AMBO UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON; ASSESSING CHALLENGES OF STUDENTS FACE
DURING ORAL PRESENTATION: THE CASE OF THIRD YEAR ENGLISH LANGUAGE
AND LITERATURE STUDENTS SECTION ONE AT AMBO UNIVERSITY IN 2016 E.C

By: ASHENAFI ADUGNA …………………UGR/ 61447/14

SUBMITTED TO:- Dr HABTAMU

APRIL, 2024 G.C

AMBO, ETHIOPIA

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 Pages

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………….....…… i

CHAPTER ONE……………………………………………………… ………..............1

1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………...............1

1.1 Background of the Study……………………….....……………………….……...1

1.2 Statement of the study…………………………………..………………………...2
1.3 Research question…………………………………………………………............2
1.4 Objective of the study………………………………………………………..……3
1.5 Significance of the study …………………………………………………,,…..…3
1.6 Limitation of the study …………………………………………….………..……3
1.7 Delimitation of the study (scope)………………………….…….…………….….7

CHAPTER TWO……………………………………………………………….....…..…….7

2. Review of Related Literature…………………………………………….……..……….7

2.1 Definition of Public Speaking (oral presentation)……..………………………………7

2.2 Types of public Speaking………………………………………………………………8

2.2.1 Speech to Inform………………………………………………………….………….8

2.2.1.1 Speeches about Objects…………………………………………….………..…….8

2.2.1.2 Speeches about Processes………………………………………………..………..8

2.2.1.3 Speeches about Events………………………………………………………..…..8

2.2.1.4 Speeches about Concepts…………………………………….…………………..9

2.2.2 Speech to persuade……………………………………………………………....…9

2.2.2.1Speech to Influence Thinking………...............................…………………….........9

2.2.2.2 Speech to Motivate Action…………………………………….…………….……10

2.3 Factors that affects the students speaking………………………………………...….10

2.3.1 Stage fright……………………………………………………………………..…..10

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2.3.2 Nervousness……………………………………………………......…………….....10

2.3.3 Perception towards oral presentation……………………...….... …. ................10

2.3.4 Foreign language anxiety in oral expression………………….......…......……..11

2.3.5 Lack of motivation………………………………………………………..……12

2.3.6 Lack of eye contacts…………………………………………………………....12

Chapter Three……………………………………………………………….............12

3. Research Methodology……………………………………………………...…....13

3.1 Research Design……………………………………………………………….…13

3.2 Population of the study………………………………………………………..…13

3.3 Data sources…………………………….....…...….……..................................…14

3.4 Techniques and Sample size……………………………………….............……14

3.5 Data Gathering Tools……………………………………………….....................14

3.6 Data Collection procedures…………………………………………….......……14

3.7 Data Analysis..............................................................................………….......14

3.8 Budget and Work Plan of the Research........................................…………...15

3.9 Estimate Cost.............................................. ..............................……………. ..15

3.10 Time Schedule of Research...................................................………….........15

References.............................................................................................……………16

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Chapter One

1.Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

In spite of a technology driven society the ability to communicate orally assessment, the end of
term examination of knowledge has traditionally taken the form of written essays in higher
education. While moving away from an exclusive reliance on one form of assessment, learning
has evolved as the result of many factors. First, students need, in addition to academic growth, to
be equipped for the world of work through the development of sufficient skills such as
communication, for which alternative forms of assessment are required. Second, students need to
experience a variety of assessment methods that take account of their different learning styles
and that allow them to demonstrate assessing proficiency in communication is through oral
presentations. (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2006; Irvine, 2012)

Oral presentation, according to King (2002), is that, the planned and practiced presentation is not
being memorized or read from the notes; a presenter to an audience introduced it.

1.2 Statement of the problem

From my experience as students spend most of their time doing grammar and vocabulary
exercises instead of practicing oral presentations. Promoting oral communication skills, which
require student’s effort to practice in real life situations. One of the distinct characteristics of
progressive education, the communicative language teaching classroom, and the students
centered approach is the roles played by teachers and students, which are entirely different from
and contradictory to what the traditional methods called for and emphasized decades ago.
Limited literature has been published thus far about oral presentations in the English language
classroom (king 2002; Otoshi & Heffernen, 2008; Schcolnik & Kol, 1999; Webster, 2002), and

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these writers chose to focus on discussing certain theoretical and practical aspects pertaining to
oral presentation in the EFL classroom. .

1.3 Objective of the study

1.3.1 General objective of the study

The main objective or the general objectives of the study are to surveying the challenges,
difficulties of the students facing during classroom oral presentation.

1.3.2 Specific objective of the study

Specifically the objectives of the study are :

 To identify the problems that students facing during classroom oral presentation.
 To identify the students’ perception of the importance of oral presentation.
 To suggest possible solutions based on the result of the study factors influencing the
effective presentation.

1.4 Research questions

This study will attempt to answer the following two research questions:

 What are the major problems students face during oral presentations?

 Why do the students fear while delivering oral students ion?

1.5 Significance of the study

The finding of this research will be hopefully:

 Build the confidence of the students
 Initiate others researchers to study more of on the skills of students deeply and
 Gives highlight about challenges or difficulties that students face during oral
presentation.

1.6 Limitation of the study

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Conducting study with a specific sample size is very important in that it incorporates much
information and helps to dig the problem in depth. Due to shortage of time and delay of the
course research methodology, the researcher will limit to collecting data and conduct the
research at Ambo University third year English Language and literature students.

1.7 Delimitation of the study (scope)

The study is concerns only challenges, difficulties that third year English Language students face
during oral presentation. These challenges includes, all English majoring students, but the study
will be concern only to the challenges that third year English department students facing during
oral presentation.

CHAPTER TWO

2.REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Definition of public speaking (oral presentation)

A definition of oral presentation is very clear. Oral presentation is the kind of speech that the
people can deliver their speech through different mechanisms. An oral presentation is a form of
assessment that teachers frequently use in the classroom, (Lucas, 1998).

2.2 Types of public speaking

There are many ways to classify public speeches, however here I only focused on the two basic
types of public speeches, (1) speech to inform (informative speech) (2) speech to persuade
(persuasive speeches). Because it is the most likely at the school speeches class (Lucas, 1998).

2.2.1 Speech to inform

According to Lucas (1998), speeches to inform are categorized under the type of informative
speeches. On informative speeches there are four kinds of speeches that are really concerned
with the speech to inform: (1) Speeches about objects, (2) speeches about processes, (3) speeches
about events, and (4) speeches about concepts.

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 2.2.1.1 Speeches about objects

As the word used here, objects include anything that is visible, tangible and stable inform. In
addition, when we make a speech about objects, we need to choose a specific purpose that
focuses on the aspects of our subjects and our specific purpose should put in a chronological
order (Gregory, 1999).

2.2.1.2 Speeches about processes

Speeches about process explain how something is made, how something is done or how is
something works. When informing about a process, you will usually arrange your speech in
chronological order, you will usually explaining the process gradually from beginning to the end
(Lucas, 1998).

2.2.1.3 Speeches about events

According to Gamble (1999), when we speak about events as usual we will need to narrow our
focus on the specific purpose that we can accomplish in short speech. There are other ways to
deal with an event besides telling what happened or why it happened.

2.2.1.4 Speeches about concepts

Concepts include beliefs, theory, idea, notion, principle and the like. They are more complex
than the objects, processes and events. Because its focuses on the theory and concepts of you are
dealing with, identify its major elements, and illustrate it with specific examples (Lucas, 1998).

2.2.2 Speech to persuade

Speech to persuade is a persuasive speech that can be categorized in a variety of ways. One
handy scheme labels them according to two main objectives: (1) to influence thinking and (2) to
motivate action. Sometimes these two categories overlap because you have to influence before
you can motivate action (Gregory, 1999).

2.2.2.1 Speech to influence thinking

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According to Gregory (1999), an oral presentation aimed at winning intellectual as sent for a
concept or position. If some listeners agree with your idea even before you speak, your job is to
reinforce what they already think.

2.2.2.2 Speech to motivate action

An oral presentation is that tries to win listeners to take an action over your way of thinking.
However, it also attempts one of the most challenging tasks that of persuasion are getting people
to take action (Lucas, 1998).

2.3 Factors that affects the students speaking

There are several kinds of factors that hinder the good speaking or presentation of students. From
those factors, I will focus on the major factors the factors are stage fright, nervousness,
perception towards oral presentation, and so on.

2.3.1 Stage fright

It is the anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an audience. It’s also one of the
major concerns of students in any speech class, (Lucas 1998).

2.3.2 Nervousness

Actually, most people tend to be anxious before doing something important in public or in other
institutions. All people have faced these problems, but the ones who succeed have learned to use
their nervousness to their advantage. It means that there is a positive nervousness, which is
helpful when we control it and it will help energize a speaker for her or his presentation (Lucas,
1998).

2.3.3 Perception towards oral presentation

The students’ perception according to Gregory (1999), towards the public speaking is almost
negative in the classroom. Most researchers are very curious to find out the students attitudes and

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perceptions towards oral presentation. Wolf (2008) found that students reporting audience
reactions as unpleasant experience in oral presentations.

2.3.4 Foreign language anxiety in oral expression

The anxiety (fear) of the foreign language at oral presentation can affect the performance of the
presenters. Moreover, the presenter will fear that if he does not know the language that he speaks
about. Moreover, the speaker must use the correct grammar and have to use the simple words to
make his presentation quite effective, (Lucas, 1998).

2.3.5 Lack of motivation

Their instructors during on their presentation should motivate the students. The motivation can
be internal or external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually
interested and committed to a job, role or subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal. The
students should be motivated through intrinsically and extrinsically (Harmer 1991).

2.3.6 Lack of eye contacts

According to Lucas (1998), the eyeball itself expresses no emotion. However, by manipulating
the eye ball and the areas of the face around especially the upper eyelids and the eyebrows are
able to convey an intricate array of non-verbal messages.

CHAPTER THREE

3 Research Design and Methodology

This section deals with the subjects and samples of the study, data gathering methods, data
collection procedures, and data analysis techniques. The researcher used different kinds methods
to conduct the research on challenges that third year English majoring students face.

3.1 Research Design

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 In this study the researcher will be used qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to
analyze the collected data from different sources. Qualitative data is the use of words to collect,
analysis and interpreted data and the information will be further described verbally. While
quantitative data is the use of number to collect analyze and interpreted data and statically
information will be interpreted in numerical or percentile techniques.

3.2 Population of this study

This population of study is third year English language and literature found in Ambo University.
moreover,the researcher will be selected the entire students who are 19 in number.The researcher
will select all third year English language and literature.

3.3 Data Sources

The data for the study will be collected from third year department of English language and
literature Ambo University students.

3.4 Techniques and Sample Size

There are 19 students in the department, and the researcher will use all of them for the required
data or information. However, the researcher will use 10 of them for the reason of credibility of
the respondent’s responses.

3.5 Data Gathering Tools

Questionnaire and face-to-face interview were employed in the study to collect the required
information. Questionnaire will be employed to collect data from the department’s students:
interview will be conducted to collect data from students of the department. For the students’
interview, the researcher will select three students randomly from the class.

3.6 Data Collection Procedure

The researcher will go to the class to ask their participation in the classroom. After collecting the
required data from the above-mentioned group by employed different data gathering tools, then
the researcher then organize the data and give analysis based on the given information.

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3.7 Data Analysis Techniques

After gathering the required data then the researcher will organize the data and give analysis by
using different kinds of data analysis methods based on the gathered information. After give the
recommendation , the researcher will figure out the possible solution and suggestion on the
recommendation.

3.8 Budget and Work plan of Research

3.9 Estimate cost

Number Items Quantity Unit price Total price

1 Pen 3 25 75

2 Paper 2packed 2 250

3 Pencil 1 15 15

4 Flash 1 400 400

5 Ruler 1 20 20

6 Printing 20 4 80
paper

References

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1. A.Wolf, (2008), foreign language classroom anxiety; prentice Hall, Eaglewood cliffs,
New Jersey.
2. AL-Issa, 2006a, 2006b), taking the floor: oral presentation in the classroom; Asian
Journal of English Language Teaching.
3. George Joughin (2007), Techniques and principle in language Teaching, UK national text
book company
4. Hamilton Gregory,(1999), public speaking for college and Careers; London, mcgraw –
hill companies
5. Harmer, J, (1991) the practice of English language, London and New York Longman.
6. J.Galvin,(1999), The Basics of speech: learning to be competent:
7. King, J. (2002), Preparing EFL learners for an oral presentations, Internet TESL journal
8. King,(2002); Otoshi & Heffernen,2008; Schcolik & Kol,1999; Webster,2002),preparing
EFL students for oral presentation; U.S.A
9. M. Gambel, (1999), Public Speaking Today U.S.A National textbook company.
10. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education,(2006; Irvine, 2012)
11. Stephen E. Lucas, (1998), the art of public speaking; University of Wisconsin Madison
U.S.A.

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