Non-Verbal Communication in Academic Presentations: Evidence from Engineering Technology Undergraduates

This study examines the role of non-verbal communication, particularly body language in enhancing audience engagement and overall impact during academic presentations.Data were collected from 100 first-year undergraduates enrolled in the English Language Skills Enhancement II module at a state university in Sri Lanka.Each participant delivered a 4-5 minute individual presentation as a part of course based assessment.Presentations were evaluated using a structured rubric assessing fluency, body language (eye contact, gestures, posture, facial expressions), audibility, clarity of voice, audience engagement and overall impact.Common nonverbal communication challenges were identified through systematic video-based observation.A purposive sub-sample of 30 presenters who achieved high fluency scores was selected to examine the relative influence of fluency and body language on audience engagement and overall impact.Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that body language was the strongest predictor of presentation effectiveness.While fluency contributed modestly to overall impact, it did not significantly predict audience interaction.These findings corroborate prior research emphasizing the role of kinesic behaviours such as gestures, posture, facial expressions and eye contact in sustaining attention, reinforcing verbal messages and fostering rapport.The study demonstrates that linguistic proficiency alone is insufficient for impactful communication and underscores the need for explicit instruction in nonverbal delivery strategies.