Eloquence in training
How can you practice public speaking when you're at university? At UM, it's thanks to iTALKS. This training program breaks the mold, enabling students to acquire the skills they need to better communicate their ideas and turn these sometimes dreaded challenges into truly enjoyable experiences.
Exams, competitions, presentations, job interviews... there are plenty of opportunities for students to speak in public. However, many of them associate this with stage fright, anxiety, and even panic. To help them face these challenges and even turn them into an exciting opportunity, the University is offering iTALKs for theseventh consecutive year. The program includes theater courses and writing workshops to prepare them to take the stage for a public speaking competition.
"iTALKs are directly inspired by Ted Talks. The aim is to support students in identifying the ideas they want to share and give them the means to do so," explains Frauke Batbedat, general manager of the Aimé Schoenig Student Union. The initiative was conceived by students from the economics and management doctoral association in 2015. To bring it to fruition, Frauke Batbedat enlisted the help of professionals such as actress Anne-Sophie Leyre and author Sarah Fourage, who provide training for iTALKers.
De-dramatize
"The primary objective is to take the drama out of public speaking," begins Anne-Sophie Leyre of the Compagnie de l'Astrolabe. " I explain to them that it's normal to feel nervous, that's what puts us in the best physiological state to surpass ourselves. There are no good or bad speakers; learning to speak in public is a skill that can be acquired." The students begin their training with a three-day immersion course with the actress. This first workshop is approached as a laboratory where everyone tests themselves, surprises themselves, surpasses themselves, finds their strengths... all while having fun, through a variety of exercises that are often very playful. "Here, we learn through play. Acting is playing anyway!"
The program covers the basics: body language, breathing, grounding, breath control, eye contact, and voice. "It's like learning to drive: you have to learn the basics first, and it's stressful for the first few miles, but then you don't even notice it anymore, and it can even become enjoyable."
And to pave the way for the pleasure of being on stage, the actress emphasizes the importance of group immersion training. "A certain cohesion is necessary for them to let go; they need to feel safe and listened to," says the woman who considers the iTALKers to be a theater troupe. The iTALKs family is not just a public speaking competition, but a human adventure."
Personal concerns
The goal of these first three days on stage is to promote group cohesion, but also to express ideas and learn to manage emotions. "We start by training the body, which is the instrument, then we add the text, which is the musical score." And to create their melody, Sarah Fourage introduces them to the art of writing. "First through collective writing workshops in the form of warm-ups, using texts by authors as raw material," she explains.
After warming up, students are invited to work on writing their own texts. While some arrive with a clear idea of what they want to talk about during the public speaking competition, others find their theme emerging during the workshops. These topics may relate to their studies, but often reflect more personal concerns. "In creating iTALKS, we wanted to highlight the richness and inventiveness of the university community and allow differences to come together," emphasizes Frauke Batbedat.
Education, language, the art of politics, the Covid year, love, travel, music, trust, silence, grief... The topics chosen in previous editions highlight the personal dimension of their productions. "They put into words what moves them," says the author. Once they have decided on their topic, the students first work on writing a one-minute teaser, "a specific type of writing that has to make people want to read more, we create suspense."
Poignant rants
With personalized support from Sarah Fourage, they then set about writing their five-minute presentation for the public speaking competition. "I help them find their angle, but a big part of my job is also helping them cut down the text. It's frustrating for them to only have five minutes on stage in the end."
Once they have their text in hand, the students embark on a second stage of training in stage presence and physical expression, which "serves to interpret and embody their message, to make their words their own, to imbue them with strength, nuance, and color, while retaining their uniqueness," explains Anne-Sophie Leyre. They are now ready for five minutes of emotion on stage, sometimes with "poignant outbursts for a generation facing complex issues," emphasizes Sarah Fourage.
The presentation meeting for this7th edition, which took place on October 11, brought together around 100 students from bachelor's to doctoral level from all departments of the University. Around 20 of them will have the chance to take part in this training program and then in the grand final of the public speaking competition, which will take place on March 28, 2023. This is a competition unlike any other, where everyone is a winner. "It's not about competing against others, but about surpassing oneself. Everyone wins," emphasizes Anne-Sophie Leyre. "The motto of iTALKS is 'Let's haveserious fun,'"says Frauke Batbedat. Everyone agrees that the challenge has been met.
