Presenting complex ideas in English is an essential skill both academically and professionally, and non-native speakers often face higher cognitive load than their counterpart. However, presentations are not only about public speaking; they require participation and engagement from the audience to be successful. To improve their English presentation skills, 23 college students in Taiwan underwent comprehensive training that combined verbal and visual communication strategies to increase interactivity with their audience. The training also taught them to use technology tools effectively to enhance their presentations. The study analyzed data from entry-exit surveys and presentation footages. The results indicated that the students' awareness of the qualities required for a successful English presentation increased significantly. Their confidence and application of participative strategies became more prominent. The students' creativity, aesthetics, consciousness of audience, and imagery-expression also improved holistically as their verbal communication skills improved.

The effectiveness of the multimodal training approach, which incorporated innovative techniques in teaching English presentation skills to college-level learners, was confirmed by the results. The students were able to familiarize themselves with different technology tools and learn to choose the appropriate tool based on presentation content and objectives. The study demonstrated the necessity of including verbal-visual communication and communication strategies in English presentation training. Overall, the study highlights the importance of combining verbal and visual communication strategies to improve English presentation skills and using multimedia tools to engage audience.

Authors:
Wen-Chun Chen, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Wen-Chun Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature and TEFL Program at National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. Her specialties are CALL, teacher professional development, EMI and ESP.

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