are public.
True or false?
Real spies today
In 2025, MI6 opened an online portal called Silent Courier. People can send secret information safely. MI6 explains how on its own YouTube channel!
MI6 Silent Courier video (YouTube)Are real spies always in action like Bond? Or do they also work behind a screen?
Debate
Is James Bond a good image of a real spy?
I think… / In my opinion… / Real spies don't… / In the films, Bond always… / I agree with… / I disagree because…
Session 4 · The Rules of a Spy
- A spy must keep secrets.
- A spy mustn't tell his family about his job.
- An MI6 officer has to travel a lot.
- An MI5 officer doesn't have to live abroad.
The rule
| Form | Meaning | En français |
|---|---|---|
| must / have to | obligation | devoir, être obligé de |
| mustn't | prohibition | ne pas avoir le droit de |
| don't have to | no obligation | ne pas être obligé de |
You mustn't lie = interdit.
You don't have to wear a suit = pas obligatoire.
Practice: must, mustn't or don't have to?
1. You be British to work for MI6.
2. You post photos of your job on Instagram.
3. You drive an Aston Martin. That's only in the films!
4. You be discreet.
5. You tell anyone your password.
Write your Spy Code
Going further: M reads a poem
In Skyfall, M is in trouble. In front of the ministers, she reads the end of "Ulysses", a poem by Alfred Tennyson (1842):
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Why does M read this poem? What is she saying about MI6 and about herself?
Help: to yield = céder · to strive = lutter · strong in will = déterminé
Session 5 · The Job Interview
MI5 and MI6 are recruiting! You are a candidate. Your partner is the recruiter. Then swap roles.
Recruiter card
- Which service do you want to join: MI5 or MI6? Why?
- What are your qualities?
- Do you speak foreign languages?
- Can you keep a secret?
- What must an agent never do?
Candidate card
- Choose your service.
- Give 3 qualities: discreet, calm, observant, loyal, patient, good with computers.
- Say one rule with must.
- Say one rule with mustn't.
- Shake hands, smile, look at the recruiter!
Useful phrases
Good morning, nice to meet you. · I would like to join MI6 because… · I am very discreet. · I can speak French and a little Spanish. · An agent mustn't… · Thank you for your time.
Assessment grid (/20)
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| Understanding and answering the questions | /5 |
| Correct use of must, mustn't, have to | /5 |
| Vocabulary from the sequence | /4 |
| Fluency and pronunciation | /4 |
| Interview attitude (eye contact, politeness) | /2 |
Espace professeur
Niveau : seconde ou première bac pro, B1.
Durée : 5 séances.
Problématique : Are real spies like James Bond?
Axes possibles : espace privé et espace public ; pouvoir et contre-pouvoirs.
Activités langagières : compréhension de l'oral (bande-annonce), compréhension de l'écrit (deux textes), expression orale en continu (débat), interaction orale (entretien), expression écrite (Spy Code).
Corrigés
Séance 2 : 1 MI6 · 2 MI5 · 3 MI6 · 4 both · 5 MI5 · 6 MI6
Séance 3 : 1 F (C) · 2 T · 3 T · 4 F (only the chief)
Séance 4 : 1 must · 2 mustn't · 3 don't have to · 4 must · 5 mustn't
Corrigés : Who will be the next 007?
Warm-up quiz : 1 in 2021 · 2 Daniel Craig (son cinquième et dernier film dans le rôle) · 3 Skyfall (2012)
MI5 / MI6 : 1 False · 2 True · 3 False · 4 True
Exercice 1 : 1 grew · 2 worked · 3 won · 4 played · 5 became
Exercice 2 : 1 the second of June, nineteen ninety · 2 the fifteenth of February, nineteen ninety · 3 the twentieth of May, nineteen ninety
Exercice 3 : B (1990), C (2017), D (2018), A (2019)
Version dys : 1 was · 2 played · 3 won
Faits vérifiés le 30 octobre 2026 (Wikipedia, BBC, TheWrap, Metro). Aucun acteur annoncé officiellement à cette date ; les noms des finalistes viennent de la presse.
Faits vérifiés
Blaise Metreweli, ancienne « Q » du MI6, est devenue « C » le 1er octobre 2025 : première femme à la tête du service. Le chef du MI6 est le seul membre dont le nom est public.
Sir Ken McCallum dirige le MI5 depuis avril 2020.
Le bâtiment de Vauxhall Cross est le siège du MI6 depuis 1994 et apparaît dans plusieurs James Bond.
En 2025, le MI6 a lancé « Silent Courier », un portail sécurisé, expliqué sur sa chaîne YouTube.