A Qualitative Analysis of How Pre-Recorded Presentations Affect Communication Competence Dimensions in Malaysian ESL Classrooms

Pre-recorded video presentations are increasingly used in the ESL classroom, yet their differential effects on specific communication competence dimensions remain underexplored. Grounded in Spitzberg and Cupach's (1984) communication competence model, this qualitative study examined how pre-recorded speech assessment impacts three communication competence dimensions: knowledge (content organisation and clarity), skills (verbal and non-verbal delivery), and motivation (confidence and engagement) among fifty-three Malaysian ESL university students. Data were collected via an open-ended online questionnaire and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the students’ reflections, namely (1) Reflective Learning and Self-Awareness, (2) Psychological Impacts, (3) Technical and Environmental Barriers and (4) Skill Development.
The findings indicated that these themes influenced the communication competence dimensions in different ways. Reflective Learning enhances knowledge and non-verbal delivery through self-observation and evaluation. Psychological impacts improved confidence through repeated practice but constrained verbal delivery due to camera anxiety. Technical and environmental barriers limited audience engagement, particularly through noise, recording conditions and video quality issues. Skill awareness motivated improvement across all dimensions by making students aware of specific problems. Overall, the findings reveal that the impact of pre-recorded assessments is dimension-specific rather than uniform. Rather than benefiting communication competence as a whole, pre-recorded assessments may strengthen certain dimensions while creating challenges in others. These findings provide Malaysian ESL educators with evidence-based insights for designing and implementing video-based speaking assessments aligned with specific communication learning outcomes.

ESL learners, communication competence, pre-recorded speeches, video-based assessment, informative speeches

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