Can asynchronous video-mediated oral book reports be the solution for foreign language speaking anxiety?

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of asynchronous video-mediated oral book report assignments to enhance learners' spoken performance and decrease their speaking anxiety. The participants were 42 B1 level preparatory students from the English Language Teaching department who were taking skills-based intensive English education in Turkey. The participants carried out extended speaking tasks in the form of oral book reports within two weeks over 12 weeks (6 oral book reports in total) in the fall term of the academic year 2021/2022. The assigned oral book report videos were analyzed in relation to five categories in the narration rubric, including scores for characters, setting, cohesion or transition, grammar, and pronunciation. In addition, two structured open-ended questionnaires were used to investigate the participants' perceptions of the task's value, their changing performance in the tasks, and perceived changes in their anxiety level over time. Semi-structured interviews were also held to shed more light on the potential of such assignments for language classes. The results indicated that regular video-mediated asynchronous oral book reports helped the participants develop their speaking performance and decrease their speaking anxiety over time. Overcoming time limitations, such assignments have the potential to be used in language classes where teachers can empower every voice.