Spelling mistakes in French... is it Voltaire's fault?

The Voltaire project - spelling correction

Flawless spelling: "impossible not French".

In 2008, the spelling refresher service, aptly named " Voltaire Project "was born.

The deterioration of the French language and the importance of writing without mistakes.

If you were good at dictation at primary school, or even used to getting it right, you must be the exception that proves the rule when it comes to spelling and grammar: the French language, its grammar rules and the sacrosanct Bescherelle are now written in the past participle!

The barometer published in June 2015 in Le Parisien is the sad admission of an inexorable deterioration in the situation. The subject has now become a chestnut that hits the headlines. "Everything's going to hell, my good woman", "It was better before! But it's an irrefutable fact. Writing without mistakes is no longer the rule. We can all remember a headline on a website that contains mistakes and that we happily attribute to the trainee at the writing 🙁

Level certification and the importance of spelling in the digital world

One wonders what would have happened if the project had not already made it possible (permit or licence ? are you sure? ) to more than 50,000 people to obtain certification at their level. Schools and companies are getting on with the job. It has to be said that the subject is becoming increasingly critical for employers, because in the digital world, written communication has not - at least not yet - completely given way to sound or images.

The issues for employers and the consequences of the COVID19 pandemic

The COVID19 pandemic, its cohort of teleworkers, Zooms video-conferencing and emails have claimed a collateral victim: French spelling. Incorrect agreement of the past participle with the auxiliary avoir, incorrect use of the infinitive, syntax errors and typos are the most common French spelling mistakes.

The problem for companies is that their image and credibility are tarnished.

The generation in charge today has a hard time digesting the SMS language that pollutes forums or illustrates Youtube videos with comments that are no less poor. Yet they are still the ones recruiting.

While it's not uncommon to find careless mistakes in an email written too quickly, HR managers confirm that grammatical errors and spelling mistakes are found throughout the applications received.

French is evolving, but the French language is not. By using this neolanguage, the individual bypasses the obstacle, which is not possible when you're looking for a job. Your letter of motivation or even your day-to-day activity won't allow you to avoid exercise. So you might as well practise, even with the help of electronic crutches. If there's one occasion when you need to avoid making mistakes, it's when you're writing your CV or covering letter! Finding mistakes in a CV is a killer! So what's the point? have it proofread ! Friends, relatives and colleagues will all be able to help you with this, provided they don't add any horrors to your prose!

Use an automatic correction tool

Another good idea is to use a spellchecker. Are you familiar with Word's spellchecker? Word's spellchecker is good, but it's not infallible: singular, plural, agreement in gender and number with the object complement, whether a word is invariable or not... The spellchecker built into the eponymous word processor is good, but it's not infallible. And with good reason: Word's dictionary was originally compiled from thousands of newspaper articles. It therefore reflects usage but does not necessarily follow the recommendations of the Académie française. The good news is that it is not alone. For example, Antidote that don't mind syntax, punctuation, conjugation or agreement errors!

Being recruited if you have spelling problems

" What's the point of being proofread if I'm still a fundamentally bad speller? What will happen when my employer discovers that I'm writing emails full of mistakes? "

It's precisely your attention to detail and your respect for others that will have led you to have your work proofread. Are you aware of your shortcomings? You will certainly have put in place a strategy to compensate for these weaknesses in spelling or grammar. This professional and caring attitude towards others is exactly what will be appreciated.

For error-free writing: a spelling refresher course

This doesn't mean you don't need to brush up your spelling skills, which you can do alongside your main job. Writing without making mistakes and eliminating spelling errors in French is possible, provided you get some training. Professional training courses in spelling are on the increase. They are now eligible for personal training account.

Like the certifications issued for English, such as the TOEIC, the Voltaire project issues a certificate - for a fee, of course - attesting to your level of proficiency in the written French language. Above all, it offers an innovative training system based on a system known as "memory anchoring". Above all, it offers an innovative training system based on a so-called "memory anchoring" system, in which you will find mnemonic tricks, word origins, common sense rules and exceptions: should the consonants in imbécillité be doubled? In this case, it's an etymological dilemma! Even without untying your purse, you can learn how to write "indûment" or accentuate "dérèglement".

Learn to write without making mistakes

Voltaire certificate to improve your spelling and learn how to avoid spelling mistakes in French.

CNAM training courses, introductory courses in grammar and spelling or even the writing support scheme

Orthopassa certification service approved by Pôle Emploi

The Parisian with a Voltaire test online.

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