Abstract
The impact of a test on teaching and learning is commonly referred to as the washback effect. This study investigated the nature and scope of the washback effect from the Intermediate English examination on teachers and students of a public sector college in Pakistan. The research relied on qualitative approach utilizing interviews to collect data from six teachers and six students. The data was analysed using open-coding. The results revealed that there seems to be a strong negative washback from the examinations on teaching methodology, content and learning. The pedagogical implications of the current study in the form of recommendations related to English language assessment procedures include the employment of formative assessment, the use of authentic tasks and focus on all four language skills. Key words: Washback effect, English language examination, language assessment.
Highlights
Language teaching and language testing are closely related
Language testing can serve to evaluate the achievements of language teaching and, at the same time, it has some washback effects on teaching, which may be conducive to language teaching or may result in negative repercussions
Language testing has a vital role to play in language learning
Summary
Language teaching and language testing are closely related. This correlation is a central issue in the case of English language learners and it is impossible to analyse either of them without referring to the other. Linn (1992) assumes that all the above mentioned consequences of testing need to be evaluated The foremost of these is the identification of the intended effects of assessment on teaching and learning. 35) state that washback is a more complex phenomenon than the influence of a test on teaching and learning They feel that the impact of a test should be evaluated with reference to the contextual variables of society’s goals and values, the educational system in which the test is used, and the potential outcomes of its use. Bailey (1996) distinguishes between the influences on learners and those on the programme The latter involves judging students’ language in relation to the expectations of the curriculum in order to determine whether the school as a whole performs well or whether teaching methods and textbooks are effective tools for achieving curricula goals. There is a dire need to study the examination system at the secondary level so that insights could be gained into teaching and learning which could inform decisions regarding curriculum planning, teaching methods, examination content and other contextual factors
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