Ready for the big oral? Between Monday, June 20th and Friday, July 1st, the candidates for the general baccalaureate and the technical baccalaureate sit the baccalaureate examination. The stakes are high: the exam is scored with a coefficient of 10 in the general branch and 14 in the technological branch.
The test, which is worth 20 points, lasts 40 minutes. The high school student comes with two questions prepared with their teachers and related to one or two of the student’s subject areas (art, history-geography, mathematics, physics-chemistry, etc.). The jury, consisting of two professors, one of whom teaches a subject of the candidate, chooses one of the two questions. The high school student has 20 minutes to prepare his speech. The big hearing also lasts 20 minutes and is divided into three parts: 5 minutes of presentation, 10 minutes of interview with the jury and 5 minutes of discussion of the candidate’s orientation project.
This great oral hearing “allows you to practice reasoning and public speaking,” new education minister Pap Ndiaye pointed out in a press release. A few days before this test, feared by many students, franceinfo asked Cyril Delhay, professor of public speaking at Science Po, who helped develop this test, to give the candidates some practical advice.
1 “Upstream, you can mentally grasp this orally”
“Surely this great oral exam serves to validate your oratory skills and knowledge. But it is also a meeting, a moment in which you share a little bit of yourself. You have to leave that fear of the jury in the dressing room, die in is a benevolent spirit. It is as if you have prepared a meal for friends while preparing your mouth. Once the preparations are complete, you will have a pleasant time and enjoy your guests. Here is your theme, which is the meal , and you share it with the jury.
Upstream, you can mentally capture this verbally at home, like an athlete imagining his competition. You imagine yourself making your way to the examination site, entering the room.
“It accustoms your brain to feeling less new and therefore less stressful.”
Cyril Delhay
at franceinfo
2 “With heart coherence you can find your peace”
“When we’re stressed, we find ourselves holding our breath, dry mouth, wheezing, and sweating. We search for our words when we’re not stuttering. You can respond to this by listening to your body.
Regulating your breathing allows you to regain your calm through cardiac coherence. Proven by top athletes, this technique consists of a series of inhales and exhales, all of equal five-second duration, repeated for three minutes.
The earlier you train, the better. So don’t hesitate to do this two to three times a day, a few days before the exam and before entering the room, on D-Day or even during the 20-minute preparation before the big hearing.
3 “Avoid Writing Your Entire Presentation”
“During the 20-minute preparation, you put your ideas in order. What you need to avoid is writing your entire presentation because you won’t be able to read notes during the hearing, and most importantly you won’t have on the other hand, it’s helpful to write the first and last sentences so you can better visualize where you start and where you want to get to.
It’s like a plane taking off and landing, these are the most delicate moments of your presentation. You can also slide keywords or numbers, maximum five or six, between these two sentences to act as a reminder.
“Avoid reciting your notes, stay in the interaction.”
Cyril Delhay
at franceinfo
4 “Make short sentences”
“Forget the thought of wanting to say everything, concentrate on the essentials. To do this, form short sentences: subject, verb, complement, and with only one idea per sentence. This will help you express yourself clearly and speak in a clear manner of your topic.
Also, think of your speech as music punctuated by silence about a third of your time. This will bring your point of view alive and allow you to carve your thoughts. By putting a silence before a word, you emphasize it, and even more so when it comes after it.
“Silence allow you to breathe too.”
Cyril Delhay
at franceinfo
5 “Speech Ticks Can Be Eliminated In A Few Days”
“Those who are afraid of verbal tics that don’t spare anyone, like ‘suddenly’, ‘actually’, ‘uh’, ‘voila’ can be chased away in a few days. Then take a minute. Listen to yourself by counting your tics. If you do it two or three times, you’re halfway there because the brain picks up on these verbal tics.
You can also practice talking about a topic that interests you with your friends, family, or in class. You will find that there are fewer or no parasites if you engage with your topic and want to share it. It also gives you an idea of what rhythm you need to have.”
6 “When the body is well positioned, the thought becomes clearer”
“Once you enter the exam room, it’s like a playground where you notice the other players. Here you interact with the jury. For that you have to be aware of your body , that instrument with which you can speak in public. During the first part of the test, the candidate stands. Then he can sit down.
When the body is well positioned, the thought becomes clearer. Standing with a good footing on the ground, feet hip width apart, become aware of your surroundings, those around you, and your breathing. To feel comfortable in this pose, you can find your reference position at home that gives you that feeling of rootedness and stability.
“Why not get inspired by the support position you have when you play your favorite sport?”
Cyril Delhay, public speaking teacher
at franceinfo
7 “It is important to develop a gesture of openness”
“When we are stressed, we tend to stick our arms to our torsos. We make soothing gestures with our hands, play with them, or rub them on our legs. It is therefore important to develop a gesture of reassurance. Openness that goes to the other and what will enrich your remarks. Also think about the position of your fingers.
To have a fluent opening gesture on D-Day, you can repeat two or three gestures at home to let your body learn them. You can also watch speakers you like, mute the audio, and just look at their gestures for inspiration.”
8 “You have to watch out for the jury”
“Looking is very important. In stressful situations, we tend not to look ahead and seek inspiration by looking at the ceiling. This makes you miss public speaking. You owe it to the jury, even if you crave yours words. It’s important to keep your gaze straight ahead as it helps anchor you firmly to the ground and keeps your body from swaying.”
“You can practice a few minutes a day, at home, in front of the mirror. Of course you have to avoid looking scared or gun-eyed in front of the jury.”
Cyril Delhay
at franceinfo
9 “Don’t make the jury your compass in the course of your oral presentation”
“The jury is not there to put you on the grill, nor to destabilize you by rolling your eyes or blowing, for example. It has to show a certain neutrality without appearing like a wall. Whereby the first five minutes pass without question jury, you are in interaction with him, you are talking to him and you are listening to the resonance of that word in the brain of your interlocutor.
Be physically engaged in what you are saying. But don’t make the jury your compass throughout your hearing. Detach yourself from the fear of what he thinks and move on. If he doesn’t understand what you’re talking about, you’ll see right away, don’t worry.”
“You can practice with your comrades by playing the role of the jury: it will make you think of the questions he might ask you on D-Day.”
Cyril Delhay
at franceinfo
10 “You May Not Have All The Answers And That’s Okay”
“The beauty of oral sex is the imperfection. You can’t control everything and you want to do something perfect because that’s the best way to make mistakes. If you have a hole, don’t hesitate to tackle it. Stop, Breathe, and Go On If you stutter, there’s no need to apologize. Breathe calmly and proceed calmly, this shows that you are able to regulate things. Remember: breathing is fundamental to avoiding stuttering.
In the last part of your oral conversation, which is a question-and-answer game about your future, you may not have all the answers, and that’s okay. Knowing how to say “I don’t know” shows intellectual honesty and nobody can blame you, you can even ask your questions.
11 “Do not touch your subjects the day before”
“The earlier you start training, the better. Because speaking, the more you repeat it, the more reflexes it creates. And reflexes are freedom. Don’t hesitate to vary your short workouts. One day you’re working on short sentences, another day it’s breathing, the next day you’re playing jury and so on.
But don’t touch your subjects the day before. In a pinch, “mentalize” your 20-minute preparation, but no more. Clear your head, do something else. Go for a walk, exercise, keep an open mind, everything will be fine.”