Unspoken Battle: Lived Experiences of College Students on Oral Communication

Education

Oral communication is critical for academic and professional success, yet many public senior high school graduates enter college underprepared for speaking tasks. This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of ten first-year students at Colegio de Nabunturan. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, key challenges identified included limited high-school exposure to speaking activities, communication anxiety, fear of judgment, low confidence, and linguistic gaps. Students coped through self-practice, reading, peer support, and emotion-regulation techniques. Preparation and topic familiarity predicted better performance. Participants reported progress over time, improved pacing, confidence, and willingness to participate, when given repeated, supportive opportunities. An intervention was developed consisting of an Institutional Public Speaking Club with peer mentoring and syllabus-embedded low-stakes speaking tasks integrated with Speech Laboratory sessions. The program aims to normalize practice, reduce anxiety, and scaffold technical skills through frequent rehearsal and feedback. The study calls for inclusive, institution-wide support to bridge the preparedness gap and enhance students’ communicative readiness.

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