From March 18 to 26, hundreds of events are organized around the world as part of the French Language and Francophonie Week. Dictations, colloquia, fairs, improv matches… all forms have been chosen to celebrate the French language.
Are you more video game or dictation?
On the way for a futuristic expedition in the company of Elocus, a valiant astronaut who explores the galaxy of Tesseracts to discover the different uses of words and expressions of the French language thanks to quizzes, fill-in-the-blank texts, puzzles or even words- crusaders. Launched in 2022 to renew the image of the French language among young people, Exploratio is a fun and mobile game designed by the Ministry of Culture with the contribution of the Office québécois de la langue française. A major intergenerational competition for this game is organized at the E-collectif in Courbevoie on March 23. It will see pairs made up of a senior from a city nursing home and a junior from a school compete. May the best win!
Indispensable in the classroom, dictation can also be a great vehicle for surpassing oneself and access to culture and writing thanks to the French language. Since 2013, more than six hundred “ dictation for all » giant events are organized annually. Two of them will take place on the occasion of the Week of the French language and Francophonie: the first in Bezons on March 18, the second in Sannois on March 25. An excellent exercise to federate around the linguistic heritage, to fight against illiteracy and working for equal opportunities.
Tell me ten words on the front of the stage
They will face each other in a ring, but with words. On March 22, college students will be in the arena of the Salon des Maréchaux of the Ministry of Culture for an improvisation match around the theme of time and the ten words of this 2023 edition. Pupils from two establishments in Trappes will be supervised by the Déclic Théâtre association as part of the Culture & Diversity improv trophy. Opening this match, Jan Nowak, Polish publisher and writer, will offer readings of texts.
After the oral, place for writing with the awarding of prizes for the school competition, on March 23 in the temple of the language of Molière: the French Academy. This competition brought together primary and secondary school classes from all over the world, who had to produce a collective artistic and literary production based on the theme of this year 2023.
Last November, Raymond Devos would have been a hundred years old. The Week of the French language is an opportunity to pay tribute to the man who was a true magician of words. Caen… or rather when? On March 20, on the occasion of a tribute gala at the Edouard VII theatre. On stage, all those that the comedian was able to influence: Michel Boujenah, François Berléand, Sylvie Testud, Zabou Breitman or even Patrick Chesnais. As a bonus, the Raymond Devos prize, unveiled last November, will be awarded to Alex Lutz, moreover sponsor of this edition.
Raymond Devos, century-old word magician
Conferences and meetings are finally on the program with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Commission for the enrichment of the French language (CELF), to find new terms, in particular in economic life, scientific work and technical and legal activities. On March 21, the Institut de France is planning two round tables to discuss issues related to the use and dissemination of the French language: “A right to French for citizens” and “The French language, a collective responsibility”. .
On March 24, the BnF offers an encounter at the crossroads of literature, humor and play. Two French-speaking writers will discuss French spoken outside France and local languages. A humorous sketch will be proposed, either by the sponsoring artists or by a young comedian. Finally, a participatory quiz will put the public to work: they will have to guess a word from its definition given by the Dictionary of Francophones.
The French language in all territories…
Consult the digitizations of manuscripts of the Romance of the Roseof The Song of Roland or even of Tristan and Iseult… The Lumière Lyon 2 University offers to take a closer look at medieval texts written in French with the workshop “From paleography to artificial intelligence”, on March 23, which will notably allow you to transcribe a few verses from a medieval work. . The speakers will explain the contributions of digital humanities and artificial intelligence in the reading of old French texts. This event is one of those organized by the establishment for the Week, with in particular the exhibition “French, a language under influence” from March 20 to 24, which looks back on the many sources of influence of French: Greek , English, Latin…
In Marseille, the academic day of La Francophonie, organized at the Mucem, celebrates the richness of international cultural relations within classes. On March 30, more than 250 students will take part in an exceptional day at the museum. They will be accompanied, remotely, by students educated in French high schools around the world. They will discover the exhibitions of the Mucem and participate in the restitution of the work done in class around the operation Tell me ten words. In the afternoon, they will participate in a playful dictation with the writer Rachid Santaki on an extract from a novel by a French-speaking author or author.
The Initiales association organizes at the Maison de la Région de Châlons-en-Champagne, the regional meeting “Tell me ten at all times, social ties and life in the city”, on March 23. This initiative brings together young people and adults from rural, urban, penitentiary, hospital, educational, social and cultural environments, each evoking, through the French language, their feeling of belonging to their village, their neighborhood, their city and their country.
Do you want to measure yourself with spelling and the French language? The Revolt-IA business and public service challenges, organized by the Voltaire Foundation online, offer you a team escape game from the Voltaire Project. Your mission if you accept it: regain control of an artificial intelligence that has reduced humanity to slavery. You will have 90 minutes to do this by solving ten spelling and expression puzzles. The game will take place online, Tuesday, March 21 from 12 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. To register, all you need is a team of six people.
… and even abroad
The French Institute in Gaza is also organizing a “Tell me ten words” competition open to university students and French-speakers in Gaza, who can apply individually or collectively. Each participant proposes a video on a free theme and format lasting from 30 seconds to one minute in which they will have to place at least five of the ten words of the operation. A jury will meet to select the three best videos based on the level of French, diction and the originality of the video. The finalists will present their texts on stage and in public during the celebration of Francophonie Day on March 14.
In Latin America, the EAN University of Bogota in Colombia organizes the “EAN in all weathers (sustainable)” festival on March 24th. Students in the last level of French will offer various activities around the ten words to beginner and intermediate level French students: origami, writing workshops, multimedia activities…
In Taiwan, YiTong Park is transformed for an afternoon into a flea market where books take to the air. The Le Pigeonnier bookstore in Taipei is indeed organizing its French-language book fair on March 26, where you can buy books at reduced prices, display your books for sale or exchange them with other participants. There will also be story readings and some music to celebrate the arrival of spring.