The Impact of Online English Video Presentation Activity on University Students' English Proficiency

Objectives This research aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of the English video presentation activities on university student learning.
Methods The study involved 27 students, all of whom were enrolled in a general English course at a university in Gyeonggi-do. As part of their class requirements, they were required to prepare and deliver presentations, and were given the opportunity to participate in two surveys, pre- and post-surveys, the purpose of which was to assess any changes in English performance and attitude as a result of the video presentation activity. The survey targeted level of confidence, interest, anxiety, sense of achievement, English fluency, improvement in video production skills, and willingness to share their presentation videos with fellow classmates. In addition, in order to measure the students’ degree of improvement in English proficiency through the semester, two video presentations were prepared and delivered, one in week 8, as part of their midterm exam, and another in week 15, as part of their final exam. These two presentations were collected and evaluated by three raters based on the five criteria (vocabulary, fluency, grammar, pronunciation, and organization).
Results The students experienced an increase in confidence levels and revealed greater flexibility. They also showed improvement in their video production skills at the end of the semester compared to the beginning.
Moreover, they manifested a greater willingness to share their presentation videos with their fellow students (t=-4.287, p=0.00). The average score of the mid-term video presentation exam was 15.9 out of 25 and the aver age score of the final video presentation exam was 18.6 points. Taking each evaluation criteria in consideration, it is clear that the students' English language ability improved. In terms of their choice of vocabulary, fluency, and pronunciation, there was a slight improvement. However, in terms of the structure and content, and their overall performance through the presentation process, there was a significant improvement (t=-2.434, p=0.17).
Conclusions The English video presentation activity benefited the students considerably. It helped relieve the anxiety they previously had toward English presentations. It also boosted their confidence and enhanced their English proficiency and presentation skills in general.