Team Presentations in the Engineering Classroom: Challenges and Strategies

Constructive and productive team presentations are an essential part of academic and professional success. However, second language (L2) learners of a language tend to face various difficulties when participating in team presentations. This research investigates into the major challenges that L2 learners of English experience during team presentations, and the speaking strategies they use to overcome the challenges. The study also includes the most effective interventions educators need to implement to support the L2 learners. The participants of the study are 136 undergraduate L2 learners of English from two classes of Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar (SSN) College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, selected through convenience sampling. The data was gathered using classroom observations and recorded-video-presentations. With the aid of a thematic analysis, four areas of challenges were determined: cognitive, psychological, performance-related, and linguistic. To redress these challenges, the learners used strategies such as making notes, relying on memory and recall, and focusing on other key points. Recording and storing team presentations on YouTube turned out to be the digital solution that improved student performances and instructional practices. The investigation focuses on the requirement for technology-driven and target-oriented instructional interventions to boost the confidence and competence of L2 learners during team presentations.