Cognitive Processes in Delivering Classroom Oral Presentation by High Performing EFL Pre-service Teachers

This study explores the cognitive processes that were experienced by EFL pre-service teachers during classroom oral presentations in an Indonesian context. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, three high-performing pre-service teachers from a local university in Riau were purposively selected as the participants. Data were collected through observations, questionnaires, and open-ended questions. Further, the data were analyzed thematically. The findings were grouped into three main themes: (1) pre-presentation stage, (2) during-presentation stage, and (3) post-presentation stage. In the pre-presentation stage, it was revealed that the students’ mind focused on content preparation, language performance, and anxiety management. Several strategies to get succeed were revealed such as rehearsing multiple times, visualization, and positive self-talk. During presentation stage, all of the students were thinking about getting engaged with the audience. They used both verbal strategies (i.e., rhetorical questions, storytelling, and humor) and non-verbal strategies (i.e., eye contact and gestures) during presentation. Meanwhile, in the post-presentation stage, the students were thinking about self-reflection (i.e. assessing pronunciation, fluency, and confidence). Future research could investigate research that includes diverse population, research instruments, technology-related presentation aids, or longitudinal designs that investigate the students’ presentation skills development over time.