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Balzac ou Zola ?

"Balzac or Zola ?"
French C1 dictation exercise

Guillaume and Clara are discussing which, of Balzac and Zola, is their favourite French author.

Pay attention to the hints!

Some vocabulary you may want to look up before or during this exercise: "mériter le titre de", "ne serait-ce que", "une fresque", "sociétal.e", "prolifique", "auparavant", "un contemporain", "estimer", "la minutie", "retranscrire", "les mœurs", "façonner", "indiscutable", "nul autre que", "prétendre à", "inégalé.e", "mettre en scène", "issu de", "les milieux populaires", "subsister", "la classe ouvrière", "certes", "le naturalisme (literary movement)", "de son propre dire", "surpasser".

Written by qualified French expert Céline Pickard PGCE, BA
Last updated: 2023-02-16

I'll play you French speech in sections for you to transcribe

  • Start by listening to the whole piece then hit start
  • Play each section and write down what you hear
  • I'll show you correct answers after each for you to mark yourself
Start the exercise
How the test works
You’ll practise: Adjectif, Le Présent (Indicatif), Genre féminin
Let me take a look at that...