Factors affecting oral presentations of the second-year English major students at Hanoi University of Industry kỹ năng thuyết trình của sinh viên chuyên Anh năm

HANOI, 2009
FIELD: ENGLISH METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60 14 10

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Hanoi university of languages and international studies
Department of postgraduate studies



NGUYN TH PHNG NHUNG
FACTORS AFFECTING ORAL PRESENTATIONS OF THE SECOND-
YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF
INDUSTRY
những yếu tố ảnh h-ởng kỹ năng thuyết trình của
sinh viên chuyên anh năm thứ hai tr-ờng đại học
công nghiệp hà nội
MA MINOR THESIS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Department of Postgraduate Studies



NGUYEN THI PHUONG NHUNG



FACTORS AFFECTING ORAL PRESENTATIONS OF THE
SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY

Hanoi, 2009
những yếu tố ảnh h-ởng kỹ năng thuyết trình của sinh viên
chuyên anh năm thứ hai tr-ờng đại học công nghiệp hà nội
MA MINOR THESIS
FIELD: ENGLISH METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60 14 10
SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI VUONG, MA

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Declaration i
Acknowledgements ii
Abstract iii
Table of contents iv
List of tables vii

PART I: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale 1
2. Aims of the study 2
3. Scope and significance of the study 2
4. Methods of the study 2
5. Design of the study 2
PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 4
1.1. Knowledge and skills 4
1.2. Speaking skills 5
1.2.1. Nature of Speaking 5
1.2.2. Types of Classroom Speaking Performance 6
1.3 Oral Presentations 7
1.3.1. Definition and Structure 7
1.3.2. Types of Oral Presentations 8
1.3.3. Presenting techniques 10
1.3.4. Characteristics of a good presentation 11
1.3.5. Teaching Oral Presentation skills in the language classroom 12
1.3.6. Factors affecting oral presentation skills 14
1.3.6.1. Students’ language proficiency 14

1.3.6.2. Students’ personality 15
1.3.6.3. Teacher’s role 16
CHAPTER II: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 17
2.1. Context of the study 17
2.1.1. The teachers 17

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2.1.2. The students 17
2.1.3. Learning and teaching facilities 18
2.1.4. Speaking syllabus 18
2.2. Research Methods 19
2.2.1. Research questions 19
2.2.2. Participants 19
2.2.3. Data collection instruments 19
CHAPTER III: MAJOR FINDINGS AND DICUSSIONS 21
3.1. Results of the survey questionnaire and interviews 21
3.1.1. Students’ attitudes towards oral presentation skills 21
3.1.2. Students’ evaluations of their own presentation skills 21
3.1.3. Factors affecting the students’ oral presentations 22
3.1.3.1. Students’ language proficiency 22
3.1.3.2. Students’ personality characteristics 25
3.1.3.3. Teacher factor 26
3.2 Results from Class Observation 29
3.3. Students’ suggestions 32
CHAPTER IV: RECOMMENDATIONS 34
4. 1. Recommendations for students 34
4.1.1. Having thorough preparation 34
4.1.2. Taking part in self-evaluation and peer evaluation activities 35
4.2. Recommendations for teachers 35
4.2.1. Improving students’ oral proficiency 35

4.2.2. Improving students’ nonverbal skills 35
4.2.3. Building up students’ confidence 36

PART III: CONCLUSION 38
1. Summary of the study 38
2. Limitations and suggestions for further study 38
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES



vi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Students’ difficulties in terms of language 22
Table 2: Students’ personality characteristics 25
Table 3: Students’ reflection to their teachers’ activities 27







1
PART I: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale
Today, it is internationally acknowledged that English has become the world’s most

important language that is used as a medium for international communication, especially in
trade and business. Therefore, the demand for studying English is great. Many students
choose to study this language as their major at university in the hope that they will be able
to find a good job after graduation because employers always seek applicants who have
excellent oral communication skills. Capability to speak English fluently in general and
presenting effectively in particular may be advantages for students in their future jobs.
Making oral presentations brings students a lot of benefits which are bridging the gap
between language study and language use, using the four language skills in a naturally
integrated way, helping students to collect, inquire, organize and construct information,
enhancing team work, and helping students become active and autonomous learners. As a
matter of fact, a language learner's ability to present in the target language is dependent on
a number of factors which are not solely related to their knowledge of the language
systems (grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation) but personality factors such as timidity
or self-confidence also play an important part. To get the best result for the presentations,
students need to master a wide range of skills and techniques such as the use of language,
the way to organize all ideas, the use of gestures, posture and eye-contact, and the ability to
speak clearly and confidently.
Being a teacher of English, the researcher realizes that many second-year English majors at
Hanoi University of Industry fail to deliver a presentation successfully and making
effective presentations is always their desire. Some serious students who invest time and
effort into an oral presentation do not always get the intended outcomes. Other students try
to get through the ordeal as quickly as possible, but do not improve their speaking skills
under such stressful situations. They have a lot of ideas for their presentations, but they do
not perform well in the class to attract the audience’s attention. These problems are the
motivation for the researcher to carry out a study on factors affecting oral presentations of
the Second-Year English major students at Hanoi University of Industry.

2. Aims of the study

2
The main aim of the study is to investigate the factors affecting oral presentations of the
Second-Year English Major Students at Hanoi University of Industry. The specific
objectives of the study are:
- To identify the students’ attitudes towards oral presentation skills
- To get to know their evaluations of their presentations
- To investigate the factors affecting their oral presentations
- To give some suggestions to improve their presentation skills

3. Scope and significance of the study
The study focuses on oral presentation skills in English in the classroom context of 82
second-year English majors at Hanoi University of Industry. Hopefully, the findings and
recommendations of this study will be of some help for both teachers and students of
English in the process of teaching and learning oral presentation skills. The results of this
study may also be useful for those who are interested in this field.

4. Methods of the study
To fulfill the above aims, the study was carried out with different methods of data
collection:
- A questionnaire was delivered to 82 second-year majors
- Informal interviews with students were also employed
- Class observation was carried out to have deeper look at students’ presentations in
the classroom.

5. Design of the study
The study is divided into three parts.
Part one, INTRODUCTION, presents reasons for choosing the topic, the aims, scope,
significance, methods as well as design of the study.
Part two, DEVELOPMENT, has four following chapters:
Chapter one is the Literature Review which deals with theories and concepts related to

speaking skills and oral presentations in English.
Chapter two is Methodology in which the current situation of teaching and learning
English in general and speaking in particular at Hanoi University of Industry is described.


3
The research methods which cover research questions, the participants, and data collection
instruments are also mentioned in this chapter.
Chapter three presents some major findings and discussions based on the results of the
questionnaire, interviews, and class observation.
Chapter four, namely recommendations, offers some suggestions for students and teachers
at Hanoi University of Industry to improve students’ oral presentation skills.
Part three, CONCLUSION, summarizes what are addressed in the study. The limitations of
the study and suggestions for further study are also included in this part.

PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW
In the attempt to investigate factors affecting students’ oral presentations in English
Foreign Language classrooms, it is thought that the study needs to point out the relation


4
between knowledge and skills, particularly speaking skills. Then the nature of speaking,
types of classroom speaking and some aspects of oral presentations are to be explored.
These issues are the focus of this chapter.
1.1. Knowledge and skills
It is not easy for foreign language teachers to help learners become proficient in using the
language. Being a proficient user of a language means having both good knowledge and
skills of using the language. From that point of view, Bygate (1987) indicates that foreign
language teachers must understand the interrelation between knowledge and skills.
Right from the start, he points out that one of the basic problems in foreign language
teaching is to prepare learners to be able to use the language. For instance, in order to
speak a foreign language, it is necessary to know a certain amount of grammar and
vocabulary. However, the knowledge of the language is never sufficient. He emphasizes
the importance of skill; it is skill that is “the most realizable” in a speaking class and in an
oral exam: “To test whether learners can speak, it is necessary to get them to actually say
something. To do this they must act on knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. By giving
learners “speaking practice” and “oral exams” we recognize there is a difference between
knowledge about a language and skill in using it”. To illustrate his viewpoint, he gives an
example of a car driver as follows:

“An analogy with the driver of a car may be helpful. What knowledge a car driver needs?
Clearly he or she needs to know the names of the controls; where they are; what they do
and how they are operated … However, the driver also needs the skill to be able to use the
controls to guide the car along a road without hitting the various objects that tend to get in
the way; you have to be able to do this at a normal speed…; you have to drive smoothly
and without getting too close to any dangerous obstacles. And it is not enough to drive in a
straight line; the driver also has to be able to manage the variations in road conditions
safely.”
He also gives another example in language: when a learner of English leaves “s” sound at
the end of English words in his flow of talk. In this situation we are not convinced that he
does not know the rule. In fact, he knows it but as he speaks, he fails to follow that rule.
Knowledge is defined by Bygate as “what they conceive and memorize”. But what make
the above student exclude “s” sound? Bygate points out that the answer to this question is a
skill, which is a special ability to do something well. This is acquired only when much
imitation and practice are offered. It seems that Bygate’s opinion of knowledge and skill is


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true with students’ oral presentations. Many of them have knowledge of grammar,
knowledge of the topic and content but they still can not produce a good presentation.
In conclusion, “knowledge itself is not enough; knowledge has to be used in action”. That
is the reason why we need skills, which can be gained with practice. But what skills does a
learner of a foreign language need in order to obtain good oral communication? To answer
this question, it is necessary to have a look at speaking skills.
1.2. Speaking skills
1.2.1. Nature of speaking
Language skills involve four-macro skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing,
which are inter-related. According to Byrne (1986), the supportive relationship among
these skills is clearly revealed when we look at oral communication which is a two-way
process between speaker and listener (or listeners) and involves the productive skill of

speaking and the receptive skill of listening. He states that “the speaker has to encode the
message he wishes to convey in appropriate language, while the listener has to decode (or
interpret) the message”. Of the four skills, speaking plays a very important role since it is
the first step to identify who knows and does not know a language. From Ur’s point of
view (1996), speaking seems intuitively the most important: “people who know a language
are referred to as “speakers” of that language as if speaking included all other kinds of
knowing; and most foreign language learners are primarily interested in learning to speak”.
The nature of speaking has attracted many scholars’ attention so far. According to Bygate
(1987), there are two basic ways in which we do can be seen as a skill. They are motor-
perception skills and interaction skills. Motor-perception skills involve perceiving,
recalling and articulating in the correct order sounds and structures of language. Interaction
skills involve making decisions about communication, such as what to say, how to say it
and whether to develop it in accordance with one’s intentions, while maintaining the
desired relations with others. To be more specific, Bygate discusses another term in
speaking called “routines” which are conventional ways of presenting information. He
provides two kinds of routines: information routines and interactional routines.
Information routines may be described to involve two sub-routines: expository and
evaluation. The former includes description, comparison, and instruction. The latter
consists of explanation, prediction, justification, preference and decision. Interactional
routines are telephone conversations, interview conversations, conversations at parties,
lessons, radio or television interviews, which are structured in characteristic ways.


6
Other authors examining the nature of speaking are Brown and Yule (1983). In “Teaching
the spoken language”, they propose the distinction between two basic language functions.
These are the transactional function, which is primarily concerned with the transfer of
information, and the interactional function, in which the primary purpose of speech is the
maintenance of social relationships. They also focus on another distinction when
considering the development of speaking skills. They are dialogue and monologue. They

state that the ability to give an uninterrupted oral presentation (monologue) is rather
different from interacting with one or more other native speakers for transactional and
interactional purposes. Therefore, presentation skills have to be learned and practiced
carefully.
To sum up, speaking is a process of transferring information and maintaining relationship
and learning to speak a foreign language is never an easy task.
1.2.2. Types of classroom Speaking Performance
Brown (1994) gives six categories of oral production that students are expected to carry out
in the classroom. They are imitative, intensive, responsive, transactional (dialogue),
interpersonal (dialogue) and extensive (monologue).
The first type of speaking performance is imitative which is carried out in the form of
drilling. Imitation of this kind is not for the purpose of meaningful interaction, but for
focusing on some particular element of language form. As stated by Brown, drilling is a
legitimate part of the communicative language classroom. “Drills offer students an
opportunity to listen and to orally repeat certain strings of language that may pose some
linguistic difficulty – either phonological or grammatical… They allow one to focus on
one element of language in a controlled activity. They can help to establish certain
psychomotor patterns … and to associate selected grammatical forms with their
appropriate context.”
The second type is intensive which goes one step beyond imitative to include any speaking
performance that is designed to practice some phonological or grammatical aspect of
language. It can form parts of some pair work activity, where learners are “going over”
certain forms of language.
The next type is responsive performance: short replies to teacher or student initiated
questions or comments. For example, the teacher’s questions: “How are you today?” is
replied “Pretty good, thanks, and you?” by the students. “These replies are usually
sufficient and do not extend into dialogues.”


7

The fourth type is transactional (dialogue) which is carried out for the purpose of
conveying or exchanging specific information, is an extended form of responsive language.
Conversations may have more of a negotiative nature than merely responsive speech.
The fifth type, interpersonal is carried out more for the purpose of maintaining social
relationships than for the transmission of facts and information.
The final speaking performance is extensive (monologue). Students at intermediate to
advanced levels are called on to give extended monologues in the form of oral reports,
summaries, or perhaps short speeches which can be planned or impromptu.
1.3 Oral Presentations
1.3.1. Definition and Structure
Oral presentations are defined as “brief discussions of a focused topic delivered to a group
of listeners in order to impart knowledge or to stimulate discussion. They are similar to
short papers with an introduction, main body and conclusion” (Ohio Wesleyan University).
In the classroom, presentation is a popular kind of activity where a student or a group of
students give a speech on a topic of their own choice or given by the teacher. Such talks
are subject matter oriented, they are prepared and “writing like”.
An oral presentation has three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The
introduction aims to state the topic and get the audience’s attention. It gives the audience
the preview of the presentation. The body must inform or persuade the audience including
main points and sub-points. The last main part is the conclusion which summaries the
information presented in the body.
1.3.2. Types of Oral Presentations
Oral presentations are classified into different types due to their modes of delivery and
purposes. In terms of delivering modes, Dwyer (2000) gives five forms of presentations or
speeches which are: impromptu speech, manuscript speech, memorized speech, briefing,
and team briefing.
The impromptu speech is unexpected and thus delivered with very little or no preparation.
Some impromptu speeches are special occasion such as welcomes, introductions or
acknowledgements. As this occasion for a speech usually takes the speaker by surprise, it
is important to think clearly, analyze the situation quickly and speak briefly and to the

point. A successful formula used by many speakers for an impromptu speech is the PREP


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formula, in which P stands for the main point; R stands for the reason for the speech; E
stands for the example to illustrate the main point; P stands for restating the main point.
The manuscript speech, which is researched and structured, involves writing a
presentation word-for-word and reading the presentation to the audience. It is suited to
longer, more technical and difficult business presentations at meeting or conferences. It is
also suitable for legal presentation, a parliamentary address, a press release or a speech that
will be reported or quoted. It is used when the speaker needs to be precise in what he/ she
says. Even though the speaker is reading the manuscript, it is important to look at the
audience as often as possible to maintain eye contact and use facial expressions and
gestures.
The memorized speech is suited to short talks. It involves writing a presentation word-for-
word and reciting the presentation from memory. To sound relax and confident, the
presenter should try to memorize the introduction carefully – this applies to any speech.
The briefing speech is a short oral summary or report of a plan. Its aim might be to inform,
propose or justify solutions, or persuade the audience. An oral briefing that invites the
audience to participate is usually more effective than a long speech. For this type of
speech, it is important for the presenter to:
- prepare the briefing
- concentrate on its main purpose
- present background information
- discuss alternatives
- analyze their advantages and disadvantages
- encourage audience participation, questions and suggestions
- show interest in audience response
Team briefings are becoming more common. All members in the team take part in the
presentation. First, they consider the purpose of their presentation and the audience nature.

Then the team designs the structure of the presentation and organizes it into sections. A
particular section is then allocated to each speaker. However, the team aims for a unified
and coherent message rather than a series of individual presentations, so it is important to
decide who will:
- present the introduction
- develop the main body and provide supporting ideas
- reinforce the ideas outlined in the main body and present the conclusion


9
In business communication, briefings and oral reports are most often used for staff
meetings, customer contacts, and reports to supervisors and managers on progress, results
or problems.
In terms of purposes, oral presentations in college courses generally fall into two
categories: informative and persuasive presentation.
Informative presentation has audience learning as its primary goal. An informative speech
may explain a concept, instruct the audience, demonstrate a process, or describe an event.
In an academic setting, the informative speech may take many different forms such as
individual or group report; oral briefing … The presenter must keep a presentation brief
and relevant, stick to the acts and avoid complicated information.
Persuasive presentation is used to influence what the audience thinks or does. Four goals
of persuasive speaking are:
- to reinforce the attitudes, beliefs, and values the audience already holds
- to inoculate the audience against counter persuasion
- to change attitudes
- to motivate the audience to act
Persuasion is a very complex process that combines three essential elements: ethos, the
credibility of the speaker; logos, the logical proof and reasoning presented in the word of
speech; and pathos, the use of emotional appeals to influence the audience. Therefore, to
succeed with a persuasive presentation, the presenter must present sufficient logic,

evidence, and emotion to sway the audience to his/ her viewpoint.
In second language classroom, the teacher will assign the students a particular type of
presentation and/ or a topic to investigate. In other times, the students may be given
freedom to choose both the topic and the type of presentation that they wish to give.
1.3.3. Presenting techniques
In fact, many students are very good at English in terms of grammar or pronunciation or
they can produce short utterances to exchange information rather well but they may fail to
give an effective oral presentation. This is due to characteristics of presentations; therefore,
students need to be prepared some necessary presenting techniques besides the language
factor for presentation. Emden & Becker (2004) indicate that “The ability to speak well
enough to interest, influence or persuade other people is a major asset, whatever you
choose to do in the future”. They place great weight on the importance of body language in
oral presentations including eye contact, facial expression, hand movement, and posture


10
because making enough interaction with the audience is very important for a good
presenter. Emden and Becker add that “most poor presenting is the result of bad habit such
as not looking at the audience or muttering instead of speaking clearly”. Body language is
used to build essential rapport between the speaker and the audience that convinces the
listeners of what he/ she is saying and encourages their response. In turn, the listeners will
reflect how they feel about the presenting skills (impressed, encouraged, or bored) and
about the message (interested, agreeing or disagreeing). It is essential, therefore, that the
presenter uses appropriate non-verbal communication at each stage while speaking and
recognizes the signals the audience is sending out.
In addition, voice quality during the presentation is also extremely important: “People’s
voices have qualities that may be attractive or unattractive: a low voice is usually easier to
listen to than a high-pitched voice, a harsh quality of voice can sound aggressive even
when its owner feels at ease, a very soft voice may be pleasant at first, but becomes
irritating if we, the listeners, have to concentrate hard to catch the words”.

Besides, using good visual aids also has good effects on oral presentations. According to
Emden and Becker (2004), listening is not easy and “it helps a great deal if you have
something to look at”. Audiences are grateful for the reinforcement of a good visual aid
because human beings tend to remember what they see more steadily than what they hear.
To conclude, teachers should make students aware of the importance of these presenting
techniques as their ability to use body language, visual aids and their voice properly is one
of the factors that decide the success of their presentations.
1.3.4. Characteristics of a good presentation
In general, the following criteria can be seen as characteristics of a good oral presentation
in which the presenter:
- stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident
- shows a full understanding of the topic
- often uses pitch and conveys emotions appropriately
- always listens to, shares with, and supports the effort of others in the group
- uses body language and facial expressions to generate a strong interest and
enthusiasm about the topic in others
- speaks clearly and distinctively
- does not mispronounce words


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- uses vocabulary appropriately for audience, and defines new ones
- takes from five to eight minutes to present.
To be more detailed, Comfort (1997) identifies things that make a presentation effective
are as below:
Over all: - awareness of the audience
- clear objectives
System:
- planning – have a clear structure and a sense of timing
- organization – have clear connections between the different parts or ideas

- information – make sure that it is interesting and relevant to your audience
- impact – make sure to have a strong introduction and conclusions
Delivery:
- clear, simple, and fluent
- use of natural spoken language
- use of pauses for emphasis
Body language:
- use of strong, clear gestures for emphasis
- good eye contact with the audience
- positive, confident, and relaxed manner
- no distracting gestures
Visual aids:
- clear and simple messages
- efficient, professional use of equipment
The above criteria can be used to evaluate students’ oral presentations.
1.3.5. Teaching Oral Presentation skills in the language classroom
Oral presentations, if properly guided and organized, provide a learning experience and
teach life long skills that will be beneficial to learners in all school subjects as well as later
in their careers. Making oral presentations brings students a lot of advantages which are:
bridging the gap between language study and language use; using the four language skills
in a naturally integrated way; helping students to collect, inquire, organize and construct
information; enhancing team work; and helping students become active and autonomous
learners.


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For learners of English, making a presentation in English can be difficult and demanding
because it has content, structure and needs preparation. Making a presentation is even
difficult for native speakers themselves. As stated by Brown and Yule (1983), a student
who can make good conversations in English may be unsuccessful in delivering a speech:

“A short turn consists of only one or two utterances, a long turn consists of a string of
utterances which may last as long as an hour’s lecture… What is demanded for a speaker
in a long turn is considerably more demanding than what’s required of a speaker in a short
turn. As soon as the speaker “takes the floor” for a long turn, tells an anecdote, tells a joke,
explains how something works, justifies a position, describes an individual, and so on, he
takes responsibility for creating a structured sequence of utterances which must help the
listener(s) to create a coherence of what he is trying to say. What the speaker says must be
coherently structured. The general point which needs to be made is that it is important for
the teacher to realize that simply training the students to produce short turns will not
automatically yield students who can perform satisfactorily in long turn”.
Underhill (1987) suggests that in a less formal situation, mini-presentation may be a
routine part of the daily teaching schedule. Each day one learner in turn makes his
presentation lasting from five to ten minutes to the rest of the class. He is expected to refer
to notes; but reading aloud is strongly discouraged. The use of simple aids such as an
overhead projector, black board or flipchart diagrams is encouraged if appropriate. At the
end of the presentation, the speaker is expected to deal with any questions related to the
topic. When this procedure has been established, the whole activity, from introducing the
speaker at the beginning through the presentation and Questions and Answers session to a
final summary, can be conducted by the learners without the intervention of the teacher.
He also states that choosing the topic is very important. “It should be relevant to the aims
of the program or the needs of the learners and should contain new information or put over
a new viewpoint. It should not be so specialized that only the speaker himself is interested,
nor should it be so general that it has no apparent purpose other than a long exercise.
Ideally, the topic should be chosen by the learner in consultation with his teacher who will
help match the ability of the learner with the difficulty of a given topic”.
Vo (1994) suggests the following procedure for the teachers to assign oral presentations
(students have a certain amount of time to prepare for their presentations at home):
1. At the beginning of the term, announce to the students that they all will have an
opportunity to speak in front of the group.

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2. Put up a large calendar so that students can pick up the date they prefer.
3. After the break of every class session, have one student come forward and
speak about the topic he or she chose.
4. During the speech, sit in the audience.
5. Have each student speak for about five minutes.
6. Have the other class members hold their questions and comments until the
speaker has finished.
7. After each speech, give the speaker some feedback.
Oral presentations can also be carried out as class activity. Students work in a small group
to discuss a topic. After the discussion, each representative from each group will present
his/ her group’s ideas or each member will take turn to be responsible for each part of the
presentation.
To sum up, teaching oral presentations skills is an important task for teachers so as to help
learners develop the ability to speak to an audience which is necessary for them in the
future.
1.3.6. Factors affecting oral presentation skills
1.3.6.1. Students’ language proficiency
It is obvious that students’ language proficiency is one of the factors contributing to the
success or causing the failure of an oral presentation. Language proficiency is the ability of
an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. Rod (1985) defines:
“Proficiency consists of the learner’s knowledge of the target language; it can be
considered synonymous with “competence”. Proficiency can be viewed as linguistic
competence or communicative competence. Second Language proficiency is usually
measured in relation to native speaker proficiency.” According to Stern (1992), proficiency
can be looked at as a goal and thus be defined in terms of objectives or standards. These
can then serve as criteria by which to assess proficiency as an empirical fact, that is, the
actual performance of given individual learners or groups of learners. He states that
“proficiency ranges from zero to native - like proficiency… Complete competence is

hardly ever reached by second language learners”. Bachman (1990) defines language
proficiency as the language ability or ability in language use. Maleki and Zangani (see
website www.asian-efl-journal.com/March_07_am&ez.php) suggest that the grading
criteria for assessing speaking proficiency in second language are pronunciation
(intonation, word stress, and sentence stress), fluency, and accuracy (grammar and


14
vocabulary). Regarding to speaking skill in general and presentation skills in particular,
accuracy and fluency are the two most concerning aspects.
Accuracy is the ability to produce correct sentences using correct grammar and vocabulary.
In terms of language knowledge, students need introducing language areas such as the use
of linkers and connectors, referring to graphs and charts, emphasizing and minimizing
information, and the contrast between written and spoken language.
English fluency means being able to use the language with ease. Fluency is the ability to
read, speak, or write easily, smoothly, and expressively. In other words, the speaker can
read, understand and respond in a language clearly and concisely while relating meaning
and context. Language teachers who concentrate on fluency help their students to express
themselves in fluent English. They pay more attention to meaning and context and are less
concerned with grammatical errors.
The emphasis on accuracy or fluency has changed a lot. About a hundred years ago,
language teaching and learning was almost entirely about accuracy. Today, we can say that
the mastery of communication is the main objective, in other words, grammar is the
support system for communication, not an end in itself. The fact is, however, that self-
conscious learners don't like making mistakes and that is the reason why they have to strike
a careful balance between accuracy and fluency.
1.3.6.2. Students’ personality
It is obvious that the presenter plays the most important role in making his oral
presentation successful or not. In the classroom, students with different characteristics,
especially different levels of anxiety - an aspect of personality (Scovel, 1978) may result in

different levels of success. According to many researchers, feelings of anxiety,
apprehension and nervousness are commonly expressed by foreign language learners in
learning to speak a foreign language, particularly when they have to make an oral
presentation in that language.
General anxiety is defined by Spielberger (1983) as “the subjective feeling of tension,
apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous
system”. According to Horwitz and Cope (1986) foreign language anxiety belongs to
situational-specific anxiety: “a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and
behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the
language learning process”. Psychologists make a distinction between three categories of


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anxiety: trait anxiety, state anxiety, and situation-specific anxiety. Trait anxiety is
relatively stable personality characteristic while state anxiety is a transient anxiety, a
response to a particular anxiety-provoking stimulus such as an important test. The third
category, situation-specific anxiety, refers to the persistent and multi-faceted nature of
some anxieties. It is aroused by a specific type of situation or event such as public
speaking, examinations, or class participation. King (2002) considers speech anxiety is one
of the major problem that lead to learners' oral presentation failures. This anxiety comes in
part from a lack of confidence in the general linguistic knowledge, the embarrassment of
exposing the language imperfections in front of others. Besides, learners’ personality traits
such as shyness, quietness, and reticence are considered to frequently precipitate
communication apprehension. It is obvious that such feelings in the learners may prevent
them from achieving the desired goal.
1.3.6.3. Teacher’s role
King (2002) emphasizes that working with students on oral presentations is a challenging
job for teachers because it not only involves training in other disciplines such as speech
communication and public speaking, but also demands more of teachers in terms of time
and effort in lesson planning and teaching strategies. Furthermore, the importance of

creating a supportive learning atmosphere, acquiring interaction skills, incorporating
project work, developing cooperative learning skills and applying computer/technology in
enhancing teachers' facilitative skills should be emphasized. The teacher is the guide,
organizer, consultant, resource person, and supporter. The teacher's role in oral
presentations not only involves preparing detailed guidelines, organizing groups, helping
students to select topics, guiding their research and helping them learn the use of various
visual aids, but also holding of Question & Answer sessions, providing feedback on the
sequencing of ideas, and evaluating their performance.
Conclusion
The chapter so far has presented literature concerning the subject matter of the study. It
dealt with the knowledge and skills, especially speaking skill. The focal point of the
chapter was on oral presentation skills with some aspects related. Furthermore, some
factors related to oral presentations of students in the classrooms have been reviewed as
well.



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CHAPTER II: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1. Context of the study
Hanoi University of Industry is one of the universities that has a long tradition of training
qualified practical engineers in the fields of mechanical engineering, chemical technology,

and electronics. However, to meet the demand of the modern society with globalization
trend, some new majors have recently been taken into the training programme, one of
which is English. The Faculty of Foreign Languages was established in 2006, it is
responsible for teaching English to both English majors and non-English majors.
2.1.1. Teachers
In connection with the teaching staff, there are 50 teachers in the Faculty, among whom 11
teachers are regularly in charge of working in the English major Division. Their ages range
from 23 to 37, all of them graduated from the English Department - College of Foreign
Languages or Hanoi University of Foreign Languages and have been teaching for the
Division at least one year. Six people have got an M.A degree, three are doing M.A course.
One of their difficulties is that a teacher has to deal with different subjects related to
English at the same time due to the lack of teachers. However, all of them are energetic,
inquisitive and always try to apply effective methods of teaching to increase teaching and
learning quality.
2.1.2. Students
In respect of the English major students, about 80 students are enrolled each year, based on
their results of the university entrance examinations. Their levels of English proficiency
are generally various and not very high. Firstly, this can be seen from their English marks
at the entrance examinations mainly ranging from 3 to 6 (the statistics provided by the
Faculty’s assistants). Secondly, many of them still apply a passive way of learning,


17
especially the first year students. For a long time, they were familiar with doing exercises
focusing on grammar and vocabulary at High School and hardly did they practice speaking
and listening skills. Moreover, most of them come from rural areas with no favorable
chances for learning English; they are shy and not very self-confident. During their
university time, they are always encouraged to study actively and creatively to achieve
better results.
2.1.3. Teaching and learning facilities

Concerning the teaching and learning facilities for English majors, it is obvious that
teachers and learners are working in a rather good condition. The Faculty’s library has a
variety of English books, CD, VCD, cassettes, and computers with Internet connection.
There are 10 rooms for studying English; all are equipped with head projectors, computers
and cassettes. Using modern technology effectively is highly encouraged in English
lessons.
2.1.4. Speaking syllabus
Right from the first semester, students have four skills (reading, listening, speaking and
writing) taught as isolated subjects using Interactions textbooks published by McGraw-Hill
ESL/ELT (Interactions 1 and Interactions 2). During the third and fourth semester, students
have Mosaic 1, 2 also by McGraw-Hill ESL/ELT. For speaking skills, the target for
second-years students is to achieve the intermediate level; students are supposed to
describe and express their ideas, opinions, and points of view systematically. Also,
students are expected to have good expressions, structures in their certain favorite topics;
therefore, they can improve their ability to express and support their points of view as well
as give suitable examples. The total time allowed for speaking of the second English
majors – the fourth term – is 45 class hours, 3 hours a week. The syllabus is as theme-
based with reference to Interactions and Mosaic course books, as below:
- Environment
- Health
- Cultures
- Social life
- Entertainment
- Jobs
- Places


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At the beginning of the term, teachers inform students all the required themes and let them
choose their subtopic for group oral presentations. Each group performs their presentations

twice during the third term.


2.2. Research Methods.
2.2.1. Research questions
The final purpose of the study is to find out factors affecting oral presentations of the
second-year English majors at Hanoi University of Industry. To achieve this aim, it is
necessary to answer the following questions:
1. What are the students’ attitudes towards oral presentations in English?
2. What are the students’ evaluations of their presentation performances?
3. What are the factors affecting their oral presentations?
4. What are the students’ suggestions to help them make better presentations?
2.2.2. Participants
This research was carried out with the participation of 82 students of three classes,
DHTA1, DHTA2 and DHTA3 (27, 27, and 28 students respectively). This is also the total
number of the second-year English majors at Hanoi University of Industry. Most of them
are female (8 students are male) at the age ranging from 18 to 20. There are 69 students
coming from rural areas and small towns, 11 are from big cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong,
Nam Dinh in which there are favorable English studying conditions. The amount of time
they have learnt English is various, ranging from 4 to 8 years. More than half of them (60
students – 73%) have spent 4 years studying English. All students have been studying three
terms at the University and during this time, few students had excellent results of the
English final – term tests. Especially, their marks of speaking in the third term were not
very high, varying from 5 to 9. 11 students (13%) got mark 5, 21 students (26%) got mark
6, 42 students (51%) got mark 7, 7 students (9%) got mark 8 and only 1 student (1%) got
mark 9 (according to the marking system of 1 – 10).
2.2.3. Data collection instruments
Instrument 1: Survey questionnaire
The survey questionnaire (see appendix 1) was delivered to 82 second-year English majors
after being given to some teachers being in charge of working with those students for their

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comments. This method helps the researcher to collect data in quantitative form for
analyzing, summarizing and reporting.
The questionnaire consisted of three parts. The first part was about students’ personal
information with their gender, place of domicile, the number of years they had learnt
English, their final speaking mark in the third semester. In addition, their attitudes toward
the importance of oral presentation skills and their evaluations of their presentation
performances were also included in this part.
The second part was designed to find out the factors affecting their oral presentations in the
classroom. All questions were adapted from various sources (Emden & Becker, 2004;
Reinhart, 2002; Comfort, 1997…) and based on the researcher’s experience.
The last part included one question asking students for their suggestions to help them make
better presentations.
The questionnaire was written in English; however, students were advised to use either
English or Vietnamese to answer the open-ended questions. Some questions were with
examples so that the students did not get confused.
Instrument 2: Interviews
In order to have more data for persuasive conclusions, the researcher interviewed 12
students of whom 4 students came from each class. They were chosen randomly and with
their agreement, the researcher asked them 10 questions (see appendix 2). Those questions
covered such aspects as their attitudes, evaluations, problems and suggestions related to
their oral presentations. During the interview, the researcher modified the questions and
took notes of their answers.
Instrument 3: Class observation
The researcher observed two presentations in class DHTA1 and DHTA3 to check the
reliability of the data collected. The reason that the researcher did not choose DHTA2 was
that class 1 and 2 were working with the same teacher. The observation form (see appendix
3) was adapted from Reinhart, 2002.

Conclusion
This chapter has presented the methodology used in the research. The next chapter will
present the results of the study.





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CHAPTER III: MAJOR FINDINGS AND DICUSSIONS

3.1. Results of the survey questionnaire and interview
3.1.1. Students’ attitudes towards oral presentation skills
According to the survey, 100% of students agreed on the importance of oral presentation
skills. They wrote “very important” or “important” to answer the question “How important
are oral presentation skills?” To explain for their answers, they said that oral presentation
skills were very important for them to help them improve their speaking skills, develop
their reading skills for getting main ideas and organize those ideas logically; especially
they would need these skills in their future job. In the interview, all students said “Yes” to
answer the question whether they thought oral presentation skills were important. The
reasons they gave were various such as: “When I have to make an oral presentation, I have
to stand in front of a group of people and this helps me to build up my confidence, even my
courage”, “If I have to make a presentation about a topic, I have to read a lot to find out as
much information related as possible, so I can widen my knowledge of both the topic and
the language”. Being aware of the importance of oral presentation skills, students really
wanted to have as many chances to practice these skills in the class as possible since it was
their teachers and friends who would listen to their presentations and had some comments

to help them improve their presentation skills.
To conclude, all participants were aware of the importance of oral presentation skills, had
positive attitudes to these skills and wanted to be more skillful through practicing.

3.1.2. Students’ evaluations of their own presentation skills

Results of the survey showed that 100% of the students had made oral presentations in
English in the class; however, they seemed to have a negative evaluation of their oral
presentation skills. They considered their success and satisfaction so limited as follows:
- 2 students (2%) admitted that they were very unsuccessful.
- 31 students (37%) claimed that their presentations were unsuccessful.