A Multimodal Intervention for Enhancing English Oral Communication Skills Among Non-English Majors in an EFL Context

This study investigated changes in English oral communication among Chinese non-English-major undergraduates following a 10-week study incorporating 8 weeks of multimodal instruction and explored students’ perceptions of its benefits and challenges. Thirty-two first-year students enrolled in a compulsory English Listening and Speaking course completed digital storytelling, multimedia-supported group presentations, visually prompted impromptu speaking tasks, and video- and picture-based role-plays. The intervention was grounded in social constructivism and multimedia/multimodal learning perspectives, with Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) serving as a supporting design lens. The study employed a convergent mixed-methods design with a one-group pretest–posttest component. Quantitative data were collected using the English Oral Communication Ability Test, independently scored by three calibrated and blinded raters. Qualitative data came from students’ reflective journals, instructor journals, and a semi-structured group interview. Overall oral performance increased significantly from pretest ( M  = 14.79, SD  = 2.20) to posttest ( M  = 16.03, SD  = 1.64), with a mean difference of 1.24, 95% CI [0.55, 1.93], t (31) = 3.67, p  < .001, and Cohen’s dz  = 0.65. Component-level analyses showed the strongest gain in comprehension, followed by vocabulary, with smaller significant gains in fluency and pronunciation, whereas grammar showed no significant improvement. Qualitative findings indicated that the tasks supported comprehension, vocabulary use, confidence, motivation, persistence, and willingness to participate. Students nevertheless reported linguistic difficulties, technological constraints, and cognitive and affective pressures. The findings suggest that multimodal instruction can support meaning-oriented oral development and learner engagement when technological resources align with pedagogical goals and are accompanied by explicit form-focused instruction, carefully sequenced scaffolding, and equitable access to resources.