The effect of in-class and one-on-one video feedback on EFL learners’ English public speaking competency and anxiety

Abstract

Video feedback (VF) is a useful learning technique in acquiring public speaking skills due to its capacity to retain both verbal and non-verbal elements of multimodal communication. Previous research has focused on video self-critique, peer VF, online feedback, or one-on-one VF in the first language (L1) context and has yielded varied results regarding the impact of VF on public speaking competence and anxiety. Therefore, this quasi-experimental classroom-based study compared the impact of the one-on-one VF and in-class VF on public speaking competency and anxiety of learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Three intact university-level English classes in China (n = 74) were assigned to the three conditions (in-class VF, one-on-one VF, and verbal feedback). Data on students’ speaking competence were validated using many-facet Rasch measurement (MFRM). Subsequent gain score analysis and ANCOVA showed that in-class VF significantly improved students’ delivery skill and global competence and reduced their speaking anxiety compared with the verbal feedback group. It is proposed that in-class VF be employed as an instructional procedure to help EFL learners improve their public speaking skills and reduce their public speaking anxiety, particularly in the teaching context of a large class size together with comparatively limited logistic and teaching resources.