The Study Of Intended And Actual Washback Of CET-4 In Terms Of Communicative Competence

Washback usually refers to the impact tests have on language teaching and learning, which can be positive or negative. Although it is relatively a new field, washback in recent years has occupied an increasingly important place in the research of language testing.The purpose of the study is to explore the intended washback of CET-4 and the actual washback of it in terms of communicative competence. To achieve this purpose, the study first investigates papers written by experts in CET-4 and documents issued by the authority, and finds out one of the intended washback of it—to develop students' communicative competence. Then, the study employs methods such as questionnaire, classroom observation, and interview to explore the actual washback of it. The discrepancy between these two is illustrated.Based on the discrepancy, the study probes into the causes of it and offers suggestions such as authentic items should be added in CET-4, CET-SET should be popularized in universities, the relationship among teaching, learning and testing should be properly treated. Meanwhile, considering of the large scale of CET-4, which is hard to cater to the purpose of testing the candidates' communicative competence, the suggestion ofestablishing a university-based communicative test is offered.The thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 is a brief introduction to the whole study, starting with the background of the study and followed by the objective and the significance of the study.Chapter 2 is devoted to literature review that is composed of two parts. The first part probes into the historical development of communicative competence that lays a basic framework for the whole study and offers a perspective and standard for the evaluation of CET-4 washback. The second part investigates how the washback mechanism operates and what research has been done.Chapter 3 describes the research design, consisting of research questions, subjects, instruments and data collecting and analyzing procedures. A multi-method approach is employed, including analysis of documents, questionnaire surveys, classroom observation and interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to complement with each other as well as to enhance the validity and reliability of the empirical research.Chapter 4 indicates the research results related to both teachers' and students' perceptions of CET-4, the classroom practice, the influence of CET-4 on the specific aspects of college English teaching and learning, and their ideas concerning CET-4 format and reform.Chapter 5 serves as discussions and suggestions. In the first part, it discusses the discrepancy between the intended and actual washback of CET-4 in terms of communicative competence, and the phenomenon of not popularizing CET-SET. In the second part, suggestions to narrow the discrepancy such as to design authentic items, to popularize CET-SET, to properly cope with the relationship among teaching, learning and testing are offered. In addition, a university-based communicative test is put forward considering the limitation of CET-4.Chapter 6 functions as a conclusion. A brief summary of the study and the limitations of the present research are mentioned, and the suggestion for the future study is offered.