Improving Presentation Skills in English Using an Asynchronous Teaching Method Based on Social Learning Theory

This preliminary study reports an empirical investigation of whether an asynchronous teaching method targeting presentation skills based on social learning theory will facilitate learners’ selfefficacy in English learning. The asynchronous teaching method applied in this study employed a mediational process with four stages: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Thirty female Japanese university students participated in a fourteen-week training. The group was divided into high and low groups according to the initial results of the English Self-efficacy Questionnaire developed by Matsunuma (2006). The results of the first week were compared with that of the fourteenth week. The analysis indicated no significant differences in the gain between the two groups. The results suggest that it is necessary to include a process for students to realize their growth through this training. Therefore, further study is necessary on how the asynchronous teaching method based on the social learning theory applied in this study should be modified to facilitate learners’ self-efficacy in English learning.