Oral and discourse competencies in Tiktok pitch presentations: a multimodal educational case study

Abstract

This study analyzed oral and discursive competences in pitch presentations published on TikTok by young entrepreneurs aged 15 to 17 from Yantzaza parish, Ecuador. The research addressed the need to understand how adolescents integrate oral and multimodal resources in digital environments to communicate entrepreneurial initiatives. A simulated corpus of 120 videos published between January and May 2024 was examined through a mixed-methods approach, combining multimodal discourse analysis, semi-structured interviews, and digital interaction metrics. Quantitative analysis included descriptive statistics and correlations between oral competences, multimodal resources, and audience engagement. Results showed that articulatory clarity and oral fluency were associated with higher interaction levels. In addition, a complete pitch structure (introduction, value proposition, and persuasive closing) correlated with improved communicative impact. The inclusion of multimodal resources—subtitles, deictic gestures, and viral music—significantly enhanced message visibility. Qualitative findings from interviews indicated that young entrepreneurs perceive TikTok as a strategic “showcase” for business ideas and adapt their narratives to the platform’s algorithmic logic. Overall, findings confirmed the hypothesis that multimodal cohesion predicts communicative effectiveness. The study provides empirical evidence of the hybrid configuration of the digital pitch, where oral delivery intertwines with visual and auditory resources in entrepreneurial narratives. These conclusions have educational, social, and scientific implications and open new research avenues on the interplay between algorithms, communicative competences, and youth entrepreneurship practices in digital platforms