The Washback Influence on College English in China

Abstract

College English in China is an intricate subject. Besides helping their students to learn and eventually understand English, teachers must expose their students to their upcoming standardized test(s) which they need to pass to graduate. Thus, making the balance between teaching the language and teaching the test much more complicate. Suggested by many researchers (Li, 2009; Zhan & Andrew, 2014; Jin & Yan, 2006), a college English teacher need to truly be aware of what one is teaching, what does one want his or her students learn from this course are the critical issue while composing one’s lesson plan. This research aims to figure out how does college teachers think about those standardized tests, such as CET-4, and how do they adapt their teaching methods and process according to the complicated circumstance under the system. Supported by the theories and conclusions of many other researches on this topic, this research would like to go over and discuss some phenomenon with actual college English teachers in Guangzhou. By interviewing with some college English teachers and going to their classes, the discussions and observations are valuable to solve the issue of what is the most optimal way to design and teach a college English course.