This is an initiative that can reconcile some with the dreaded ordeal of spelling. This Sunday, September 5, the exercise will be led by Thomas Bisquet and will take the form of a space mission. Shown on the big screen at Le Bourget’s Air and Space Museum at 3pm, the French astronaut will dictate a text from Marguerite Duras to get the participants’ attention.

Thomas Pesquet won’t be live but the proposed video was actually recorded from space, inside the International Space Station (ISS) where the astronaut has been on a mission for about six months. Organized in partnership with France Culture, this gigantic spelling is by writer Rachid Santaky, who has over 500 to his credit.

Sunday the fifth of September we will be #1erDimancheDuMoisThere is no excuse not to test your spelling skills with #DictationSpace via Thom_astro from’@This is amazing With # Giant Spell from Tweet embed and (re)discover groups Tweet embed. pic.twitter.com/4tBwZcbKpz

Museum of Air and Space (MuseeAirEspace) September 3, 2021

This time, the participants will be happy to settle in a rather special class: the tarmac at the foot of Ariane 5. Thomas Pesquet himself chose the text that he would dictate: an excerpt from the book “Un barrage contre le Pacifique”, by Marguerite Duras.

As the son of educators, the astronaut shared his delight in “the irony – I wish – an exercise that sometimes has a bad reputation”. Same story with Rashid Santaky. nearby ParisianThe writer explains that the goal of the giant dictates is above all to create “human encounters and contacts”.

This Sunday, several hundred people are expected to attend this free event. Even the Air and Space Museum likes to think of the thousands of participants. Thomas Pesquet will read the text for the first time, then Rachid Santaque will take up the task of dictating the excerpt again, more slowly.

A moment of self-correction will close the meeting and participants will then be able to browse the organization’s groups for free. Dictation is available from 10 years and a copy will be distributed to all “students”. On the other hand, you must be armed with your own pen…and your spelling skills.