The aim of this study was to investigate students’ perceptions relating to making a presentation in English. Students were asked to complete a survey in advance of making a presentation and then they were asked to complete a similar survey after having made the presentation. The responses to the pre-survey and the post-survey were compared for evidence of changes in students’ perceptions before and after making the presentation, and also for evidence of differences in perceptions between students who had experience of international communication from having visited an English speaking country and those who had not. The results show that students rated the challenges involved in making a presentation in English as being more difficult in advance, and that overall, students who had visited an English speaking country were more inclined to rate presentation tasks as being less difficult. The study concludes that past experience of international communication has a positive effect on self-confidence.
English presentations
international communication
pre- and post-survey