PRÊTS POUR UN SANS-FAUTE ? À VOS STYLOS ! 

Participate in our written French dictation, a unique opportunity to put your language skills to the test and challenge your knowledge of the French language.

Whether you are a beginner (104+ levels), intermediate, or advanced, this dictée is open to all who wish to improve their grammar, vocabulary, and spelling in French.

It will take place on Zoom,  in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, with participants of all ages and backgrounds. 

The basic level will start at 5:30 pm. We will explore a short text inspired by a contemporary francophone author.

The advanced level will then continue at 6:00 pm with an extract from the novel by the same contemporary francophone author.

This session features an excerpt from Alaa El-Aswany L'immeuble Yakoubian
Built in the heart of Cairo in the 1930s, a vestige of bygone splendor, the Yacoubian Building is a socio-cultural melting pot highly representative of 21st-century Egypt. On its staircase, Taha, the concierge's son, who dreams of becoming a policeman; Hatem, the gay journalist; Zaki, the elderly aristocrat, lost in his memories; Azzam, the shady businessman, as bigoted as he is lecherous; and the beautiful Boussaïna, who longs to work without having to endure the lust of a boss, all cross paths or ignore each other.

A witness to an era, Alaa El Aswany casts a tender, non-judgmental gaze on characters all struggling in the same trap: that of a society dominated by political corruption, the rise of Islamism, social inequality, the absence of sexual freedom, and nostalgia for the past.

*** HOW DOES IT WORK ? ***

A Zoom link will be sent to you a few hours before the event. 

We will provide you with a short dictation on a literary text.

We will do several readings: 

• First reading: to discover the text in its entirety (not a dictation).
  
• Dictation: second reading of the text slowly, and participants will write down the text as best they can. Usually, sentences and paragraphs are read at least twice at a slow pace.
  
• Final reading: to hear the complete text again and look over any forgotten words, mistakes, and punctuation marks.
  

You can then send us your scanned dictations by email to obtain the correction.
 
A prize will be awarded for the best dictation!

The dictées we propose are based on books available in our francophone Library and studied in our Club de Lecture.

You can get borrowing privileges to our library by becoming a member now!

*** WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW *** 

Date : Monday, January 26th, 2026

Time :  5:30 PM for basic levels, 6:00 PM for advanced

Duration : 30 min for each level

Fee : Pay what you want. The average donation amount is $10. Please follow the LINK to submit your donation. Thank you for you support !

Format: Online Via ZOOM