luận văn an investigation into oral presentation skills among english majored students at thu dau mot university

BINH DUONG PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY NGUYEN THI NGOC LINH AN INVESTIGATION INTO ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS AMONG ENGLISH - MAJORED STUDENTS AT THU DAU MOT UNIVER

BINH DUONG PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE

THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI NGOC LINH

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS AMONG ENGLISH - MAJORED STUDENTS AT

THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY

MAJOR: ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES MAJOR CODE: 8 22 02 01

MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES

BINH DUONG PROVINCE - 2022

BINH DUONG PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE

THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI NGOC LINH

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS AMONG ENGLISH - MAJORED STUDENTS AT

THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY

MAJOR: ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES MAJOR CODE: 8 22 02 01

MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES SUPERVISED BY DR TRAN THANH DU

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BINH DUONG PROVINCE – 2022

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr Tran Thanh Du, who instructed me wholeheartedly in the research process to write a thesis and impart new specialized knowledge and valuable experience in practice

Sincerely thank Thu Dau Mot University in general, and all the teachers/students of the English language department at Thu Dau Mot University, in particular, for creating favorable conditions and support for information and data regarding the research objectives of the topic

I would like to express and acknowledge the support of organizations and individuals who responded to the interview to provide information in the survey and interview process

Thank you to the teachers and students of the master class for sharing knowledge and helping me study

Last but not least, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my family, especially my husband for their wholehearted encouragement and great support during my time in fulfilling this thesis

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CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled An investigation into oral presentation skills among English-majored students at Thu Dau Mot University summited in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Master in English Language Except where reference is indicated, no other person's work has been used without due acknowledgment in the text of the thesis

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh

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RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (English Language), accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for purposes of study and research in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction of the paper

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh

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ABSTRACT

An oral presentation is a communication from one person to a group of people intended to convey specific ideas, messages, and information It has become a part of most courses usually used in higher education or university However, students still need to be more confident in giving presentations and face particular difficulties in improving their presentation skills Recognizing the importance and enhancement of oral presentation skills, the author has decided to choose the topic "An investigation into oral presentation skills among English-majored students at Thu Dau Mot University" as master's thesis topic

Data used for analysis in this graduation paper were gathered through survey questionnaires and analyzed using quantitative methods The researcher chose 200 first-year English- majored students of Thu Dau Mot University as research participants

This result shows the significance and benefits of first-year English- majored presentation skills On the other hand, most students encountered difficulties in presentation skills, which made them feel unconfident and even afraid when making a presentation Therefore, it can be said that presentation skills play an essential role in delivering positive learning and future work It helps students realize their shortcomings to find effective learning methods to solve problems

In addition, the results also revealed the solutions that students chose to improve their presentation skills, such as practicing before presenting and boosting a background knowledge about grammar and vocabulary as well as English skills

Keywords: English speaking skills, oral presentation, functions, EFL, Vietnamese

university students, English-majored students

1.1 Background to the study 1

1.1.1 Overview of previous studies 3

1.2 Research objectives, aim of the study and questions 4

2.2 The advantages of oral presentations 14

2.3 Factors affecting the oral presentations 18

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3.3.1 Speaking tests 36

3.3.2 Questionnaire 39

3.3.3 Semi-structure interview 40

3.4 Data analysis procedures 41

3.4.1 Test result analysis 41

4.1.1 Score analysis of the pre-test 43

4.1.2 The results of data analysis of the post-test 47

4.1.3 Questionnaire result analysis 49

5.4 Limitations of the study 64

5.5 Recommendations for further research 65

Appendix C – Scoring rubric 78

Appendix D – Interview question 79

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Scoring rubric 37

Table 3.2 Question description 40

Table 3.3 Conversation of percentage range 42

Table 4.1 Students’score of experimental group in the pre- test 44

Table 4.2 Students’score of control group in the pre-test 45

Table 4.3 Students’score of experimetal group in the post-test 47

Table 4.4 Students’score of control group in the post-test 48

Table 4.5 Language proficiency 50

Table 4.6 Presentation style 51

Table 4.7 Psychological difficultties 51

Table 4.8 Background knowledge 52

Table 4.9 Factors improve the student’s oral presentation skills 53

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Nonrandomized control group design 35 Figure 3.2 Data collection procedure 36 Figure 4.1 The comparison between scores in the post-test of control and

experimetal group 49

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LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ESL: English as a Second Language

EFL: English as a Foreign Language EAP: English for Academic Purpose

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study

Language is an essential tool and instrumental means for people to communicate with others, so mastering communicative competence is considered the most critical aspect of learning a second language or foreign language According to Richards and Renandya (2008), most language learners learn to speak English to cultivate communication skills Therefore, it is evident that the primary goal of learning a second language is to speak fluently In addition, according to Thornbury in Burns & Richards (2012), speaking a language usually means knowing the language Verbal ability is hence identified as a priority for most non-native speakers

Presentations are pre-planned, prepared, and structured lessons for small or large groups on formal or informal occasions (Ellis and Johnson in Bereczky, 2015) Tkachenko (2014) conveyed that a presentation is a speech that points to the audience to show and explain new products, ideas, or works Mandel (2000) highlighted presentations are usually aimed at more specific listeners According to Levin and Topping in Al-Nouh, Abdul-Kareem & Taqil (2015), oral speeches are prepared and rehearsed in advance, not memorized or read from notes, but introduced to the audience by the presenter

One of the critical factors to help us succeed in today's global, competitive, and rapidly changing world is the ability to communicate effectively in a speech Practical oral presentation skills can be a prerequisite for students' academic, personal and professional success (Miles, 2013; Tkachenko, 2014; Živković, 2014; Al-Nouh, Abdul-Kareem & Taqil, 2015) Students, especially those in higher education, must use relevant oral communication means to make comprehensive statements on various topics In addition, speech skills can help students announce their research results more effectively in public forums The necessity of being able to make a speech is not limited to class This skill is beneficial in other aspects of work and life Zivkovi (2015) pointed out that learning speech skills enable learners to participate in learning thoroughly, demonstrate their communication competencies, and help them develop their abilities in ways that may benefit their future workplace According to Kenkel (2011) and Tkachenko (2014),

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the practice public speaking and speaking skills are central to success in business, sales, training, teaching, and speaking Additionally, Singh (2012) asserts that to obtain a position in a company with a high salary, attractive privileges, and career prospects, one needs to possess outstanding communication skills, especially the ability to give a great speech It is, therefore, evident that employers in business, education, or government departments must emphasize oral communication skills as the essential criterion for potential recruitment

Through observation in schools, universities, and seminar activities, most of them feel anxious when non-native students have to speak in class Quite a few of them may become incredibly nervous and even get sick due to their imaginary hardships that may occur during the presentation This inevitably impacts the performance of their oral statements and often leads to unsatisfactory results Moreover, in the seminar activities and demonstration classes, some speakers still need help to reflect the main points of their thoughts in an organized way In other words, they must combine and order their thoughts logically to achieve formal cohesion and ideological consistency in delivering the speech As a result, their presentation may need to be more varied and challenging for the audience to follow and fully grasp the key messages Some speakers still speak from scripts rather than notes

Correspondingly, lecturing subject is an intrinsic part of the academic curriculum for all students at Thu Dau Mot University Despite this, many students need more confidence in public speaking and encounter challenges in improving their presentation skills

Recognizing the importance of oral presentation skills and the remaining obstacles for the students in enhancing these skills, the author has decided to carry out the Master thesis with the topic: "An investigation into oral presentation skills among English-majored students at Thu Dau Mot University." This thesis begins with a detailed assessment of English-majored students' current oral presentations performance at Thu Dau Mot University Correspondingly, the author provides a deeper insight into students' difficulties in classroom oral presentations It is then followed by proposing the solutions for advancing these skills of the students in general and the English-majored students of

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1.1.1 Overview of previous studies

One of the core competencies for higher-educated professionals is the capacity to present effectively Significantly, oral presentation skills is vital for graduates to succeed in different working environments and accelerate the trajectory of their careers Previous studies highlighted the significance and the obstacles to developing presentation skills for students at higher-education institutions in various national contexts Singh and Chua (2012) identified that the employees' poor writing and communication skills negatively impact their performance on current working assignments in Malaysia This situation was reported by manufacturing employers in this country when expressing their desire for necessary skills for fresh graduates Meanwhile, Hamidah Yamat's study reflected that some senior students are still determining whether their language proficiency is sufficient to compete with other better-trained candidates to be recruited from the beginning or undertake a specific task in their professional field

Furthermore, there have been an increasing number of studies determining the reasons behind students’ poor performance in oral presentations (Chuang, Y Y., 2009; Abu El Enein, A.H., 2011; Akindele & Trennepohl, 2014) The common challenges facing students were suggested to be classified into three groups, and the majority of them mainly come from students’ feelings of anxiety It was found that students reported being depressed and nervous when being assigned oral presentations The graduates’ low effectiveness in communication and public speaking in the workplace can be identified as inadequate preparation during tertiary education ThFis practice was confirmed in the study of King (2002)

In the same view, Kakepoto et al (2012) added that the factors thwarting an effective oral presentation of engineering students also comprise inadequate presentation skills, lack of self-confidence, and lack of practice habits Yushoff (2010, p 103) shared that students’ communication competence is the ability to deliver critical messages in their speech in an unambiguous, convincing, and compelling manner that elicits reactions, understanding, appreciation, and consent However, despite understanding oral presentation skills, engineering students do not apply these techniques in their

Acknowledging the challenges of the students in this process, many studies emphasized the necessity of developing a proper instructional framework to help students develop life skills and knowledge relevant to the labor market (De Grez, 2009) The oral presentation is one of these skills which should be equipped during tertiary education Correspondingly, students should be provided with the necessary knowledge in preparing, organizing, and delivering presentations and the opportunities to sharpen their skills and increase their stage confidence in front of audiences

1.2 Research objectives, aim of the study and questions 1.2.1 Research objectives

The objective of this research is (1) to assess the oral presentation skills of the students at Thu Dau Mot University, comprising their strengths, weaknesses, and

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difficulties they are experiencing during this process; thereby (2) to propose solutions to help them develop better presentation skills

1.2.2 Aim of the study

The purpose of this research is not only investigate the difficulties encountered by first-year English majored students when making a presentation, but find out some effective solutions to improve their presentation skills Additionally, the aim of this study is also discover some factors which affect the presentation process including from subjective and objective aspects

The expectation is that the first year English majored students at Thu Dau Mot University can overcome their weaknesses, be the best version of themselves and achieve the best goals Moreover, teachers can recognize the student’s troubles and solve these problems together in the creative and successful way

The findings can be useful for teachers to reflect their teaching methods which are appropriate for their students

1.2.3 Research questions

The set research objectives led the author to form two following research questions:  Research question 1: How do English - majored students deliver oral

presentations in English at Thu Dau Mot University?

 Research question 2: What are some difficulties that the first year English

majored students at Thu Dau Mot University encounter when making a presentation in English?

1.3 Subject and scope of research 1.3.1 Subject of research

The main focus of this thesis is to examine the performance of the oral presentation skills among English-majored students

1.3.2 Scope of research

The scope of this research is to investigate the presentation skills of Thu Dau Mot University students, thereby proposing some solutions to improve their oral presentation skills of Thu Dau Mot University students The study subject is a randomized selection

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of 200 first-year students majoring in English at Thu Dau Mot University By that, the author assesses the practice and identifies the challenges of oral presentation skills facing the English-majored students in this university

1.4 Research method

In order to answer the research questions, a quasi-experimental design was adopted

Quasi-experimental research is a method of research that resembles experimental

research but is not actual empirical research It also aimed to determine causal relationships by applying a treatment or condition to one group and comparing the outcome with a control group Sometimes, however, it was not possible to assign test subjects randomly to the treatment and control groups for various reasons Therefore, the quasi-experimental design was more extensive In addition, it allowed the researchers to evaluate the impact of quasi-independent variables under naturally occurring conditions

Regarding quantitative methods, questionnaires are used to collect data The study

sample includes English-majored students and lecturers at Thu Dau Mot University According to Bentler & Chou (1987), the minimum number of observations for one parameter is estimated to be 5 Therefore, when completing the survey questionnaires, based on the number of questions in the survey content, the researcher will calculate the minimum sample number of the study

 Regarding the second research question: The research is expected to provide a deeper insight into the challenges that have prevented students from delivering eloquent and good presentations From that, this research will identify the factors influencing students' oral presentation competence from the perspectives of both lecturers and

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students to see whether there are any differences in the viewpoints between these two

groups of the research population

 Regarding the third research question: This study expects to contribute to the existing literature by examining whether the challenging factors identified in this research match the findings of previous studies If not, this Master's thesis will add new valuable results to the practices of training and performing oral presentation skills for

students at the higher-education level 1.6 Significance of the research

1.6.1 Theoretical contributions

Although many domestic and foreign research topics are related to this issue, different subjects, scopes, and methods produce different results Currently, in the existing literature, no study has examined this research topic in the context of Thu Dau Mot University Therefore, as mentioned, the research has contributed to developing a model to identify factors influencing students’ performance of oral presentation skills exclusively for English-majored ones at Thu Dau Mot University The study shall contribute to the existing literature by adjusting the research model to suit the context of Vietnamese higher education generally and Thu Dau Mot University specifically

1.6.2 Practical contributions

Based on the research results, this research shall propose possible solutions to improve the presentation skills of students in general and Thu Dau Mot University students in particular Thereby, this study shall provide helpful ideas for lecturers and educators to understand their students’ challenges; thereby developing a suitable instructional framework for improving students’ oral presentation skills In addition, research’s findings also help students discover a number of measures to overcome difficulties and improve their own presentation skills

1.7 Structure of the paper

This research includes five chapters consisting of (1) Introduction, (2) Literature review, (3) Research methodology, (4) Research results and discussions, and (5) Conclusion, Implications, Limitations, Recommendations for further researches

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Chapter one, Introduction, presents the background to the study, research objectives

and questions, overview of previous studies, research method, expected research results, and the structure of paper

Chapter two, Literature review, synthesizes the overview of the other authors of

oral presentations, types of presentation, the advantages of oral presentation skills, and factors affecting oral presentations, and the previous research

Chapter three, Research methodology, indicates the research methodology which

shows research questions, mentions the hypothesis of the research design and, introduces research participants, introduces and explains the instruments of the study and procedures

Chapter four, Research results, and discussions introduces the main findings of the

study All the information and data collected from the test result, interviews and questionnaires will be analyzed and discussed to provide answers to the two research questions The data collected will be presented in the tables and figures

Chapter five, Conclusion, presents the research's conclusion, implications and

limitations and makes suggestions for further study and conclusion

Chapter summary

With a mixed-method design, this research is carried out to examine the performance of oral presentation skills of English-majored students at Thu Dau Mot University From there, this research identifies the possible challenges students in the delivery of presentation in class or in public place; thereby making recommendations for overcoming those difficulties

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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The definitions and varieties of presentations are listed in Chapter 2 Additionally, it mentions the significance of oral presentation skills, factors that affect oral presentation abilities, and associated studies

2.1 Overview of oral presentations

An oral presentation is an extension of verbal communication ability at which the speakers can show their knowledge of specific topics In classes, participants can choose a particular case or be assigned one by their teacher In order to talk about this matter with their classmates later, the participants have to work in a small study group to get more information about this topic The presenters will deliver their presentation with important information and answer questions from the audience

The oral presentations are like a formal conversation, a natural activity to talking to a group (Baker, 2000) Most people spend hours a day talking to others, but oral statements are formal conversations, which is a difficult task for them Presentation is part of spoken language, and the purpose of practicing it is to communicate It is designed for notification or persuasion Rendering occurs within the organization and has a time limit; Therefore, oral presentations should be carefully structured In addition, speakers can use visual aids to support their speeches Suppose the oral presentations are directed and organized In that case, it will give students a learning experience and teach them an important skill, as analyzed by Melion and Thompson (1980), which will benefit ESL/EFL in all disciplines and future work Presentation is an outstanding learning experience At the end of the speech, the speaker can give the audience the opportunity to ask what they have not known Presenters also have to respond so that they can complete their work (Chivers and Shoolbred, 2007)

Mandal (2000) believes that oral presentations are usually made in a commercial, technical, professional, or scientific environment Therefore, the audience is likely to be more experienced than those who take part in typical speech activities To sum up, oral presentations are a kind of speech that differs from ordinary addresses because the latter is more natural and straightforward

As defined by Chivers & Schoolbred (2007), oral presentation skills are a set of

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abilities that allow individuals to interact with listeners It includes communicating a message clearly, attracting the audience to the speech, explaining and understanding the audience's thoughts These techniques refine the way presenters deliver information and enhance their persuasion Nowadays, great attention is paid to good presentation skills This is because they play an important role in both academic and non-academic settings Also, management with good expressive ability will be able to better convey the mission and vision of the organization to employees

The majority of the time, presentations are conducted orally An extension of oral communication is oral presentations According to Levin and Topping (2006), an oral presentation is a prepared speech that is delivered in front of an audience rather than being remembered or read from notes

The presentation may appear to be a simple activity involving comprehension of the assigned material, summarization, and presentation to the instructor and classmates Oral presentations, on the other hand, have been shown to require constant negotiation and decision-making for success (Wu, 2008)

Besides, Joughin (2007) added that: oral presentations may be viewed from three different angles: transmission of others' ideas to a passive audience with little anxiety, news of the information learned from which students try to derive their interpretations from others' opinions; and transmission of ideas themselves

Following these definitions, a presentation is a speech given by the presenter to the audience that is time-limited and supported by several visual aids These techniques refine the way presenters deliver information and enhance their persuasion Nowadays, great attention is paid to good presentation skills This is because they play an essential role in academic and non-academic settings Also, management with good expressive ability will better convey the organization's mission and vision to employees

2.1.1 Presentation skills

As defined by Chivers & Schoolbred (2007), presentation skills are a set of abilities that allow individuals to interact with listeners Communicate a message, attract the audience to the speech, and explain and understand the audience's thoughts These techniques refine the way presenters deliver information and enhance their persuasion

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Nowadays, great attention is paid to good presentation skills

Presentation skills can be defined as a set of abilities that enable individuals to interact with the audience, deliver appropriate information or messages, involve the audience in the present, and comprehend and understand the listeners' perspectives (Emden & Becker, 2016) These abilities clarify the way messages are transmitted and persuade others

A compelling presentation is created by connecting oral communication skills, a presentation style, interacting, conducting meetings, and visual communication skills This paper discusses a skill that does not require any special qualifications to deliver a successful presentation but is willing to put in the necessary time and effort Nobody is born knowing how to give a perfect speech; presentation skills are learned through practice They can, however, be learned, just like any other skill (Bradbury, 2006)

2.1.2 Types of oral presentations

Each type of presentation needs a specific organizing strategy to make sure the audience will understand and remember it Establishing the presentation's purpose is the first stage in preparation The two primary types of presentations and their functions are described in the following paragraphs

2.1.2.1 Informative presentation

Informative presentations are among the most often used presentation styles This kind's goal is to present, spread, and communicate to others a novel idea, subject, or piece of information that fosters comprehension In this kind of presentation, presenters utilize language to enlighten the audience and deliver messages

The main objective of this presentation is to let the audience learn something new Speakers use informative speeches in such speeches The purpose of information presentation is to communicate with the audience and provide them with rich information within a limited time As Chivers & Shoolbred (2007) said, the purpose of an informed statement can be to describe a new political event, organize a group of important events, or publish a report on a certain topic in the form of research Moreover, in this kind of presentation, presenters use informative speech to explain a concept, guide the audience, show a process, or describe an event in an academic context In addition, speakers can

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choose their own topics In many organizations, students or employers are expected to report progress at key stages of the project (Chivers & Shoolbred, 2007) In short, the purpose of the presenters in this presentation is to provide their research results in an informed way Moreover, they answer questions from the audience about their topics

2.1.2.2 Instructional presentation

Whatley (2001) argues that the purpose of a directive statement is to give specific instructions or commands The demonstration is likely to be longer because it must completely cover the theme The audience should acquire new knowledge or skills in the instructional presentation Explain why information or skills are valuable to the audience and explain the learning objectives of the course Rendering process, if it is related to the content that viewers who use the following methods will participate in later Prove it first, without comment Please prove it again with a brief explanation The third demonstration, step by step, with instructions Participants are required to practice their skills Provide participants with an opportunity to ask questions and give and get feedback from you and their colleagues Link learning with practical use Participants are asked to specify way they will use it

2.1.2.3 Decision-making presentation

Whatley (2001) argues that the presenter's purpose in making decisions is to get the audience to take the action you suggest The decision presentation puts forward strong enough ideas, suggestions, and arguments to persuade the audience to implement your requirements In the decision presentation, presenters must tell the audience what to do and how to do it The presenter should also tell them what will happen if they do not follow their requirements At the same time, presenters must draw attention to the problem by telling a story about it, emphasizing the importance of solving it and using a typical or common example to do so Presenters can describe their solutions in such a way that the problem is satisfactorily solved, and the two worlds are compared/compared with the solved and unsolved problems Finally, the audience is encouraged to take action to help solve the problem and is given opportunities to do so

2.1.2.4 Arousing presentation

According to Whatley (2001), the presenter's purpose in an exciting presentation is

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to make people think about a specific problem or situation The presenter needs to arouse the emotion and wisdom of the audience to make it easier for them to accept your point of view Use vivid language in presentations that produce sincerity and enthusiasm To do this, the presenter can draw attention to a story that illustrates (sometimes exaggerated) the problem, point out the necessity of solving it, and use a common or common example to illustrate it The presenter can describe their solution to obtain a satisfactory solution to the problem, accompanied by a comparison/comparison between the two worlds and the solved and unsolved problems Finally, the audience is urged to take action to help solve the problem and provide clear, relaxed, and immediate instructions to the audience

2.1.2.5 Persuasive presentation

A persuasive presentation influences the audience's thoughts on a topic they can propose or choose It is usually used to make the audience respond or discuss the topic with the presenter Chivers and Shoolbred (2007) explained that in this type of presentation, the presenter must have strong content and a clear presentation In addition, presenters should try their best to show the audience they have confidence The presenter can use some emotion when necessary In addition, Baker (2000) said that persuasion has three elements, namely:

(i) Logos

According to Tacy (2008, p.9), topics need to be logical in convincing statements Therefore, when presenters want to talk about their topics, they should arrange their ideas from more critical points of view to fewer points of view Then, the presenter must connect these opinions through coherent statements or arguments Furthermore, a Logo means that speakers logically organize what they want to say from beginning to end

(ii) Character (ethos)

According to Tacy (2008), character or ethos are the presenter's beliefs and character, referring to their character, morality, and trustworthiness when their speak Increase their trust in the audience before and during the presentation, and the possibility that the audience will accept your arguments and speak in their suggestions Ethos means that presenters use their personalities to influence the audience

(iii) Passion (pathos)

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According to Chivers & Schoolbred (2007), pathos is the way the presenter uses emotion, and emotion is the most important factor that the presenter can use to make the audience support their argument This may also cause the audience to change their opinions and take positive actions on the speaker's theme In short, if students do these types of presentations, they will have full confidence in their performance and they will learn how to deal with any possible reactions as reactions from their listeners Persuasive statement is a very complicated process, in which speakers need to have logic in their statements, just as they need to use their emotions to influence the audience

2.2 The advantages of oral presentations

Oral presentation skills are one of the necessary skill sets for college students In order to help them improve their presentation skill, students are encouraged to use systematic methods to promote their presentation in class The main purpose of emphasizing presentation skills in higher education is to help develop professionalism in the learning environment In this age of advanced technology, students can improve their display skills through the use of high-tech equipment, thus improving their ability to display information in a professional way

Presentation skills help students develop other potential proficiency in their preparation process, such as creativity, graphics, designs, and color sense Moreover, computer skills and technological tools can be listed in Powerpoint, and slideshows are thriving (Brooks & Wilson, 2014) These skills provide students access to accurate information resources, which is relevant to extending and deepening the knowledge in language learning Alshare and Hindi’s study (2004) state that the students were asked to present in classes for an average of ten minutes or more According to the study's findings, both students and instructors agreed that the most important goals of presentations were to improve oral skills and help people talk in small groups and professional settings Thus, these findings indicate that presentation skills and student presentations in class are important components in acquiring positive learning experiences

Carroll (2006) advocated a holistic approach to assessing a student’s performance based on the content and the delivery of their presentation Kennedy (2007) found that

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through the organization of debate, teachers can cultivate both critical thinking and oral communication skills Bankowski (2010) found that training students in skills are very important for making oral presentations based on the original research task for using English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, and after training, students showed an increase in the successful use of research-related skills and a great improvement in their ability to present their findings in English Girard and Trapp (2011) expressed that presentation skills help in greater class interaction and participation, increased interest in learning, new perspectives not covered otherwise, and improvement in communication and presentation skills

Živković and Stojković (2013) viewed that the ultimate purpose of a well-balanced presentation is better to communicate professional knowledge to other professionals and non-specialists as well Alwi and Sidhu (2013) studied students’ self-perceived and actual performance in attempting oral presentations The study employed a mixed-method research design and involved an entire class of 40 Business Faculty undergraduates taking an ESL course at a local university in Malaysia The results of the study indicated that there were discrepancies between the actual performance scores and students’ self-evaluation marks for all four skills; hence it is necessary for educators to understand these discrepancies and work towards further understanding their students’ learning needs

Another equally important point, King (2002) revealed that presentations offer an opportunity for developing communication as well as leadership skills Carroll (2005) opinioned that the presentation should include elements that need to be assessed like as knowledge shown, logical appeal, fielding of objections, questions posed, improvisation shown, and conclusion

Liang and Kelsen (2018) investigated the oral performance of EFL students engaged in delivering presentations required as part of inquiry-based group projects and found that: Extraversion, Project Work, and Social Pressure were significant correlates of oral presentation scores According to Businesstopia (2019), developing presentation skills makes communication effective as it nurtures the personality of individuals Miskam, Aminabibi and Saidalvi (2019) explored the effectiveness of using Flipgrid, an

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online video-mediated communication tool, for teaching oral presentation skills to engineering students By applying this tool, students can record and practice oral presentation skills and give prompt feedback The results indicated that Flipgrid helped the students to practice oral presentation skills

The final advantage of oral presentations is that they are widely used in the workplace Being unable to present well in English is one of the causes of graduate unemployment As a result, it is critical for students to master oral presentation skills because they may be required to use these skills when entering the working world, such as attending a job interview or presenting a paper to a group of colleagues or superiors in a meeting Because many potential future employers value the communication skills that students learn in a presentation class, experience with oral presentations can be beneficial to students' future careers Furthermore, many employers seek candidates who can give formal presentations, and the skills that students learn when presenting in English are transferable to their First Language (Pittenger, 2004) Students with strong English presentation skills will have more opportunities to study abroad and land a good job after graduation

According to an experiment in Malaysia Job Street (2015), employers are not satisfied with the quality of fresh Malaysian graduates Poor rankings are usually not related to their education, but to their poor attitude and communication skills during interviews or work Communication skills must be transferred from class to work Today's business graduates are expected to have strong communication skills Graduates are expected to enter the industry through effective communication (Gray, 2010) Russ (2009) said that in that case, universities must provide students with the communication skills required by employers Students (future professionals) need communication skills whether they plan to speak at conferences, symposiums or other conferences

As analysis, innovator, critical thinker and problem solver of Reich (1991), today's students improve their skills and abilities by improving the means of linking them with the world market Due to the need for these skills, students need guidance and guidance in preparing, organizing and presenting presentations Students' oral presentations are a common part of many courses in colleges and universities, because they are one of the

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ways to improve the learning of course materials Although there is a positive side to using demonstrations in class, some students may show reluctance to do more work, fear to speak in public, and feel depressed when listening to other people's demonstrations if they do not participate in the experience Therefore, according to Girard & Trap (2011), such students may hold negative beliefs about classroom presentation However, on the other hand, as Meloni & Thompson (1980) explained, if properly guided and organized, students will benefit from oral speeches that provide learning experience and lifelong skills teaching

Imam and Alalyani (2017) showed that students perceived the significance of preparing and delivering oral presentations for successful communication in the future professional surrounding The study also found that through collaboration with their colleagues, students develop skills that prepare them to deal with situations and problems they will encounter in the workplace Živković (2014) said that effective oral presentations have primary goals: enabling students to function successfully in their future professional surroundings and preparing them for their possible further academic careers Kaltenbach and Soetikno (2016) opined that there are many factors that help to develop an effective presentation, such as becoming focused, clear, and visual with the content and providing variance, relevance, and emotion in the delivery

Presentation skills are potentially the most valuable for job seekers, and employees need to upgrade during their undergraduate careers As mentioned by O’Hair et al (2016), oral communication skills are considered the top spots among other requirements that employers are demanding More than ever, these skill sets have become vital life skills in career development when people are called on to give presentations in seminars, job interviews, and the subsequent stage (Emden & Becker, 2016)

Students must be able to present their ideas, projects, strategies, and products in front of an audience as well as venture capitalists Presentation skills are critical for communicating more effectively so that the message is broadcast meaningfully in people's minds Presentation skills are the art of capturing the attention of an audience and enthralling them with ideas or performances One of the competencies that will improve the ability to communicate in public or public speaking is presentation skills If

Grammar, according to James (2005), is a study of the structure of the language that defines how words are placed together to form coherent sentences According to Tanveer (2007), there are several characteristics of English grammar that cause difficulty for English as a Second Language / English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) students

According to Mart (2013), grammar is the study of linguistic norms as well as the system and structure of a language Grammar will teach students how to mix words to construct sentences Grammar expertise is required to generate completely developed sentences The reasons for making grammatical errors during presentations include students placing more emphasis on grammar structures or tense than on speaking fluently, and they also do not commonly utilize English in social interactions outside of class As a result, grammatical rules can help students acquire the habit of thinking rationally and clearly, and they will become more accurate when using language

In truth, students usually struggle with grammar and syntax They make errors in subject-verb agreement, pronouns, tenses, articles, and prepositions, as well as basic sentence constructions Students understand how to construct tenses, but when it comes to using them in presentations, they become confused

Furthermore, learning grammar can be hard since no one like following rules Rules memorization is worse than rules application This is because first and second languages

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do not share the same language pattern or grammatical norms If the presenter does not know enough about grammar and does not comprehend the laws of language, they may struggle to utilize acceptable phrases, causing listeners to be confused

Native speakers may express themselves freely since they are fluent in the language If they have difficulty expressing themselves, they try to communicate in different ways They may make syntactical errors, but these errors do not modify the sense of the sentences they intend to communicate and do not cause severe difficulty for the listeners to understand them Non-native speakers, on the other hand, make errors that modify the meaning of the utterances they wish to transmit and might cause issues with comprehending (Mahripah, 2014)

Therefore, English of Foreign Language (EFL) learners should have the knowledge of words and sentences Grammatical competence can help speakers apply and perceive the structure of English language correctly that leads to their fluency (Latha, 2012) In addition, grammar rules help students to make their communication to appear coherent and more logic

Thornbury and Slade (2007) believe that one of the students’ problems in speaking was transferring L1 into L2 which was done manually Therefore, it will make the presenter has another problem in constructing a good sentence with correct grammar/vocabulary because the presenter needs to think twice about the grammar rule Rajoo (2010) pointed out that grammar also plays an important role in the students’ mistake It is because students sometimes make a sentence without considering the grammar

2.3.1.2 Vocabulary

In addition to other challenges, language is another issue that students run into when giving an oral presentation A crucial part of language proficiency is vocabulary, which provides the foundation for good speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills (Richard & Renandya, 2002, p 255) According to Wilkins (1972), “…while without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (p.111) Students struggle to select appropriate words in specific settings Students that lack vocabulary struggle to communicate their views They lack the vocabulary

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necessary to effectively convey their ideas through their presentation

Without a strong vocabulary foundation, students will have fewer opportunities to apply what they have learned in context, such as when reading, watching television, listening to the radio, or conversing with native speakers In particular, when giving an oral presentation, students will find it challenging to convey what is on their minds

In addition, Tokoz (2014) found that the main problem of students' inability to speak English was fear of a limited vocabulary in which students could not express what they would like, and they gave up speaking Similarly, Rababah(2003) suggested that Arab learners feel troubled when involved in communicative interactions because they have less vocabulary, which makes them unable to further conversations

According to Schewertly (2012), selecting acceptable terminology is a vital component of every presentation A lack of vocabulary knowledge will make it difficult to select the appropriate terms Thus, according to Miles (2009), a lack of vocabulary not only hinders speaking but also comprehending others, resulting in a breakdown in communication

From the previous, it is plausible to conclude that vocabulary plays an essential part in learners' presenting processes The more fabulous speakers' amount of language is, the better their oral presentations is

2.3.1.3 Pronunciation

When giving an oral presentation, one of the learner's obstacles is pronunciation It is essential for students who desire to improve their public speaking skills According to Grussendorf (2007), pronunciation is related to the creation of sounds that we employ to generate meaning It is crucial since it is a subset of successor all productive or communication skill (Hismanoglu, 2006)

Furthermore, it is difficult for students who are not fluent in English and are required to talk in the target language, particularly during English classes (Khairi & Nurul Lina, 2010) Furthermore, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students are afraid to speak because they are embarrassed by their inability to pronounce certain terms Hamouda (2013) discovered that 71.70% of Saudi students suffer pronunciation issues in his study on their unwillingness to speak

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The pronunciation of English words differs from their spellings Words with similar spellings are occasionally pronounced differently due to their surrounding circumstances, such as tenses and phonemes This can present several issues for non-native speakers, who may require clarification while forming English terms They must understand how words are broken down into distinct sounds and how sentences are emphasized in different ways In example, if the speakers regularly pronounce specific words wrongly, the listeners require aid to recognize the essential information and the meaning of what they hear and absorb the content This diminishes the audience's capacity to listen and hence the oral presentation's success

In brief, students should train and improve their pronunciation since it helps them build their oral presenting abilities and convey messages to the audience

2.3.2 Background knowledge

The oral presentation is challenging for many reasons First, a problem in making a presentation is the need for more background knowledge It is an extensive term to describe different kinds of knowledge

According to Otoshi & Heffernen (2008), general background knowledge includes knowledge of target culture, knowledge of the topic under discussion, and general world knowledge of current affairs, arts, politics, and literature

As referring to background knowledge, Hovane (2009) indicated that " the kind of knowledge learners have before learned a new topic affects how they make sense of the new information." Although making presentations is a familiar English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teaching method at this college, it is considerably new for the majority of students who have had little previous experience with self-made presentations at secondary school Students’ lack of knowledge about the speaking activities also demotivated them to participate (Juhana, 2012)

Tuan and Mai (2012) said that it is difficult for the learners if the teacher gives a topic which is not familiar to the students and as a result it will make the students confuses because they did not have enough knowledge about the topic In relation with the topic, the students also face some difficulties in organizing the presentation The students should know about the organization of the presentation about the topic that was

22 going to be presented (Gibson, 2014)

Similarly, Nguyen (2016) discovered that if the presenter lacks knowledge about the subject being presented, the listener will be uncomfortable because they want to acquire knowledge or information from people who are knowledgeable in the field A good presenter typically has broad overview knowledge as well as a specific understanding of the topic that they will discuss

Learners of English as a second or foreign language face additional challenges in exploring ideas and thoughts in order to communicate with others (Clifford, 1987) Students struggle with generating ideas for presentations Actually, students are unable to transfer their ideas when asked to turn them into concrete ones Arranging ideas is another issue that many students face when preparing a presentation Furthermore, many students must create an outline when planning their presentation to ensure that their points and supporting ideas are not directly related to the topic

In short, background knowledge mentions all what learners have known, which may strongly affect the way in which the learners interpret and impart in presentation process Successful delivery in presentation takes place when the speakers have good background knowledge

2.3.3 The audience’s interests

Khoury (2015) argued that one of the presenter's problems when they do a presentation is keeping or making the audience listen to the presenters In other words, maintaining the audience's interest when the speaker performs an oral presentation takes time and effort It takes effort to keep the audience's attention during an oral presentation If you know more about your audience, your presentation will be more relevant and interesting When interacting with the presenter, the audience will maintain their focus on them That includes making eye contact, soliciting feedback, responding to a question, and so on There are numerous other ways to keep the audience's attention

When you are interested in a topic, you will enjoy the presentation, and your audience will enjoy it as well When presenting, project confidence and enthusiasm This way, you'll demonstrate that you truly believe in what you're saying The audience hears what we say because they can hear it in our voice; if everything goes well, the audience

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will be enthusiastic as well and will listen to the entire topic

The audience can lose their attention in the first minutes of the presentation because of some factors such as the speaker’s appearance, how well you know your audience, and finally, the time length of your presentation Those factors exist during a class when a student gives an oral presentation The audience's attention may be lost in the first few minutes of a presentation due to factors such as the speaker's appearance, and, finally, the length of your presentation

2.3.4 Time constrains

Speaking speed also became one of the student’s challenges in speaking in front of the public A study examined the student’s problems, especially the tempo Rajoo (2010) said that most of the students tended to speak too fast As a result, the audience could not understand well

A study which was done by Tuan and Mai (2012) investigated the students’ problems in doing an oral presentation They stated that the students also faced time problems when they were doing the presentation Moreover, a study who have done by Rajoo (2010) also categorized the students’ difficulties during an oral presentation into four groups; vocabulary/language/grammar (not fluent in speaking English, grammatical problems and lack of vocabulary), contents/ideas (having problem in giving examples, topic problems, difficulty in attracting the students’ interest, being afraid if the points are not correct), personal traits (talk too fast, nervousness, memorizing problem, not confident enough and teachers expectation), and external factors (lack of preparation, lack of time)

2.3.5 Memorizing ability

Memorizing problem, which led to the blankness Rajoo (2010) also found that memorizing issues become one of the students’ considerations when speaking in public Rajoo said that the students suddenly forgot what they would say when speaking in front of the public

2.3.6 Anxiety

Anxiety has frequently been shown in studies to impair English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' productivity and success (Al-Nouh; Abdul-Kareem &Taqi,

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2014) Second, the audience and the teacher were seen to be the primary factors for students' hesitation to deliver (e.g., negative evaluations, challenging questions, humiliating feedback, etc.) (Wolfe, 2008) Recent studies have found that anxiety becomes the most challenging obstacle students face when speaking in public (Al-Nouh, Abdul-Kareem, & Taqi: 2015) Furthermore, according to El-Enein (2011), most learners or students were very nervous about presenting in public

Chuang (2010) did more studies on the origins of anxiety, investigating the sources of anxiety in speaking English and anxiety-driven circumstances The findings revealed that undergraduate students are frequently frightened when forced to give oral presentations in English, uneasy even when prepared in advance, and uncomfortable and embarrassed when compelled to speak in front of others Further, students are concerned that the instructor will notice their English errors, that they will receive bad grades and be ridiculed by their classmates if they make mistakes when speaking in front of the class, and that their peers will speak better English than they will

Anxiety has occasionally been identified as a possibly restricting factor in students' ability to perform in oral assessment studies (Joughin, 2007) Furthermore, the classroom environment affects students' performance when giving an oral presentation An anxious and stressful atmosphere created by various factors creates invisible obstacles that prevent students from performing effectively in their oral presentations (Mezrigui, 2011) Finally, a lack of presentation abilities was found to be a significant contributor to students' anxiety (e.g., researching, preparing, organizing, rehearsing, and presenting) (Leichsenring, 2010) Students, however, cannot avoid oral presenting responsibilities just because they lack the necessary abilities or are anxious Instead, they can give excellent presentations if they overcome their psychological concerns

2.3.7 Teacher’s expectations

Teachers' expectation also makes the students difficult in doing an oral presentation Some studies believe that teacher expectations also make the students difficult when they do the presentation Gigante, Lewin, and Dell (2012) argued that most of the students were having problems with the teacher's expectations of the students who were going to do an oral presentation

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Before students can start working on their presentation, they must first comprehend the genre of the oral presentations As a result, teachers must recognize that the aspects of oral presentations may be foreign to the majority of the students in the class, and they must give sufficient support to assist students in comprehending the presentation's needs Giving students example presentations done by the teacher or other students can help introduce them to the genres they are expected to present in (Hovane, 2009)

On the other hand, students have to be taught the skills involved in giving a presentation Parts of the course should be set aside to explicitly teach and provide students with the opportunity to practice language and presentation skills specific to oral presentations This can include such things as “when to use eye contact, how to organize a presentation, (how to) connect with an audience, (how to) use body language and manage time, and how to construct an effective PowerPoint presentation” (Otoshi & Heffernen, 2008, p 74) Since these skills are typically unfamiliar to students, each of these sections must be carefully introduced, and students must be provided with adequate scaffolding to ensure success when researching and planning each of the sections

Teaching these genre-specific micro-skills is critical for student motivation, as most students assume that the major goal of an oral communication lesson is to improve their English language speaking abilities (Miles, 2009) It is critical for an oral presentation class teacher to spend time teaching students to both the macro and micro skills required to conduct oral presentations in order to improve students' English language skills presentations If this is not done, then the students will not have confidence in their ability to present and "will feel that the teacher has just dumped them into the sea to struggle for survival" (King, 2002, p 406)

Finally, the teacher's participation in presentation preparation is critical for students to overcome barriers to successful presentations By developing them, learners will be educated and fostered in other relevant and complementary abilities to oral presentation skills

2.4 Previous studies 2.4.1 Foreign studies

Although oral presentations have been extensively studied, most previous studies

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have placed it in the context of other activities (Akindele & Trennepohl, 2014), and a large number of studies have investigated the influence of anxiety on oral effects (Joughin, 2007) Some studies take into account students' disagreements about oral and written statements (Akindele & Trennepohl, 2014), while others take into account competencies and performance in oral statements (Alwi & Sidhu, 2013) Pay attention to the use of oral statements for learning and evaluation In addition, most of these studies are conducted in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) (Zappa-Hollman, 2007); Few courses are conducted in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or in English classes (Abu ElEnein, 2011) Moreover, most of these studies are conducted on graduates of other disciplines, such as engineering, medicine, and business (Preub, Schoofs, Schlotz & Wolf, 2010; Radzuan & Kaur, 2011; Alwi & Sidhu, 2013) Therefore, there is a lack of research that provides more detailed insights into university classroom presentation as an evaluation form in the EFL higher education environment (Joughin, 2007; Zappa-Hollman, 2007; Alwi & Sidhu, 2013) Morita (2000) found that oral activities such as speeches are challenging and complicated in terms of interaction and psychological process and suggested more research Ercan, Irgil, Sigirli, Ozen & Kan (2008) suggested investigating students' views to understand their thoughts

Therefore, investigating EFL female college students' cognition of classroom oral presentation difficulties as a form of evaluation is helpful for us to better understand and meet students' needs and recognize and admit their weaknesses The results of this study hope to supplement the existing research on the challenges faced by non-native speakers in higher education Therefore, the purpose is to clarify the challenges experienced by students in the process of oral presentations that have a negative impact on their performance According to Zappa-Hollman (2007), language problems are considered to be the most challenging problems in speech Dornyei and Kormos (2000) pointed out that the challenge faced by students is that despite their limited language ability, they try to convey their thoughts and understand how to speak at the same time The result This leads to different emotions when communicating in the mother tongue Thus, this study intends to further gain insight into the specific challenges faced by college students and English majors in classroom presentation, not only in the EFL context but also in the

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Arabic context where social and cultural differences affect students' cognition

According to Al-Nouh et al (2015), when conducting research aimed at investigating the difficulties faced by students while giving oral presentations, the oral presentation skill is considered one of the most important skills needed for higher education and good support in the future work of students In the study, the author is interested in investigating the perceptions of university students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL) about the difficulties they encounter with oral presentations as a form of assessment A survey was conducted with 500 EFL undergraduates from different classes enrolled in a four-year preparatory teacher education program at the College of Basic Education (CBE) in Kuwait City, Kuwait The survey questionnaire was designed by the researcher on a five-level Likert scale and divided into three main sections: personal characteristics, oral presentation skills, instructor, and audience In addition, a structured interview for the instructor's opinion was conducted The results showed that the student's perception of the difficulties they experienced was average (M = 3.10) However, significant differences in the results were found when taking into account the student's nationality and grade point average

Qutbi Alam (2013) conducted research focusing on improving the Oral Communication Skills of students of Pakistan Public Schools through oral presentation skills, those students who lack opportunities and rarely come into contact with the English language in general and oral communication in particular Results of the pre-and post-intervention phases of the four participants showed that students' communication skills showed marked improvement by providing opportunities to practice oral language, providing conducive learning environments, and the use of new teaching strategies through the use of oral presentations

A study conducted by Juhana (2012) showed that linguistic factors such as lack of vocabulary, lack of understanding of grammatical patterns, and incorrect pronunciation are obstacles for students to present in English class Besides that, Tanveer’s (2007) study revealed that sociocultural factors such as “limited exposure to the target language and lack of opportunities to practice speaking in such environments” (p 24) are setbacks to the development of students’ communicative abilities As a result, students feel