Abstract
Scholars have long recognized the Washback effect of English language tests on English teaching inside the classroom. However, the lack of scholarly reports in this area is also nonnegligible. Therefore, the present study intends to review some empirical researches that focus on the washback of some English language tests on different aspects of classroom teaching, including the washback on course content, teaching materials, and teaching activities. Both positive and negative washback are found on these aspects and can be attributed to a number of factors, including differences in features of the test content, differences in tests’ coordination to course syllabus, differences in teachers’ adoption of teaching methods, etc. The final discussion recognizes the complicated mechanism of washback of the English language test on classroom teaching and serves to bring out some scholarly and pedagogical implications. On the one hand, future studies could focus more on how to bring out positive washback of English language tests on classroom teaching. On the other hand, pedagogical practices could take advantage of the latest scholarly findings to maximize the efficacy of the aforementioned positive washback.
Highlights
Some English language tests have been known to have possible washback effects on the teaching process (e.g. Alderson & Hamp-Lyons, 1996; Shohamy, Donitsa-Schmidt, & Ferman, 1996; Hamp-Lyons, 1998)
Research results demonstrated that the test content did not generate an explicit washback effect on one teacher’s course because no matter whether the target examination had a focus on translation questions or not, that teacher would focus on teaching translation and grammar
The above three studies demonstrated that part of the negative washback of English language tests could be the requirement imposed on the teachers to adopt textbooks that were strictly built on the content of the text
Summary
Some English language tests have been known to have possible washback effects on the teaching process (e.g. Alderson & Hamp-Lyons, 1996; Shohamy, Donitsa-Schmidt, & Ferman, 1996; Hamp-Lyons, 1998). Some English language tests have been known to have possible washback effects on the teaching process The washback effects could be so powerful that educational policymakers sometimes even rely on these tests to implement changes in curriculum and instruction (Pearson, 1988; Shohamy, 1993). Course content could be designed for test preparation (Cheng, 1997). In stark contrast to the significance of the washback effects of English language tests is the inadequacy of the studies. The purpose of the present study is to review some scholars’ findings of some washback effects of English language tests on different aspects of classroom teaching, including the washback on course content, teaching materials, and teaching activities. Before reviewing the scholars’ findings, it is necessary to discuss their understanding of washback, which is the underpinning concept of this literature review
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