Linguistic and Paralinguistic Affective Factors in Assessing Students’ Oral Presentations

Abstract

This study explored how college teachers evaluate their students’ oral presentations, the criteria they use for assessment and their overall impressions. Adopting a case study approach for this purpose, a sample comprising four English teachers from three different colleges was selected to assess both extempore speeches and group discussions of students. Key findings indicated that teachers consider, in their evaluation, both linguistic elements such as grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, as well as the content and relevance of the topics of the presentations. They also evaluated paralinguistic features: body language, energy, passion, and sincerity of the presentation. This highlights the significance of non-verbal communication. The teacher-evaluators believe that both the linguistic and paralinguistic features of oral presentation assessment provide a more holistic evaluation approach to oral presentation. The approach ensures that various aspects of effective communication are recognized and rewarded in the assessment. Given these findings, this holistic assessment method not only fosters students' linguistic proficiency but also emphasizes the importance of non-verbal cues in effective communication, ultimately contributing to their overall presentation skills. It follows from this that clear presentations and confidence demonstrate thorough preparation and engagement with the audience.