IREELL
Indonesian Review of English Education.
Linguistics, and Literature P-ISSN:3025-2369 I E-ISSN:3021-8101 https://jurnalfaktarbiyah.
id/index.
php/ireel/index Unveiling the Speaking Strategies of High-Achieving EFL Students: A Case Study on the Implementation of 'Aqeel & Chung' Framework Soviyah* Universitas Ahmad Dahlan soviyah@pbi.
Isna Rodiana Binti Munawaroh Universitas Ahmad Dahlan 2415004057@webmail.
ABSTRACT
High-achieving EFL students consistently outperform peers in oral assessments, yet the integrated strategic mechanisms underlying their success remain underexplored in the literature.
This study aims to identify, describe, and analyze the multidimensional public speaking strategies employed by top-performing students in an Advanced Speaking course.
A qualitative case study design was employed.
Four students from the English Education Department of a private university in Yogyakarta.
Indonesia, were selected through purposive sampling based on consistently high oral examination scores.
Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and observation of recorded presentations, and then analyzed through thematic coding cross-referenced with the Aqeel & Chung .
Findings reveal that high-achieving students operate through a coordinated, three-dimensional strategy system: .
Structure & Preparation .
cripting, outlining, strategic topic selection, and pre-dawn memorizatio.
Internal Regulation via the Three Cs .
ultivating awareness, collecting thoughts through strategic silent pausing, and calming nerve.
Vocal & Non-Verbal Delivery .
itch modulation, posture, eye contact, and audience redirectio.
Public speaking success among high-achieving EFL students is not incidental but emerges from deliberate, systemic, and self-regulated practices spanning pre-, during-, and post-performance phases.
These findings have direct implications for redesigning speaking pedagogy to incorporate metacognitive and selfregulatory training alongside conventional rhetorical instruction.
Keywords: advanced speaking.
English education department, high-achiever students, public speaking strategies, the three cs.
Copyright: A 2025 by Authors.
Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike 4.
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Introduction Public speaking is fundamentally an art of communication where a speaker strives to deliver a message to a group of listeners in both an engaging and accessible manner, ensuring a comfortable rapport between the speaker and the audience (Anggraeni et al.
, 2.
This rapport is not merely a social courtesy but a functional necessity in ensuring that the cognitive transfer of information occurs without distortion.
In todayAos academic environment, oral presentations have evolved into a crucial method for students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise, serving as a primary metric for assessing academic maturity.
However, the complexity of translating abstract thoughts into a coherent verbal stream remains a significant hurdle.
In todayAos academic environment, oral presentations are a crucial method for students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.
A lack of the necessary skills to deliver ideas effectively can undermine the entirety of the hard work put into a project (Ramasari & Ardayati, 2.
In the context of the Advanced Speaking class, these challenges become more apparent and high-stakes.
At this level, students are no longer judged solely on basic fluency, but are required to achieve a certain level of professionalism that mirrors real-world corporate or academic discourse.
The pressure to maintain rhetorical precision while navigating the spontaneous nature of live interaction often leads to heightened speech disfluencies.
Although numerous studies have discussed speaking anxiety in general, a research gap remains regarding the specific strategies implemented by high achievers to attain the highest scores in oral examinations.
While the existing body of literature has extensively documented the phenomenon of speaking anxiety in general, much of the previous research focuses on the "struggles" of low-performing students or general anxiety reduction For instance, recent studies have identified that speaking anxiety in EFL contexts is primarily influenced by factors such as fear of negative evaluation, low self-confidence, and limited linguistic competence (Dewaele, 2019.
Dornyei & Ryan, 2.
Similarly, communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation have been identified dominant among English learners (Taguchi et al.
, 2.
Other studies have also highlighted that classroom-related factors, such as lack of preparation and fear of Soviyah & Munawaro.
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peer judgment, significantly contribute to studentsAo speaking anxiety (Butler, 2.
addition, anxiety has been shown to negatively affect studentsAo performance in speaking tasks and examinations, reducing their confidence and ability to express ideas (Suzuki et al.
, 2.
Roihan and Soviyah .
explicitly noted this gap in their conference proceedings, observing that while general anxiety is well-documented, the nuanced behavioral and cognitive mechanisms that distinguish high achievers from average performers remain largely uncharted territory.
To address this gap, the present study focuses on four top-performing students enrolled in an Advanced Speaking course, examining how they integrate preparation, selfregulation, and delivery strategies to sustain communicative competence.
The theoretical lens applied is the practical framework proposed by Aqeel and Chung .
, which emphasizes structured preparation, strategic pausing, anxiety management, and effective delivery as core dimensions of public speaking proficiency.
Building on this framework, the researchers developed an Integrated Public Speaking Success Framework for High Achievers, conceptualizing excellence as the dynamic interaction of three primary dimensions: .
Structure & Preparation, .
Internal Regulation via the Three Cs (Cultivating Awareness.
Collecting Thoughts, and Calming Nerve.
, and .
Vocal and Non-Verbal Delivery.
Three research questions guide this inquiry.
The first concerns the preparatory dimension, specifically what structured and organizational strategies high-achieving EFL students employ prior to oral performance.
Building on this, the second question examines how these students implement the Three Cs framework such as cultivating awareness, collecting thoughts, and calming nerves, to regulate their cognitive and emotional states in real time during delivery.
The third question extends the inquiry to the performance surface, exploring how vocal and non-verbal communication strategies are deployed to sustain professional delivery and maintain audience engagement throughout the presentation.
Public speaking competence is a multidimensional construct encompassing linguistic accuracy, rhetorical organization, audience management, and psychological self-regulation (Bodie et al.
, 2020.
Lucas, 2.
Assessment of oral performance in academic contexts typically spans technical and psychological dimensions.
Technical evaluation covers vocal Soviyah & Munawaro.
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nflection, pitch, and volum.
, kinesthetic delivery .
osture and gestur.
, and the minimization of disfluencies such as vocalized fillers (Civitano, 2024.
Ranti et al.
, 2.
Psychological evaluation addresses self-confidence, communication apprehension, and anxiety management, all of which significantly mediate message clarity and audience perception (Demirda, 2022.
Kang et al.
, 2.
The kinesthetic dimension is particularly salient.
Janson .
conceptualizes upright posture as "kinesthetic authority," arguing that physical bearing functions as a strategic marker of speaker credibility.
Similarly, research consistently demonstrates that lower communication apprehension and higher self-efficacy are associated with greater fluency, coherence, and persuasive impact under evaluative conditions .
e Jong et al.
, 2.
Crucially, the ability to modulate anxiety in real time allows speakers to remain responsive to audience feedback, a capacity central to advanced communicative competence (Kang et al.
, 2.
Foreign language speaking anxiety remains one of the most extensively studied phenomena in applied linguistics (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2019.
Dyrnyei & Ryan, 2.
Key predictors include fear of negative evaluation, low self-confidence, and limited linguistic competence (Taguchi et al.
, 2.
Classroom-related factors such as inadequate preparation time and peer judgment, further exacerbate anxiety levels and negatively affect oral performance outcomes (Butler, 2021.
Suzuki et al.
, 2.
Communication apprehension has been shown to reduce a studentAos confidence in expressing ideas clearly, thereby undermining academic performance in speaking-intensive courses (Bodie et al.
, 2.
Critically, however, the majority of this literature focuses on identifying anxiety triggers and general mitigation strategies rather than on how elite performers transcend anxiety through proactive strategic This study addresses that imbalance.
The foundational applied framework for this study is drawn from Aqeel and Chung .
, who identify structured preparation, strategic pausing, anxiety regulation, and effective delivery as interdependent components of speaking success.
Their work, while originating in surgical and medical communication contexts, has broad applicability to academic public speaking as it directly addresses the behavioral and psychological dimensions of communicative performance under evaluative pressure.
Soviyah & Munawaro.
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Central to this framework is the Three Cs model: Cultivating Awareness.
Collecting Thoughts, and Calming Nerves.
Cultivating Awareness involves systematic self-monitoring of habitual communicative behaviors, including the use of video recordings to identify patterns of filler word use or physical tension (Alabidi et al.
, 2.
Collecting Thoughts operationalizes the use of strategic silent pauses .
Ae2 second.
as a cognitive management tool, allowing speakers to retrieve and organize subsequent information without resorting to vocalized hesitations (Angelopoulou et al.
, 2024.
De Jong & Bosker, 2.
Calming Nerves addresses the physiological dimension of performance anxiety through controlled breathing, grounding, and pre-stage mindfulness techniques (Kimani et al.
, 2.
This study extends the Aqeel and Chung .
framework by embedding it within a broader integrated model that also accounts for preparation strategies and vocal/non-verbal delivery, thereby offering a more comprehensive account of public speaking success among high-achieving EFL students.
Cognitive load theory (Sweller et al.
, 2.
provides an important explanatory mechanism for understanding why structured preparation enhances speaking performance.
When speakers enter the performance phase with well-rehearsed content schemas, they reduce the intrinsic cognitive demands of real-time speech production, freeing attentional resources for audience engagement, vocal modulation, and error monitoring (Xin & Zhang.
Zeng .
further argues that structured scripting and outlining serve as cognitive scaffolding, enabling the efficient organization and retrieval of complex information during high-pressure delivery.
Memory consolidation research adds another dimension: the timing of rehearsal matters.
Studies suggest that low-stimulus, post-rest periodsAisuch as early morningAican reduce proactive interference and enhance memory encoding, thereby supporting more reliable content retrieval during performance (Banks et al.
, 2025.
Sawamura, 2.
This finding has direct relevance to the dawn memorization practices reported by participants in this study.
Methods This study adopted a qualitative approach with a single-case, multiple-participant case study design (Yin, 2.
It was selected because its rich contextually embedded exploration Soviyah & Munawaro.
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of speaking methods experienced and acted by students within their natural educational Case study methodology is especially tailored to cover the "how" and "why" of complex phenomena that is unable to be reduced to quantifiable variables (Merriam & Tisdell.
The unit of analysis was the individual studentAos strategic behavior across the pre-, during-, and post-performance phases of an oral examination.
Participants consisted of four undergraduate students enrolled in the Advanced Speaking course at the English Education Department of a private university in Yogyakarta.
Indonesia.
The selection employed purposive sampling criteria (Creswell & Poth, 2.
, particularly targeting students who: .
achieved the highest composite scores in the current semesterAos speaking examinations, .
demonstrated consistent performance throughout multiple assessment components, including content organization, linguistic accuracy, delivery quality, and audience engagement, as assessed using tailored rubrics, and .
maintained score stability across several speaking assignments, confirming that their excellence was not task-specific but reflected sustained high achievement.
Participants are identified using coded labels (S1AeS.
to ensure anonymity.
Three instruments were employed to achieve methodological triangulation (Denzin.
First, semi-structured interviews which its guidelines were developed based on the three-dimensional framework derived from Aqeel and Chung .
, covering preparation strategies, real-time self-regulation, and vocal/non-verbal delivery.
Each interview lasted 45Ae 60 minutes and was audio-recorded with participant consent.
Second is a structured observation sheets that is employed to document behavioral indicators during participantsAo recorded examination presentations, including filler word frequency, pause usage, eye contact patterns, and postural behavior.
The final stage is reviewing the recorded video of speaking tests as supplementary documentation to validate interview self-reports and observation data, to cross-referencing of stated and enacted strategies.
Data were analyzed following the interactive model proposed by Miles.
Huberman, and Saldaya .
, comprising three recursive stages: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification.
Interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and subjected to inductive-deductive thematic coding.
Inductive codes emerged from the data Soviyah & Munawaro.
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, participant-specific strategies such as Audawn memorizationAy and Auslide redirectionA.
, while deductive codes were applied according to the three analytical dimensions of the Aqeel and Chung .
Observation and video review data were coded using the same framework and cross-referenced with interview data to confirm convergence or identify divergence, thereby supporting analytical triangulation.
Member checking was conducted by sharing summarized findings with participants to validate accuracy of interpretation.
Result and Discussion This section presents the findings of the study by drawing on the Integrated Public Speaking Success Framework for High Achievers framework, which serves as the primary analytical lens based on the work of Aqeel and Chung .
Although Aqeel and Chung .
do not propose a formalized theoretical model, their work outlines a set of practical speaking strategies, such as structured preparation, strategic pausing, anxiety management, and effective delivery that inform the construction of the present framework.
Building on these insights, this study conceptualized public speaking success among high-achieving EFL students as the result of the dynamic integration of three interrelated dimensions: .
structure and preparation, .
internal regulation through the AuThree CsAy .
ultivating awareness, 1Ae2 second thoughts, and calming nerve.
, and .
vocal and body language The four subjects (S1.
S2.
S3, and S.
were involved through in-depth interviews and observations.
The research findings are categorized following the three research questions formulated.
Based on the research findings, the four high-achieving students consistently demonstrated systematic and structured preparation strategies prior to their speaking Rather than relying on spontaneity, all subjects engaged in deliberate planning that reflects the structure and preparation dimension of the framework.
S4 reported using a dual-layered preparation strategy, combining a full written manuscript with a simplified She explained that writing a complete script, from opening to closing, helped her ensure accuracy and completeness of ideas, while the outline functioned as a guide to facilitate recall during delivery.
This indicates that S4 relied on both detailed preparation and structured simplification to manage her performance.
The practice of the layered approach Soviyah & Munawaro.
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supports ZengAos .
statement that structured preparation can serve as a form of scaffolding, allowing complex information to be organized and retrieved more efficiently during performance.
Similarly.
S1 and S2 emphasized the importance of material mastery and mental Both subjects stated that they needed to fully understand and feel familiar with the topic before presenting, as this helped them speak more confidently and avoid losing track of their ideas.
Their responses suggest that preparation was not limited to content organization but also involved building psychological readiness.
This aligns with the notion that a strong sense of task mastery can support confidence and reduce performance-related stress (Lopez-Garrido, 2.
In practice, mastering the material appeared to help them maintain fluency and deliver their ideas more naturally, which in turn contributed to a more convincing and credible performance (Kazanskaia, 2.
In contrast.
S3 adopted a slightly different but still structured approach by preparing Auhot issueAy topics that were both current and personally relevant.
He noted that choosing familiar and engaging topics made it easier for him to develop ideas and maintain audience Additionally.
S3 described a specific preparation habit of conducting final memorization and review during dawn, which he perceived as a more focused and effective time for consolidating material.
This practice reflects how preparation may also involve strategic timing, as previous studies suggest that certain periods, particularly after rest, can support memory consolidation and retrieval (Banks et al.
, 2.
Overall, these findings indicate that high-achieving students rely on intentional and structured preparation practices that help them organize ideas, strengthen content mastery, and maintain focus during performance.
Such preparation appears to support smoother delivery by reducing the cognitive demands associated with real-time speaking (Xin & Zhang, 2.
, thereby reinforcing the central role of structure and preparation in successful public As of the three Cs implementation strategy, it basically represents the internal regulatory mechanisms that enable the subjects to maintain control over their cognition and emotions in real time.
In particular, cultivating awareness allows subjects to monitor audience Soviyah & Munawaro.
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response and adjust delivery accordingly, while the use of micro-pauses .
Ae2 second thought.
emerges as a critical strategy for managing fluency and minimizing disfluencies.
Meanwhile, calming nerves reflects the participantsAo ability to regulate anxiety and sustain confidence under evaluative situations.
The Three Cs dimension captures the real-time internal regulatory mechanisms that participants used to maintain cognitive clarity and emotional stability during performance.
placed physical cue notes on her desk as a spatial-cognitive anchor.
Importantly, she clarified that these notes were not read continuously but served a psychological rather than informational function:
"I donAot actually read the whole text on the desk.
It is more about having a visual If I suddenly lose my train of thought due to nervousness.
I just glance at a keyword on my paper, and it instantly brings me back to the flow.
ItAos a safety net that keeps me from panicking.
" (S.
This strategy reflects the principle of distributed cognition (Hedrick et al.
, 2.
, in which speakers externalize a portion of their cognitive processing onto environmental artifacts, thereby reducing working memory load and freeing attentional resources for delivery quality.
S3 and S4 both employed deliberate 1Ae2 second silent pauses as a sophisticated alternative to vocalized hesitations.
S3 articulated the perceptual logic underlying this "I realized that when I say AoeAo or AoummAo.
I sound like I donAot know my material.
So.
I practiced being okay with the silence.
When I forget what to say.
I just take a breath and wait for a second or two.
It feels like a long time to me, but I noticed the audience actually sees it as a dramatic pause or me being thoughtful, rather than me being lost.
" (S.
S4 reinforced this perspective, describing silent pausing as a cognitive Aureset buttonAy that allows the brain to Aucatch upAy with the speakerAos internal notes, yielding cleaner and more controlled delivery.
This technique aligns with Angelopoulou et al.
Aos .
Connected Speech Analysis Protocol, which identifies strategic silent pausing as a functional fluency-enhancing mechanism, consistent with De Jong and BoskerAos .
foundational work on pause thresholds in L2 speech production.
Soviyah & Munawaro.
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S1 demonstrated a creative variant of this strategy: redirecting audience attention to PowerPoint slides during moments of cognitive lapse.
By directing the audience to read screen content, she created a covert 2Ae3 second cognitive recovery window without signaling confusion to the audience.
This approach reflects an advanced application of audience management as an internal regulation tool.
Pre-performance physiological regulation was employed by S1 and S4.
S4 described a structured routine:
"Before I step up to the podium.
I take three deep breaths.
I can feel my heart rate slowing down.
Then.
I look at my outlineAinot my full manuscript.
outline only has triggers.
This forces my brain to construct sentences on the spot based on the concepts IAove learned, rather than trying to recall every single word I wrote down.
" (S.
This physiological self-regulation aligns with Kimani et al.
Aos .
finding that controlled breathing techniques reduce sympathetic nervous system arousal, thereby decreasing anxiety symptoms prior to performance.
S1 employed a complementary strategy of deliberately ceasing material review in the moments before performance to allow her cognitive system to Ausettle,Ay preventing over-rehearsal interference.
S2 and S3 prioritized psychological regulation through positive affirmations initiated the day before their presentations and intensified following peak practice sessions.
articulated the mechanism underlying this strategy:
"I always tell myself that I am the expert on this specific topic in the room.
This affirmation helps me feel that I am not just AoreportingAo information to the audience, but I am sharing something valuable that I truly understand.
When I feel that ownership, the words come out more naturally without the AoumAo and AouhAo.
" (S.
This finding resonates with the growing body of research demonstrating that self-regulation and positive emotional framing significantly mediate speaking performance under evaluative conditions (Dyrnyei & Ryan, 2022.
Kim, 2.
As of the vocal and non-verbal communication strategy, all subjects demonstrated high vocal adaptability to maintain audience attention.
S3 and S4 intentionally modulated Soviyah & Munawaro.
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their pitch until it became a natural reflex.
S3 described how she transitioned from conscious effort to subconscious mastery regarding her vocal delivery:
AuAt first.
I had to constantly remind myself to lower my pitch at the end of a sentence or to increase the volume for important points.
It felt very mechanical.
But after practicing it so many times during my dawn rehearsals, it started to feel like muscle memory.
Now.
I don't have to think about it anymore.
my voice just naturally fluctuates to keep the audience engaged.
It has become a reflexAy.
S4 echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the link between vocal modulation and confidence:
AuI noticed that when I'm nervous, my pitch tends to go higher and thinner.
So.
I trained myself to consciously modulate my voice until it became natural.
the time I performed.
I wasn't thinking about "how" to sound anymore.
variations in my pitch happened automatically based on the emotion of the ItAos like driving a car, eventually you just do it without thinking about the pedalsAy.
Regarding body language.
S3 and S4 maintained an upright posture when delivering key information and leaned toward the audience to establish a more intimate connection S4 explained the intention behind this physical shift:
AuI realized that standing perfectly still made me look like a statue and created a barrier between me and the students.
When I reach a crucial point in my presentation.
I intentionally lean forward toward the front row.
I want them to feel that I am talking with them, not just at them.
It changes the energy of the room from a formal lecture to a shared conversationAy.
S1 and S2 also agreed that audience engagement could be enhanced by inviting them to refocus on the points displayed on the screen when the speaker required time to reorganize their thoughts.
S2 highlighted the strategic advantage of this collective refocusing:
AuUsing the screen is like hitting a pause button for the audience's eyes.
When I feel IAom losing my grip on the next sentence.
I say, "Let's look at this point " While they are reading the slide.
I have a moment to breathe and reset my mental structure.
ItAos a win-win.
they get to digest the information, and I get to regain my composureAy.
S3 emphasized that maintaining eye contact with the audience successfully built rapport and stimulated their interest in the topic.
S3 elaborated on the emotional impact of this technique:
Soviyah & Munawaro.
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AuWhen I look someone in the eye while speaking.
I feel like I am actually connecting with a human being, not just a crowd.
It makes me feel more IAove noticed that when I hold eye contact for a second or two with different people around the room, they nod back or smile.
That small reaction gives me a huge boost of confidence because it shows they are actually listening and interested in what I have to sayAy.
Table 1 summarizes the data regarding the strategies applied by high achiever students in the context of public speaking.
Table 1.
Summary of High-Achieving Students' Strategies in Public Speaking Category Specific Strategy Related Subjects Key Findings Integrating full scripts with outlines to facilitate systematic memorization.
Material Mastery &Mental Readiness S1.
S2.
Ensuring material mastery to prevent alienation from the topic during delivery.
Topic Selection & Dawn Memorization Selecting trending topics with personal memorizing at dawn after conceptual understanding.
Cultivating Awareness Utilizing physical notes as a safety net to maintain speech coherence.
Collecting Thoughts S3.
S4.
Employing 1-2 second strategic pauses to recall upcoming points.
Distraction Technique Redirecting audience focus to PPT slides during memory lapses to gain thinking Calming Nerves S1.
S4.
Practicing deep breathing, smiling, and ceasing material review immediately before performing.
Positive Affirmation S2.
S3.
Internalizing positive affirmations days prior to the performance following rigorous practice.
Vocal Pitch Modulation S3.
S4.
Deliberately modulating pitch until it becomes a reflex to prevent monotonous Body Posture & Rapport Building S3.
S4.
Maintaining an upright posture for key points and leaning toward the audience to establish an intimate connection.
Scripting & Outlining Structural & Preparational The Three Cs Implementation Vocal & Body Soviyah & Munawaro.
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These findings indicate that the success of high-achieving students in their public speaking journey is not merely a result of psychological courage, but rather to a systematic integration of cognitive, technical, and self-regulatory strategies.
Within the structure and preparation dimension, students demonstrate how pre-performance planning functions as a form of cognitive scaffolding, enabling them to offload processing demands before entering the performance stage.
This supports the argument that effective preparation reduces realtime cognitive load, allowing speakers to allocate more attentional resources to audience engagement and message delivery (Sweller et al.
, 2019.
Xin & Zhang, 2.
In this sense, what is often perceived as Aunatural fluencyAy is more accurately understood as the outcome of deliberate practice and structured rehearsal, aligning with contemporary views of expertise as constructed rather than inherent.
More critically, the implementation of the Three Cs .
ultivating awareness, 1Ae2 second thoughts, and calming nerve.
reveals a layer of internal regulation that distinguishes high achievers from average performers.
The use of strategic pauses by S3 and S4, for instance, reflects not hesitation but cognitive control, allowing speakers to manage processing time and avoid disfluencies.
This finding resonates with research on speech production, which highlights pauses as functional elements that enhance fluency and coherence rather than disrupt them (De Jong & Bosker, 2013.
updated discussion in Suzuki et al.
, 2021,).
Similarly, the use of positive affirmations and early-morning rehearsal .
s seen in S2 and S.
indicates that speaking performance is shaped not only by linguistic competence but also by temporal and psychological regulation strategies.
These practices align with recent findings in applied linguistics showing that self-regulation and emotional control significantly mediate speaking performance under evaluative conditions (Dyrnyei & Ryan, 2022.
Kim, 2.
Furthermore, the integration of these internal strategies with vocal and bodily control highlights the inherently multimodal nature of public speaking competence.
The synchronization of breathing techniques with posture and gesture suggests that effective communication emerges from the alignment of internal states and external behaviors.
This supports the notion that non-verbal communication is not merely complementary but constitutive of meaning-making in spoken discourse (Kang et al.
, 2.
In particular, the Soviyah & Munawaro.
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studentsAo ability to maintain eye contact, modulate pitch, and control physical stance reflects what can be conceptualized as embodied confidence, where psychological readiness is visibly enacted through the body.
Taken together, these findings extend the existing literature by demonstrating that high-achieving EFL speakers operate through a coordinated system of preparation, selfregulation, and performance execution.
Importantly, this study contributes a more integrated perspective by showing that effective speaking strategies begin long before the act of speaking itself, encompassing preparation routines, temporal habits, and cognitiveemotional management.
Pedagogically, this implies that public speaking instruction in higher education should move beyond teaching rhetorical structures alone and incorporate training in metacognitive awareness, strategic pausing, and anxiety regulation.
Such an approach would better equip students not only to perform well in assessed contexts but also to develop sustainable communicative resilience.
Conclusion This study concludes that high-achieving EFL students sustain their public speaking competence through an integrated system of preparation, self-regulation, and delivery In the structure and preparation dimension, they use scripting, outlining, relevant topic selection, and strategic rehearsal to organize ideas and reduce cognitive load.
Through the Three Cs, they regulate performance by maintaining awareness, using brief pauses to manage fluency, and calming nerves through mental control.
In terms of vocal and non-verbal communication, they enhance engagement through pitch variation, eye contact, and confident body language.
Overall, their success reflects a coordinated strategy system rather than isolated skills.
Despite providing in-depth insights from the perspective of high-achieving students, several limitations must be acknowledged.
First, the research subjects were limited to four high-performing students.
thus, the identified strategies may require further adaptation for students with extreme speaking anxiety or more fundamental language barriers.
Second, since this study was conducted within the context of formal academic examinations, the Soviyah & Munawaro.
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effectiveness of these strategies in more casual or professional public speaking settings outside the university remains to be explored.
As of the recommendation, based on these findings, it is recommended that educational institutions shift the paradigm of speaking instruction from a sole focus on grammatical accuracy and pronunciation toward "communication resilience" training.
Students should be explicitly trained to utilize pauses, modulate vocal pitch, and internalize positive affirmations as part of their technical preparation.
For future research, it is suggested to conduct experimental studies comparing the effectiveness of "The Three Cs" between freshman and senior students, or to explore the use of AI technology as a practice medium to reinforce these strategies before performing in front of a live audience.
References