Abstract

Public speaking has re-emerged as a crucial communicative competence in the twenty-first-century English Language Teaching (ELT) landscape, especially within digitally mediated learning environments. As global employability increasingly depends on verbal fluency, articulation, and audience engagement, the teaching of public speaking has shifted from a traditional performance-based model to a technology-enhanced pedagogical framework. This paper examines how digital tools—such as virtual presentation platforms, speech analysis applications, AI-powered feedback systems, and online collaboration spaces—can be effectively integrated into ELT to enhance learners’ confidence, clarity, and communicative autonomy. Drawing upon communicative competence theory, social constructivism, and digital literacy frameworks, the study explores how technology can scaffold public speaking tasks through formative assessment, real-time feedback, and self-reflective learning. It further analyzes the pedagogical advantages of platforms such as Flip, Toastmasters Online, and Yoodli AI in fostering learner-centered, practice-oriented speaking environments. The research underscores the role of digital tools not merely as substitutes for classroom interaction but as agents of pedagogical transformation that democratize access, personalize learning, and reduce performance anxiety. By aligning language proficiency with presentation skills, this paper argues for a redefinition of public speaking pedagogy in ELT—one that integrates human communication with digital innovation to create confident, articulate, and globally competent speakers.