Dictée à l'Alliance: Emile Zola

Hello Francophones and French learners! Join us for your favorite French exercise: the dictée, in-person at the Alliance Française de Seattle. We will be exploring an excerpt from Emile Zola, a French novelist, journalist, playwright, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is encapsulated in his renowned newspaper opinion headlined J'Accuse…!  Zola was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.

This dictée is non-competitive and recommended for fluency levels of B1 or above. 

How does it work?

• RSVP below: free for AF members / $5 non-members
• Pen and paper will be provided on-site.
• AFSeattle instructor Pauline Chateau will be reading the text of the dictée. There are several readings: 
  • First reading: to discover the text in its entirety (not a dictation).
  • Dictation: Pauline will read 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.
• Pauline will then lead the correction session and reveal the original text. Participants can follow and correct their own versions. This is the time to discuss new vocabulary, compare mistakes or successes, and have fun as a group!

A chance to win a prize! 

All attendees will get a chance to win the book from the dictée during a random draw at the end of the event.

Discover our library

After the dictée, participants will have the opportunity to browse our French-language books, discover our staff picks, and borrow books. Become a member to borrow books from our library!