A Study On The Washback Effect Of The Secondary Vocational School NMET On The Secondary Vocational English Teaching And Learning

Washback effect refers to the test impact on learning and teaching,which is a rather new field of research of applied linguistics.It is one of the issues that have attracted researchers' attention from the 1990 s.Now,it has become a focus for both empirical and theoretical study in language testing and learning.In recent years,a large number of studies have been carried out abroad and in China.These studies have deepened the understanding of washback and promoted the reform of language testing and teaching.So far,however,the empirical studies on washback effects are still limited,particularly the domestic studies on the Secondary Vocational School National Matriculation English Test(SVSNMET)is much less.The purpose of the present study is to investigate the washback effects of the Secondary Vocational School National Matriculation English Test in the context of the new secondary vocational school English teaching syllabus,set in the Guyang secondary vocational school English teaching and learning practices in Baotou,Inner Mongolia.The study also aims to find out the ways of exerting positive washback effects of the SVSNMET in the hope of providing some useful findings for the promotion of secondary vocational school English teaching and the advancement of testing innovation.In this study,three main questions are addressed:(1)What washback effects does the SVSNMET have on Senior 3 English teaching and learning?(2)What are the positive washback effects of the SVSNMET on Senior 3English teaching and learning?(3)What are the negative washback effects of the SVSNMET on Senior 3English teaching and learning?The author employs both qualitative and quantitative research methods by means of questionnaires and interviews.In total 279 participants are involved inthe study,including 9 Guyang vocational school English teachers and 270 students from different majors.The results of the study show that the SVSNMET has some washback effects on the secondary vocational school English teaching and learning.The positive washback effects are as following: SVSNMET stimulates the teachers to be active in teaching and tests the students' true proficiency of what they have learned;helps students to master some effective English learning methods;consolidates students' English foundation and broadens their knowledge and improves English teaching and learning,etc.The negative washback effects lie in that teacher-centered teaching method makes students passive learners and the teaching content is rather boring so that some students may lose confidence in learning English.One year's high density of revision work has added a great burden to many teachers,increasing the teachers' psychological pressure and also added a great burden to the students,making students weary of English studying.Based on the findings of this study,the study puts forward some suggestions for promoting positive washback effects and avoids negative ones for both teachers and students so as to improve the secondary vocational English teaching and learning,the study also provides some information for the English test reform of the secondary vocational college entrance examination in the future.