From Communication to Confidence: Evaluating the Effectiveness of a National-Level Online Language Development Programme for Undergraduate Students

Communication skills have emerged as one of the most essential competencies for undergraduate students in the twenty-first century. In addition to academic knowledge, employers increasingly expect graduates to possess effective communication abilities, interpersonal skills, confidence, and the capacity to express ideas clearly. However, many undergraduate students, particularly those from regional language backgrounds, experience difficulties in speaking English confidently due to limited exposure, fear of making mistakes, inadequate vocabulary, pronunciation challenges, and communication anxiety. To address these challenges, the Department of English of a private degree college organised a one-week National-Level Online Language Development Programme (LDP) titled “From Communication to Confidence.” The programme aimed to enhance students’ oral communication abilities through interactive sessions focusing on verbal and non-verbal communication, pronunciation, vocabulary development, sentence construction, listening skills, confidence building, and professional communication. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of the programme in improving students’ communication competence and self-confidence. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Data were collected from undergraduate participants through a structured feedback questionnaire administered after the completion of the programme. The questionnaire examined students’ perceptions regarding improvement in speaking confidence, vocabulary, pronunciation, classroom participation, and readiness for academic and professional communication. The collected data will be analysed using descriptive statistical techniques such as frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviation. The study is expected to reveal that structured online language development programmes can positively influence students’ communication confidence, reduce communication anxiety, and encourage active participation. The study highlights the importance of integrating short-term communication skill enhancement programmes into undergraduate education. Such initiatives can bridge the gap between theoretical language knowledge and practical communication ability, thereby contributing to students’ academic growth, employability, and lifelong learning.