For the Grand oral, the French oral or the remedial orals, it is essential to know the content, but just as important to take care of the form! Our advice for training well and managing your stress in the face of these dreaded events.
[Mise à jour du 10 mai 2022]. Oral expression is very important in the successful completion of the baccalaureate exams. Whether it is for the Grand oral du bac, which takes place between June 20 and July 1, 2022, or the oral exams of the French baccalaureate for first year students (from June 20), it is necessary to keep calm and adopt a serene and audible tone. The same goes for the remedial orals, which take place from Wednesday July 6 to Friday July 8, 2022, where composure is more essential than ever. But how not to stress in front of a jury and avoid losing your means? oral day ? Indeed, this oral test is particularly dreaded by candidates, especially if they are shy by nature and are not used to speaking in public. The fear of the black hole, that of blocking an answer also happens to the best students. Here are some tips for your child manages his stress on D-Day.
1 – How to express yourself well orally?
Revisions allow you to know your subject at your fingertips, and to understand it well. But for the oralit is not only that that counts: it is also necessary practice speaking ! To help your child prepare, you can have him revise a theme, but instead of having him recite his lesson, act like you’re the baccalaureate examiner : give him a subject, give him time to prepare, and ask him questions. If these are topics that you do not master, that you do not have the time or your teenager prefers not to do it with you, suggest that he do it with his classmates by telephone or videoconference… Or even to recite his lessons aloud, alone. All that matters is that he trains!
2 – I’m afraid of memory lapses, how can I anticipate?
Stress sometimes causes memory lapses, even if your child knows his subject like the back of his hand, and this tends to increase the level of panic. To prevent this from happening on the day of the oral, small tricks could help him to remember what he forgot. Beforehand, prepare with him some mnemonicssuch as making acronyms with several things that go together, finding associations of ideas (for example, to remember dates, finding someone (a relative or even a celebrity) who was born on the same day, so he doesn’t remember the year), etc.
3 – Breathing exercises… How to stay focused?
The breathing exercises are very useful when baccalaureatebecause not only do they help to to manage stress, but they also allow you to concentrate. Moreover, they can be made the day before, just before, and even during! Thus, the student can inhale and exhale slowly, emptying their lungs each time. To calm down, there is a very simple little exercise: inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale through your nose for 4 seconds, and again hold your breath before starting again at the beginning. To concentrate, he can do the same exercise by closing his eyes and emptying his mind, for example during the last minutes of his preparation time before passing in front of the examiner. Practice positive thinking can also help. Remembering good memories of holidays, times when he felt calm and happy, your child will be soothed.
5 – Learn to relativize: how?
So as not to panic on the day of the oral, must also relativize. First of all, tell yourself that this is just a review and, although it is important, it is only one note among many others. As for the unknown, your child has already done so during the tests of the white bin… So there’s no reason why he can’t do it this time. Finally, reassure him by reminding him that the examiner is not there to be harsh with him. On the contrary, many of the teachers who pass the orals tend to be benevolent, especially during this period of health crisis that we are going through. If it reassures him, he can imagine talking to someone he already knows to feel more confident.
6 – Have self-confidence on the day of the oral
This is by far the most important thing, even if it is not the easiest to implement! Your child must have faith in him. Not only will this help her not panic, but it will also give a better impression to the examiner. Before taking his exam, remind him what makes him a good student, tell him that you will be proud of him regardless of his results (provided he gives himself the means to succeed of course) . Finally, help him remember his previous successes, the things he accomplished alone, the times he surpassed himself, whether in his school career or his sports club… Appreciate your skills is indeed essential to give him all the necessary assurance on the day of the exam.
7 – Anti-stress massages
Stress sometimes causes your hands to cramp, so massage them in to tenderize the muscles. To do this, press the palm of your hand with your thumb and make small circles. To relax, you can also massage your face with your fingertips: start at the bottom of the face by making small circular massages then go up to the cheekbones, temples, forehead and skull. Finally, work on your breathing: place your hands on your stomach and feel it expand for 5 to 7 seconds. Exhale slowly so that it gradually deflates for 5-7 seconds. In general, in case of stress, amplify your breaths to lengthen the breath in the abdomen.