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 -------------------------------- BINH DUONG PROVINCE – 2022 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. i 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. Signature Binh Duong, December 2022 Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh ii 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. Signature Binh Duong, December 2022 Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh iii 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. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY.
ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS. iv LIST OF TABLES. ix LIST OF FIGURES. x LIST OF ABREVIATIONS.
Background to the study. Overview of previous studies. Research objectives, aim of the study and questions. Aim of the study.
Subject and scope of research. Subject of research. Scope of research. Significance of the research.
Structure of the paper. Overview of oral presentations. Types of oral presentations. Decision-making presentation.
The advantages of oral presentations. Factors affecting the oral presentations. The audience’s interests. Studies in Vietnamese Contexts.
Population and sample. Semi-structure interview. Data analysis procedures. Test result analysis.
Conversion of percentage range. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS. Score analysis of the pre-test. The results of data analysis of the post-test.
Questionnaire result analysis. Discussions of results. To English teachers. To English teachers.
Limitations of the study. Recommendations for further research. 65 vii LIST OF REFERENCES. 70 Appendix A: Speaking test.
72 Appendix C – Scoring rubric. 78 Appendix D – Interview question. 79 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Conversation of percentage range.
Students’score of experimental group in the pre- test. Students’score of control group in the pre-test. Students’score of experimetal group in the post-test. Students’score of control group in the post-test.
Factors improve the student’s oral presentation skills. 53 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3. Nonrandomized control group design. Data collection procedure.
The comparison between scores in the post-test of control and experimetal group. 49 x LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ESL: English as a. Second Language EFL: English as a Foreign Language EAP: English for Academic Purpose xi CHAPTER 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), 1 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 2 Thu Dau Mot University in particular. 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., 2009; Abu El Enein, A. 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.