Reading out loud

A Moment of Connection at the Alliance Française de Pasadena Book Fair

Emma

Credit: Califrenchlife

The French Book Fair which took place at Alliance Française de Pasadena with Clotilde French Bookstore on February 1, 2025, was more than just a chance to buy books—it was a celebration of community, resilience, and the shared love of reading in French !

In the wake of the recent wildfires that deeply impacted our area, this event became a space for people to reconnect, exchange experiences, and find comfort in literature. Attendees didn’t just come to shop; they came to discover new books, engage in discussions, and support each other during a difficult time.

 Books as an Escape

For some, especially those who had lost their homes, books provided a much-needed escape from the weight of reality. Reading in French, a foreign language, offered a double layer of evasion—immersing them in new worlds while allowing them to step outside their everyday struggles, if only for a while.

 A Community Coming Together

Beyond browsing through the carefully curated selection of Clotilde French Bookstore, visitors shared reading tips, recommendations, and personal stories. The book fair became a place of support and exchange, where literature helped forge connections and offered a sense of normalcy.

The Consul of France in Los Angeles especially went to the event with his family to support the community of Alliance Française de Pasadena.

 Personalized Guidance from Clotilde

Clotilde, always attentive, was there to guide everyone toward the right books—whether they were looking to improve their French, explore classic or contemporary literature, or simply find a comforting read.

In the comments of the Linkedin post of Alliance Française de Pasadena about the French book fair, Clotilde wrote in French:

Translation in English: “Thank you Emma Franks! Working with you is always a great pleasure.
And it was a real beautiful emotion to see you come this morning to the Alliance one after the other to come and choose new books to discover.
Lately, your community has suffered a lot from the fires in LA and some this morning even shared with me that they lost everything, including all their books.
It touched me extremely to exchange with you, and to be able to disconnect from this reality for a moment to dive into different literary discussions/recommendations.
Pasadena/Altadena, my heart goes out to you, and I’ll see you soon.”

Clotilde Delestre from Clotilde Bookstore (on the left) and Emma Franks, Executive Director of Alliance Française de Pasadena.

Credit: Clotilde Delestre

 A Success Rooted in Solidarity

This edition of the book fair was a true success, not just because of the books sold, but because of the spirit of togetherness that filled the room. It was a reminder that literature is not just about words on a page—it’s about sharing, healing, and growing together.

French books can make an event meaningful. Let’s keep reading in French, discovering, and supporting one another!

Credit: Califrenchlife

Why is it necessary to read out loud when you learn a foreign language?

Emma

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Learning a foreign language is complex because not only do you discover new words, new grammar rules, another culture, but moreover, you must learn how to enunciate new sounds in a speaking chain. All this involves a new activity for your mouth. At the beginning, it’s not easy for your organs. You may have already noticed it but sometimes you can feel your muscles after having pronounced your first words in a foreign language. At the same time, you don’t totally recognize your voice because the frequencies of each language are different. To feel more comfortable quickly, it is essential to read out loud. You can read your classes, your texts and all the things which are interesting for you. The more you read, the more comfortable you will be. But reading out loud involves good pronunciation and a good prosody (the melody of the language), that’s why each language textbook is often accompanied by a CD.
At the beginning of the learning of a language, the ideal is to focus on the pronunciation rules first, then you should read silently, listening carefully to your teacher or the audio recordings. When you feel ready, you can begin to read the same text out loud. The fact of listening to the foreign language regularly will allow you to imitate the sounds and the melody of the language.
Don’t count on this way of reading to understand the text more easily, especially when you read it for the first time. Indeed, it’s more an exercise of pronunciation. For the written comprehension, it’s recommended to take your time when you read silently. It’s important to be able to decrypt the global meaning of the text first, then you can focus on its details.

Speaking another language means learning how to become somebody else. Reading out loud is a great exercise to learn and be comfortable with your « new you ».