Prêts pour un sans-faute ? À vos stylos !

Participate in our French dictée, a unique opportunity to put your language skills to the test and challenge your knowledge of the French language. "What is dictée?" you may ask. A dictée is a kind of French exam that tests your listening, spelling, and grammar skills. During a dictée, a speaker reads a text while the participants listen and transcribe what they hear. The goal is to write the most accurate transcription of the text! tWhether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, this experience is open to all who wish to improve their grammar, vocabulary, and spelling in French. After the event, participants will submit their work via email to be checked and corrected. A prize will be awarded for the best dictation!

The event will be composed of two sessions: one beginner-friendly and the other for advanced participants. Each session will last 30 minutes. The beginner-level session will begin at 5:30pm, and the advanced-level session will begin at 6:00pm. The text for both sessions comes from L'Immeuble Yakoubian by Alaa El-Aswany, and in each session, there will be three readings of the text. 

First reading: a general reading of the text so that participants can hear the text in its entirety.

Second reading: a slow reading of the text, during which participants will copy down the dictation as they hear it. Typically, sentences and paragraphs are read at least twice. 

Third reading: another complete general reading of the text so that participants can check their work and correct any mistakes, forgotten words, or punctuation marks. 

Book summary: 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.

L'Immeuble Yakoubian by Alaa El-Aswany is available on Lireka and Amazon and is also available to members in the AFP library!

Event Information

Date: Monday, January 26, 2026
Time: 5:30-6:00pm for beginner level / 6:00-6:30pm for advanced level
Location: Online via Zoom
Language: French
Cost: Pay what you wish. Suggested donation is $10.

Please submit your donation here: Alliance Française de Philadelphie - Donate

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