Impact of Synchronous and Asynchronous Presentation Modes on Persuasive Speech Delivery in an English Language Course

This study examines the impact of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (pre-recorded) presentation modes on students’ persuasive speech performance and confidence in an online English proficiency course. Employing a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 51 university students through pre- and post-activity surveys, peer evaluations, and actual performance scores across six key assessment areas: language and vocabulary, grammar, fluency, pronunciation, engagement, and persuasiveness. The results indicate significant confidence gains across both presentation modes, with strong positive correlations between confidence and performance in engagement (r = 0.68, p = 0.002) and persuasiveness (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Asynchronous presentations proved particularly beneficial for fluency and pronunciation, as the ability to re-record and refine delivery contributed to more polished speech. Conversely, synchronous presentations fostered stronger audience engagement and persuasive impact, emphasizing the role of real-time interaction in dynamic speech adaptation. Despite overall confidence improvements, nervousness remained a challenge for live presentations, while maintaining energy and engagement posed difficulties in pre-recorded settings. These findings underscore the complementary strengths of both modes and suggest that a blended approach—integrating live and pre-recorded presentations—may be the most effective strategy for developing comprehensive persuasive speaking skills. The study provides pedagogical insights for curriculum design, emphasizing the need for targeted coaching, structured feedback, and multimodal presentation training to optimize students’ confidence and performance in persuasive speech delivery.