Difficulties in making individual oral presentations among second year english majors at can tho university

CAN THO UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION ENGLISH
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

***

DIFFICULTIES IN MAKING INDIVIDUAL ORAL
PRESENTATIONS AMONG SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH
MAJORS AT CAN THO UNIVERSITY
B.A. Thesis

Supervisor
Truong Nguyen Quynh Nhu, M.A

Researcher
Nguyen Huynh Nhu Hien
Student ID: 7075887
Class: NN0752A2
Course: 33

Can Tho, May 2011


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thesis has been completed thanks to the help and support of many people. I
would like to acknowledge their contribution to the completion of the study.
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Ms. Truong Nguyen Quynh
Nhu, my supervisor, for her valuable instructions, advice and help. In spite of being
busy with her teaching, she spent time reading and giving comments on the drafts of
my thesis. Without her help and enthusiasms, I could not finish my study.

Also, I would like to thank Ms. Huynh Chi Minh Huyen, Ms. Duong Thi Phi
Oanh, Mr. Do Xuan Hai and Mr. Le Thanh Hung for their permission to questionnaire
administration.
Additionally, my special thanks go to all of the students who were willing to
spend time marking the questionnaires and to participate in the individual interviews.
The thesis would not be completed without their assistance.
I would like to express many thanks to my friends who helped and encouraged
me during the time I conducted the study.
Furthermore, I would like to thank the teachers of English Education
Department, School of Education, Cantho University who offered me the opportunity
to conduct the thesis and supported my work on it.
Finally, all my thanks go to my family who always supported me during the
time I conducted the thesis.

i


CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... i
LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................. iv
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ v
TÓM LƯỢC........................................................................................................... vi
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1
1.1 Rationale ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Research aims ............................................................................................... 2
1.3 Research questions ........................................................................................ 2
1.4 Hypotheses .................................................................................................... 3
1.5 Significance of the research .......................................................................... 3
1.6 Organization of the research ......................................................................... 3
2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 5

2.1 Presentation................................................................................................... 5
2.1.1 Definition of presentation..................................................................... 5
2.1.2 Types of presentation ........................................................................... 6
2.1.3 Stages of a presentation ........................................................................ 6
2.1.3.1 Preparation ................................................................................... 7
2.1.3.2 Rehearsal...................................................................................... 8
2.1.3.3 Delivery ....................................................................................... 8
2.2 Difficulties in making presentations ............................................................9
2.2.1 Linguistic knowledge ......................................................................... 10
2.2.2 Presentational skills ............................................................................ 11
2.2.3 Psychological factors.......................................................................... 12
2.3 Related studies ............................................................................................ 12
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................... 15
3.1 Research design .......................................................................................... 15
3.2 Participants.................................................................................................. 15
3.3 Research instruments .................................................................................. 15
3.3.1 Questionnaire...................................................................................... 16
3.3.2 Interviews ........................................................................................... 17
3.4 Procedures ................................................................................................... 17
3.4.1 Questionnaire administration procedures........................................... 17
3.4.2 Interview procedures .......................................................................... 18
4. RESULTS ......................................................................................................... 19
4. 1 Results of the questionnaire ....................................................................... 19
ii


4.1.1 Difficulties in preparing the presentation .......................................... 19
4.1.2 Difficulties in rehearsing the presentation ........................................ 19
4.1.3 Difficulties in delivering the presentation .......................................... 20
4.1.4 Difficulties in using visual aids in the presentation ........................... 21

4. 2 Results of the interviews ............................................................................ 21
4.2.1 Difficulties in preparing the presentation .......................................... 21
4.2.2 Difficulties in rehearsing the presentation ........................................ 22
4.2.3 Difficulties in delivering the presentation ......................................... 22
4.2.4 Difficulties in using visual aids ..........................................................23
4.2.5 Interviewees‟ most difficulties ...........................................................23
4.2.6 Causes of the difficulties in making individual presentations ........... 24
5. DISCUSSIONS AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS ......................... 25
5.1 Discussions ................................................................................................. 25
5.1.1 The problems identified ..................................................................... 25
5.1.2 The causes of the problems ................................................................26
5.2 Pedagogical implications ............................................................................ 27
6. LIMITATIONS, SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................... 29
6.1 Limitations .................................................................................................. 29
6.2 Suggestions for further research .................................................................29
6.3 Conclusions ................................................................................................. 30
REFERENCE ....................................................................................................... 31
APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................................... 34
APPENDIX 2: CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN ...........................................................40
APPENDIX 3: RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ...................................................... 41

iii


LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Items categorized in the questionnaire
Table 4.1 Descriptive statistics for the answers to questions about difficulties in
preparing the presentation

Table 4.2 Descriptive statistics for the answers to questions about difficulties in
rehearsing the presentation
Table 4.3 Descriptive statistics for the answers to questions about difficulties in
delivering the presentation
Table 4.4 Descriptive statistics for the answers to questions about difficulties in
using visual aids in the presentation

iv


ABSTRACT

This descriptive study was conducted to investigate the difficulties that students made
in making individual oral presentations and the causes for those problems. The
participants of the study were 63 second-year students majoring in English education
at Cantho University. The data were collected from a questionnaire of 21 items and
semi-open interviews. The data were analyzed by Statistics Package for the Social
Science. The statistical results revealed that difficulties of the participants were as
follows: (a) difficulties in preparing the presentation, (b) difficulties in delivering the
presentation, (c) difficulties in using visual aids. Among these, the most prominent
specific difficulties were explaining technical terms in the presentation, using words
for their precise meaning, having the feeling of nervousness, pronouncing English
words, and maintaining eye contact with the audience while displaying PowerPoint
slides. The causes of the difficulties were as follows: nervousness and ability to select
information. On the basis of the findings, 3 pedagogical implications are also included
(teacher‟s

positive

feedback,

peer

correction

and

simultaneous

individual

presentations).

v


TÓM LƯỢC

Nghiên cứu này được thực hiện theo phương pháp mô tả nhằm chỉ ra những khó khăn
sinh viên mắc phải khi làm bài thuyết trình cá nhân và nguyên nhân của những khó
khăn này. Đối tượng nghiên cứu là 63 sinh viên năm hai chuyên ngành sư phạm Anh
văn tại trường Đại học Cần Thơ. Số liệu được thu thập thông qua phiếu câu hỏi gồm
21 câu và buổi phỏng vấn bán mở. Số liệu được xử lý bằng chương trình SPSS. Kết
quả phân tích số liệu cho thấy sinh viên gặp phải những khó khăn sau: (a) gặp khó
khăn trong việc chuẩn bị bài thuyết trình, (b) khó khăn khi trình bày bài thuyết trình,
(c) khó khăn trong việc sử dụng dụng cụ trực quan. Trong đó, những khó khăn cụ thể
nổi bật: giải thích các thuật ngữ có trong bài thuyết trình, phát âm từ tiếng Anh, và kết
hợp thao tác trình chiếu các slide với việc giao tiếp bằng mắt với khán giả. Nguyên
nhân của những khó khăn trên như sau: sự hồi hộp và khả năng chọn lọc thông tin.
Dựa trên kết quả nghiên cứu, các đề nghị về phương pháp giảng dạy cũng được đề

xuất.

vi


CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
This chapter will present rationale, research aims, research questions, hypotheses, and
significance of the research. Organization of the study will also be included.

1.1 Rationale
Public speaking has been used as a significant means of communication. It is a
way that people can share their ideas with other people and even influence other
people (Lucas, 2004). This author also shows that in a survey on personal qualities of
college graduates sought by employers, communication skills – comprising public
speaking – stood at the first position. Moreover, this skill is essential in community
life.
The skill of making presentations in public has become increasingly popular
because it is required in almost every field nowadays, such as business and education.
People need this skill because it is useful for their job, their study, etc. Coombe,
England and Schmidt (2008) mentioned in the research on public speaking and
presentation skills for English Language Teaching (ELT) educators the ideas of
experts on the importance of speaking skills; that is, good oral and written skills can
be the most prized possession in gaining and holding a top position.
At Can Tho University (CTU), English majors are equipped with knowledge of
presentation skills. In listening-speaking classes, students are instructed how to make
a presentation. They also have opportunities to give individual or small group
presentations on particular topics as part of the course assessment. This learning
activity is useful for students because it benefits students in various ways. It can

improve students‟ oral skills, their confidence in delivering a speech in front of the
audience, for instance.
However, to deliver a speech is a challenge to the speaker. According to Linus
(2003), a lecturer at National University of Singapore Business School, what makes
speaking in the public challenging is that the presenter uses only voice, body language
to convey information to the audience. Tong (2009) states that making a presentation,
especially in English, might possibly become a demanding task for a large number of

1


English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
students. Besides, Tong shows that there are numerous difficulties that students face
when speaking in front of the audience. Also, this researcher indicates that one of the
causes for students‟ difficulties is that they have little prior experience with self-made
presentations in secondary schools. Kavaliauskiené (2005) did research to investigate
students‟ difficulties in making presentations, and many hindrances were found.
Generally, regarding to EFL students‟ difficulties in making oral presentations,
especially individual presentations, there are a few research conducted –
Kavaliauskiené (2005) and Tong (2009). Furthermore, this issue has not been paid
much attention in Vietnam, particularly at CTU. Thus, the present study attempts to
investigate difficulties that English majors at CTU have to encounter when making
individual oral presentations. In addition, it is an effort to explore potential causes of
those problems. Consequently, this study aims at contributing to EFL teaching and
learning in Vietnam in general and at CTU in particular.
1.2 Research aims
The aim of this study is to investigate difficulties that second-year students of
English education at CTU have when they make individual oral presentations. The
study is also aimed to figure out possible causes of those difficulties. Briefly, the
research is conducted with two aims: to examine what difficulties second-year

students majoring in English education have in making individual presentations and
the reasons for those difficulties.
1.3 Research questions
To investigate difficulties that second-year students of English education have
in making individual presentations and potential causes of these problems, the
researcher answers the following questions:
1. What are the difficulties that second-year students majoring in English
education experience when making individual oral presentations?
2. What are the possible causes of these difficulties?

2


1.4 Hypotheses
Based on the literature and research questions, it was hypothesized that secondyear English majors would have difficulties in making individual oral presentations as
follows:
(1) Difficulties in preparing the presentation (i.e. searching for information,
using words for their precise meaning, narrowing down the presentation topic)
(2) Difficulties in rehearsing the presentation (i.e. having difficulties in
memorize the content of the presentation, lacking time to practice delivering
the presentation in advance)
(3) Difficulties in delivering the presentation (i.e. pronouncing difficult,
unusual, or foreign words, capturing eye contact with the audience)
(4) Difficulties in using visual aids (i.e. maintaining eye contact with the
audience while displaying the PowerPoint slides)
1.5 Significance of the research
The study attempts to investigate challenges that English majors have to face
when making individual oral presentations. The findings of this research thus reflect
what difficulties students are facing. From the results, teachers who are teaching
speaking skill may have insights into what difficulties that students have, so they will

employ appropriate teaching methods to improve students‟ presentation skills, as well
as help students overcome these difficulties.
1.6 Organization of the research
The thesis is presented in 6 chapters: (a) introduction, (b) literature review, (c)
research methodology, (d) results, (e) discussions and pedagogical implications, (f)
limitations, suggestions for further research and conclusions.
The first chapter consists of the rationale, research aims, research questions,
hypotheses, significance of the research, and organization of the research. In chapter
2, the review of the literature is presented. Particularly, it includes the definition of
presentation, types of presentations, stages of a presentation, difficulties in making
presentations and related studies. Chapter 3 is the research methodology which
presents research design, participants, research instruments and procedures. The fourth
3


chapter reports the results of the study. In chapter 5, the discussions of the findings
will be presented. Pedagogical implications are also included. Lastly, the sixth chapter
addresses the limitations of the study as well as suggestions for further research. This
part also comprises the conclusions of the research.

4


CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter includes definition of presentation, types of presentations, stages of a
presentation, difficulties in making presentations and related studies

2.1 Presentation

2.1.1 Definition of presentation
There are various ways that the term presentation is defined. According to
Oxford (2006, p. 560), presentation means “a meeting at which something is shown or
explained to a group of people”. Likewise, Macmillan (2006) states that presentation
is a formal talk in which something is explained or described to a group of people.
The definition of this term is shown in more details by Bereczky (2007). Presentation
is defined as a planned, prepared, and organized talk which is formally or informally
given with a goal of informing or persuading to a group of people. Generally, despite
the varieties of definitions, presentation is a talk in which the message of the speaker
is conveyed to a group of people in either formal or informal situations.
There are many ideas about oral presentations. Underhill (1987) suggests that
oral presentation is one of the oral test techniques that can be used for both
professional and academic purposes. In an oral report, the oral presentation can last
from 5 to 10 minutes using notes but not reading aloud. Besides, the speaker can use
visual aids such as a projector, an overhead, flipchart diagrams or blackboard. At the
end of his presentation, the speaker is supposed to handle questions from the audience.
Like Underhill, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) argue that oral presentation work
usually consists of the stand-up, prepared talk accompanied by visuals; besides, what
makes an effective oral presentation is language, skills and confidence.
There is an additional term related to public speaking. It is speech – a formal
talk given to a group of people (Oxford, 2006). Hence, there is a similarity between
speech and presentation in terms of the way they are defined. Besides, both of them
may be informative or persuasive (Daniels, 2008). There are still differences, though.
Speeches happen formally in special occasions (i.e. weddings, funerals, inaugurations,
commencements) and the speakers often stand at a lectern, whereas presentations are

5


less informal than speeches and occur in conferences, business presentations, etc. with

the use of some form of visual aids (Daniels, 2008). In contrast, Lucas (2004) has a
different view; that is, speeches are not only heard in special occasions but also used
to inform and persuade the audience, and some forms of visual aids can be employed.
In general, despite different views on speech and presentation, these terms –
presentation and speech – are used interchangeably in this study.
2.1.2 Types of presentation
Presentations can be classified into different types. Basing on the purposes of
the presentations, Lucas (2004) and Duong (2009) classifies them into two types:
informative speech whose goal is to convey knowledge and understanding, and
persuasive speech, in which the speaker attempts to affect the audience‟s attitudes,
beliefs or actions. Lucas (2004) also mentions another kind of speech – speech on
special occasions. It is also used to inform, but the major objective is to suit the
special needs of a special occasions. In particular, there are several common kinds of
speeches on special occasions. First, speech of introduction is a speech that presents
the main speaker to the audience. Secondly, speech of presentation is a speech that
presents someone an award or other form of public recognition. Third, speech of
acceptance is to express thanks to a gift, an award or other form of public recognition.
Fourth, speech of commemoration is to show respect for a person, a group of people,
institution or idea. Last, after-dinner speech is a speech that makes a thoughtful point
about its subject in an enjoyable manner.
With reference to classroom presentations, Lucas (2004) mentions that speech
classes offer students opportunities to develop their communication skills before
applying them outside the classroom; moreover, students are given an enormous
chance to inform or persuade other people. In other words, it can be said that common
types of presentation in classroom are informative and persuasive ones. In the present
research, individual presentations will be focused on.
2.1.3 Stages of a presentation
Making a presentation includes a sequence of stages. Before delivering the
presentation in front of the audience, the speaker has to prepare for the presentation
and practice delivering it. In general, stages of a presentation consist of three steps:

preparation, rehearsal and delivery.
6


2.1.3.1 Preparation
The first step of making a presentation is to prepare for it. According to Lucas
(2004), and Gregory (2005), speech preparation consists of selecting a topic and
purpose, analyzing the audience, gathering materials, and organizing the speech.
Choosing a topic is the first step in speechmaking. For speeches outside the
classroom, the topic is decided by the occasion, the audience and the qualifications of
the speakers, whereas students can choose a topic by themselves in a public speaking
class (Lucas, 2004). In listening-speaking classes at CTU, most of the topics are based
on the topic of every chapter in students‟ textbook, so students do not have to find
their own topic.
In addition, the speaker has to decide the purposes of the speech which consist
of general and specific ones. General purposes are divided into two categories: to
inform and to persuade. After choosing a topic and a general purpose, the speaker
must determine the specific purpose which is one aspect of the topic (Lucas, 2004).
Lucas (2004) suggests that when making a speech, either in class or in other
forum, the speaker should be audience-centered; that is, the speaker should analyze
the audience and should adapt the speech to their interests and beliefs. Therefore, the
speech will be clear and persuasive to the audience. In addition, the speaker should
make efforts to convey their knowledge to the audience regardless who the audience
is, either inside or outside classroom. Although classroom speeches do not have much
immediate influence, they can enrich the audience experience, broaden their
knowledge, and even change their views about something important.
After selecting the topic and purpose of the speech, the speaker has to find
materials. According to Lucas (2004), speakers can gather materials by different
ways: getting information in the library, searching the Internet which is considered the
world‟s biggest library, having personal interviews with someone in campus or in the

community. The speaker‟s knowledge and experience are also used as sources to
gather the materials.
Then, the speaker will organize the speech. Gregory (2005) points out that a
well-organized speech contributes to enhancing the speaker‟s credibility. He mentions
the results of studies showing that the listeners will find that the presenter is less
believable due to the speech‟s poor organization. If it is well-organized, the speech is

7


easier for the audience to understand. A well-organized speech consists of three basic
parts. The first one is the introduction whose main goals are to capture and hold the
audience‟s attention and interest, and to prepare the listeners for the body of the
speech. The second part is the body which includes main points. The final section is
the conclusion which is to signal the end, summarize the main ideas of the talk and
strengthen the central idea with a clincher.
2.1.3.2 Rehearsal
The last step in preparing a speech is rehearsal. Holiday (2007) suggests that
the presenter should rehearse the speech. By practicing, the speaker can polish the
presentation. Jordan (1997) states that repetition can help develop confidence and
fluency. Thus, rehearsal is a useful technique in preparing for an oral presentation.
2.1.3.3 Delivery
The delivery stage is when the speech is delivered. The speaker can employ
different methods to deliver the speech. Speech delivery is related to the speaker‟s use
of voice and nonverbal communication – messages conveyed through the speaker‟s
physical actions, rather than on the use of words (Gregory, 2005). This stage also
includes a question-and-answer session.
According to Gregory (2005), there are four methods of speaking. The first one
is to reciting from memory the entire speech and delivering it without a script or notes.
The second type is reading from manuscript in which the speaker reads the speech

word-for-word on a manuscript. Another type of speaking is speaking impromptu –
speaking without preparation. The last one is speaking extemporaneously speaking
with the use notes with some key words. This method helps the speaker become
conversional; furthermore, it is flexible because the presenter can use many ways to
adjust his speech so that the audience can understand the speaker‟s message. Neither
memorizing nor manuscript is encouraged by Gregory (2005) because it is difficult for
speakers to sound lively and conversional.
The way speakers use their voice is important when they speak in front of the
audience. The speaker should speak loudly enough for all of the audience to hear.
Besides, intonation plays an important role in the success of a presentation because it
shows the speaker enthusiasm for his or her subject. The listener will be bored if the

8


presenter speaks monotonously (Le, 2002). One more aspect of the speaker‟s voice is
pauses – a momentary break in the vocal delivery of a speech. It is another challenge
of speakers, especially novices. If the speaker fills in the silence with vocalizations
such as “uh”, “er” or “um”, the listeners may be distracted or feel annoyed.
Furthermore, the public speaker should pronounce words correctly and have a
distinctive articulation (Lucas, 2004).
Lucas (2004) indicates that physical action can affect the way listeners respond
to speakers. Among many aspects of nonverbal communication, there are eye contact
and gestures. First of all, eye contact is defined as the direct contact with the eyes of
another person. There are different views on this aspect of nonverbal communication
in different cultures; however, the importance of some degree of eye contact seems to
be widely agreed across cultures. Students are encouraged to look at the audience
about 80 to 90 percent of the time they are talking. Looking at the audience is not
enough, however. The way that speakers look at them is also important. Speakers
should try to make eye contact with every listener so that listeners have the feeling of

being involved in the presentation. In addition to eye contact, nonverbal
communication is closely connected with gestures – motions of a speaker‟s hands and
arms during a speech. The gestures should be natural and spontaneous, strengthen
speakers‟ ideas, and be appropriate to the audience and occasion (Lucas, 2004).
Briefly, if speakers use gestures and eye contact appropriately, their message will be
enhanced.
In public speaking, the question-and-answer period is a common session.
Relying on the situation, this part can take place throughout the presentation or until
the speaker has finished his or her remarks (Lucas, 2004). The speaker has to prepare
well for this session because speakers can enhance their credibility and make a good
effect for their speech if they handle the questions well. In contrast, the situation will
be opposite if speakers avoid the question or show that they feel the question is
annoying. The speaker can handle the question well thanks to anticipation for the
likely questions, preparation for those questions as well as delivering practice.
2.2 Difficulties in making presentations
When making presentations, students may have to encounter a wide range of
difficulties which fall into 3 main categories: linguistic knowledge, presentational
skills and psychological factors (Lewkowicz & Cooley, 1998), (Graham & Walsh,
9


n.d), (Le, 2006), (Avery & Ehrlich, 1998), (Tong, 2009), (van Emden & Becker,
2004), (Woodrow & Chapman, 2006), (Tanveer, 2007), (Spolsky, 1998), and (Turk,
1996).
2.2.1 Linguistic knowledge
Regarding linguistic knowledge, learners have difficulties with grammar,
vocabulary and pronunciation when learning English (Graham & Walsh, n.d), (Le,
2006), and (Avery & Ehrlich, 1998).
According to Graham and Walsh (n.d), there are some major problems that ESL
students have with grammar. First, students often have difficulties with word order.

They usually make sentences that seem to be strange to the native speakers due to
wrong word order. In fact, word order is more important in English than in other
language according to these authors. Second, verbs also cause difficulties to learners.
Besides, learners have difficulties with prepositions and nouns.
In addition to grammar, Vietnamese ESL learners may have difficulties with
vocabulary. In English there are a large number of phrasal verbs which are commonly
used. In other languages including Vietnamese, however, a single specific word is
used in place of the English phrasal verb (Le, 2006). Accordingly, this difference
might cause Vietnamese learners problems in using English.
Besides, pronunciation is problematic to Vietnamese learners. The differences
between sound systems of English and Vietnamese result in learners‟ difficulty in
pronouncing English words. According to Avery and Ehrlich (1998), there are a
number of difficulties that Vietnamese speakers have to face in pronouncing English
words. First of all, they have difficulties with consonants, namely voiceless stop
consonants in final position, voiced stops at the end of words, fricatives in word-final
position, and consonant clusters (both in initial and final position). Second, they have
difficulties with English vowels. Third, some specific English sounds may cause them
difficulties. Lastly, stress, rhythm and intonation seem to be troublesome to these
learners. For example, they find it difficult to produce multi-syllable words with
appropriate stress patterns. In fact, word stress, sentence stress and intonation play
important roles in comprehension (Buck, 2001). Additionally, Vietnamese learners do
not link words due to the habit of omitting the consonants at the final position of the
word.

10


2.2.2 Presentational skills
Many students have difficulties in making presentations due to lack of
presentational skills, such as organizational skills, empathy for the audience and poor

use of visual aids, nonverbal communication and use of voice.
Lewkowicz and Cooley (1998) showed that many students lacked such
presentation skills as organizational skills, lack of empathy for the audience and poor
use of visual aids. In other words, lack of knowledge of organizing a speech troubles
students when they speak in public. Besides, speakers are expected to understand their
audience. Speakers need to know about the audience‟s interest, knowledge and
attitudes toward what they will inform, for example. Furthermore, using effectively
visual aids (i.e. posters, pictures) helps enhances the speaker‟s message, but not many
students are keen on this useful technique.
Speaking in public requires the speaker to master communication skills,
especially nonverbal communication. The reason is that presenters employ body
language to convey information when speaking to the audience (Linus, 2003).
Nevertheless, speakers meet a wide range of difficulties with this kind of
communication skills, such as gestures and eye contact. In a research of Tong (2009)
on students‟ difficulties in making presentations, teachers who were the participants of
the research indicated that lack of presentation skills is one of difficulties facing
students. Students could not make eye contact with the audience during their
presentation, for instance. Furthermore, those students could not use their body
language like postures or hand gestures effectively; they just act as statues in front of
the audience. In regard to gestures, Galvin, Cooper and Gordon (1994), also argue that
novice speakers often find it difficult to use their hand effectively.
One further aspect that speakers need to deal with when speaking in front of the
audience is their voice. Linus (2003) suggests that speaker‟s voice plays an important
role in public speaking. Consequently, lacking skills of using voice causes speakers
several problems. According to van Emden and Becker (2004), when speakers have
not been able to remember what they are going to say next, many of them use
vocalized pauses, such as “um‟, „er” to fill in the silence. These problem pauses
impede the message that the speaker aims to convey because the listeners will be
distracted (Galvin, Cooper & Gordon, 1994). They can realize that the speaker has got
a problem (van Emden & Becker, 2004).

11


2.2.3 Psychological factors
One of the difficulties that learners have in public speaking is to experience
anxiety. Some research has been conducted on learners‟ public speaking anxiety.
Woodrow and Chapman (2006) did research into second language speaking anxiety of
learners of English for Academic Purposes (ESP) in Australia. The findings of the
study revealed that among the stressors influencing on students‟ peaking, making oral
presentations was ranked at the second position, preceded by performing in front of
others. Another researcher, Tanveer (2007), also explored factors causing language
anxiety for ESL/EFL learners in learning speaking skills. According to the results of
this study, linguistic difficulties, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary were
linguistic factors affecting learners‟ speaking skills. Especially, the finding indicated
that making a presentation in front of the class was also stressful for students, which is
similar to the finding of Woodrow and Chapman (2006).
Not only ESL learners but also native speakers experience anxiety in speaking in
public. Lucas (2004) shows that in a survey conducted in 1973 in American, more
than 2500 people were asked to list their greatest fears. The result was surprising
because the largest number of the subjects (41%) considered speaking in front of a
group as one of their greatest fears. In recent study, researchers also asked people to
list their greatest fears. Giving a speech was ranked at the second position (70%),
which was preceded by fear of a party with strangers.
Regarding anxiety, several researchers mention difficulties that anxiety causes
learners. Spolsky (1998) argues that learners usually experience anxiety when they
speak or listen, and difficulty in speaking is considered as the most common problem
that troubles anxious learners. Likewise, Turk (1996) points out that nervousness is
considered to be the biggest problem that most inexperienced speakers encounter.
There are several reasons for learners‟ anxiety. The first reason is that they fear
that they may make mistakes or errors in front of others. One additional cause is that

they worry about the evaluation of the others; learners want to save their positive
image or impression in the mind of their teacher and peers (Tanveer, 2007).
2.3 Related studies
With reference to difficulties in making presentations, there are 2 researches
that were conducted. The first one was conducted by Kavaliauskiené (2005). It aimed
12


to investigate attitudes of students at the Faculty of Social Work of Mykolas Romeris
University towards making presentations and difficulties hindering those students in
public speaking. The study also aimed to evaluate learners‟ strengths and weaknesses
in giving presentations. A questionnaire on students‟ views on and difficulties in
making presentations was employed. She also analyzed students‟ strengths and
weaknesses in public speaking based on the observation of students‟ performance
throughout their academic year. The 60 participants of the study were first and second
year day-time students. The results revealed that over half of the students (64%)
claimed that they liked making presentations. Data on the questionnaire also showed
that the participants encountered a wide range of difficulties, such as worrying about
question time and evaluation mark. The most serious problems of students in
preparing presentations were selecting information and memorizing the content of the
presentation, whereas fear of public speaking (54%) was the most important problem
in delivering a presentation.
Difficulties in giving presentations were deeper explored in a quantitative and
qualitative study of Tong (2009). The purposes of the research were to investigate the
perceptions of students towards making ESP presentations and to indicate hindrances
that might trouble students in giving ESP presentations. The participants consisted of
100 second-year students from two randomly chosen classes and 2 teachers of ESP
subject of these classes. Questionnaires and semi-structure interviews were employed.
The results showed students‟ mixed attitudes towards making presentations in ESP
lessons and their strong awareness of gains through making ESP presentations. The

findings of her study also indicated that there were a wide range of difficulties when
the participants prepared, rehearsed and delivered the presentations, such as grammar,
lack of time to rehearse and pronunciation. The most prominent hindrances were
searching for relevant materials (nearly 50% of the students agreed); selecting
presentation form, which troubled over half of the respondents; memorizing the
content of the presentation and lack presentation skills which challenged 52% and
55% of the students respectively.
The research of these researchers shared some similarities. First, both of the
researchers, attempted to explore learners‟ difficulties in making presentations,
namely in preparation and delivery stage. The results of their studies indicated that
students encountered a number of difficulties. For instance, students had to experience
difficulties in selecting information, memorizing the content of the presentation; the
13


participants also lacked presentation skills. Second, participants in their research were
English for Specific Purposes students; in Kavaliauskiené‟s study the respondents
(100 students) were first and second-year students at the Faculty of Social Work,
Mykolas Romeris University, and 100 second-year students in the research of Tong
were from the College of Technology, Vietnam National University.
Nevertheless, there are some differences between studies of Kavaliauskiené
and Tong. Firstly, the methods that they employ to collect the data were different.
Kavaliauskiené used only quantitative approach (questionnaires) to collect the data,
whereas Tong used not only quantitative but also qualitative method (questionnaires
and interviews). Secondly, the ways they grouped difficulties in making presentations
were different. Tong divided difficulties into four main groups: preparing the content
of the presentation, choosing the presentation form, rehearsing the presentation, and
delivering the presentation. However, in Kavaliauskiené‟s study, rehearsing the
presentation was included in the presentation stage, and this researcher excluded
difficulties in choosing the presentation form in her research.

In conclusion, regardless of different research methods, the results of studies on
students‟ difficulties in making presentations provide a number of problems that
students had to encounter. Additionally, the above researches are closely related to the
present one for 2 main reasons. First, the researcher categorizes difficulties in making
presentations basing on the classifications in previous studies. In Kavaliauskiené‟s
research, the issues fall into 2 groups: learners‟ difficulties in preparing the
presentations and learners‟ difficulties in delivering the presentations, whereas Tong
mentions 4 categories: difficulties in preparing the presentation contents, difficulties
in preparing the presentation form, difficulties in rehearsing the presentation,
difficulties in delivering the presentation. In this study, the issues are classified into 4
clusters: (a) difficulties in preparing the presentations, (b) difficulties in rehearsing the
presentation, (c) difficulties in delivering the presentation, (d) difficulties in using
visual aids. Second, to identify students‟ difficulties in making presentations, the
researcher employs questionnaire from Tong‟s research, but there are some
adaptations to suit the study.

14


CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this chapter, research design, participants, research instruments, and procedure
will be presented.
3.1 Research design
This study followed a descriptive design in which difficulties that students had
in making individual presentations were investigated. In order to collect the data, a
questionnaire on difficulties that participants may have when making individual
presentations and an interview on potential causes for the problems were employed.
3.2 Participants

63 second-year students majoring in English education were the participants in
this study. They have completed the courses of English Pronunciation in Practice 1
and 2; Listening/Speaking 1, 2 and 3. At present, they are taking the module of
Listening/Speaking 4. These students were chosen as participants on the basis of three
criteria.
Firstly, they have learned how to produce English sounds (i.e., consonants,
vowels, diphthongs, clusters), and have learned about English intonation. Knowledge
of English pronunciation is helpful and essential for students when they study in
Listening/Speaking classes.
Secondly, they have been trained in presentation skills and delivered individual
presentations in front of the audience. Thus, the students know how to prepare and
deliver a presentation, especially an individual presentation.
Lastly, all of these participants are students of English education because they
are trained as teachers of English whose job is involved in speaking in public and
requires good public speaking skills. Education is one of the career fields that make
heavy use of communicative skills (Quattrini, 1996). Hence, if the participants‟
difficulties are identified and analyzed, they can improve their presentation skills.
3.3 Research instruments
The instruments of the research consist of a questionnaire and an interview.

15


3.3.1. Questionnaire
The questionnaire was designed basing on the questionnaire of Tong (2009);
however, many items were adapted to suit the research. The questionnaire includes 21
items which is employed to investigate students‟ difficulties in making individual
presentations. The items of the questionnaire were grouped into 4 clusters: (a)
difficulties in preparing a presentation, (b) difficulties in rehearsing a presentation, (c)
difficulties in delivering a presentation, (d) difficulties in using visual aids. The items

of the questionnaire were arranged in a random order.
The questionnaire was designed using a five-point Likert scale. The
respondents had to rate the item on a scale from 1 to 5 corresponding to the degree
that they agree or disagree with each statement (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3
= undecided, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree).
Piloting the questionnaire
The first version of the questionnaire consisted of 30 items which were only
written in English. The pilot questionnaire was delivered to 57 second-year students
majoring in Translation and interpretation. 4 answered questionnaires were eliminated
because the respondents did not fully complete the questionnaire or checked two items
of the scale for the same statements. Then, Statistics Package for the Social Science
(SPSS) was employed to analyze the data. The result of the reliability test was not
high enough, the Cronbach‟s Alpha = .603
To enhance the result of the reliability test, the items of questionnaire were
revised. One item was rewritten so that they would be more comprehensible, and 3
items were deleted. The final number of items was 27 statements; the items were put
randomly. Especially, there was a Vietnamese version for the questionnaire to ensure
the comprehensiveness and avoid misunderstanding. The second pilot questionnaire
was delivered to 52 students. Data from the pilot questionnaire were analyzed by
SPSS program. After 6 items had been deleted, the Cronbach‟s Alpha was .706.
Revising the questionnaire
To improve the questionnaire, 6 items were eliminated and the items were
randomly arranged. Therefore, the final version of the questionnaire consisted of 21
items which belong to 4 categories and were presented both in English and in
Vietnamese. Table 3.1 will show how the questions were grouped:

16


Table 3.1 Items categorized in the questionnaire

Categories

Items

Difficulties in preparing the presentation

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Difficulties in rehearsing the presentation

5, 8, 14,

Difficulties in delivering the presentation

9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15,16, 19, 20

Difficulties in using visual aids in the

17, 18, 21

presentation
See appendix 1 for full questionnaire.
3.3.2. Interviews
Following the questionnaire, semi-open interviews were conducted. In this kind
of interviews, specific core questions are determined in advance so that the
interviewer can explore in-depth information. The interviewer probes according to the
way the interview proceeds and elaboration is allowed, within limits (Seliger &
Shohamy, 2000). Via the interviews, difficulties of the students in making individual
presentations were deeply analyzed. The purpose of the interviews is to confirm the
data; in particular, if the results from interviews match with those from the

questionnaire, the reliability of the results will be ensured. In the interviews, the
interviewees were asked about what difficulties they often have in making individual
presentations, particularly in the preparation, rehearsal, and deliver stage and the use
of visual aids. The interviews which were conducted in Vietnamese included
questions to find out causes of the interviewees‟ difficulties. The number of random
participants took part in the interviews were 12; they individually answered 3
questions from the researcher (for detailed interview questions, see appendix 2).
3.4 Procedures
3.4.1 Questionnaire administration procedures
The questionnaires were delivered in four classes. In each class, the instruction
was explained carefully in Vietnamese to the students so that they could know how to
do the questionnaire. Then, the researcher stayed in the classroom to help the students
if they needed. The respondents had about ten minutes to complete the 21 questions.
Finally, there were 63 questionnaires collected.

17


3.4.2 Interview procedures
The four questions used to interview were prepared, and the answers were
carefully noted down in a notebook. Twelve participants were randomly selected in
order to avoid bias. Then, the researcher met and interviewed them in person; each
interview lasted about ten minutes.

18