Abstract

This paper presents the qualitative analysis of the students’ experiences in giving oral presentation in the ESP classroom. It is claimed that oral presentationis an important skill for engineering students to acquire.This is a learned skill and one that is frequently called upon in the workplace. Students’ oral presentation in the classroom, therefore, is considered an important element in gaining positive learning experiences.The main purpose of this study is to find out the importance of oral presentation skills for undergraduate students. This study was conducted among 31 Polytechnic students whose study background is engineering. Utilizing a qualitative method of enquiry, data were obtained through questionnaires and interviews. Research findings reveal that most of the students perceive the importance of oral presentation skills.They also gain the wider range of communication skills especially in giving technical explanations on product design or manufacturing processes. The study concludes that the students are aware of the importance of oral presentations in the classroom, and how they are interested in developing the communicative classroom.This study recommends that as oral presentation brings positive learning experiences, this activity should be given regularly to students. It is hoped that it can motivate the students to improve their communication skills.

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