A Survey On The Washback Effects Of TEM4 On Teaching And Learning

As an important aspect of the quality of a language test, washback usually refers to the direct effect tests have on language teaching and learning. In recent years, researchers in foreign countries have done a huge bulk of theoretical and empirical researches on the effects of washback. These studies have deepened people's understanding of this phenomenon and promoted the reform and innovation in language testing and teaching.Test for English Majors (TEM4) is one of the large scale foreign language tests in China. Although there have been numerous discussions on the test, the washback study on it is still to be strengthened both theoretically and empirically.Based on the enlightenment from the washback hypotheses and the analyses of PPP washback model, the theoretical framework of this study is formed. Adopting a descriptive method and triangulating data through questionnaire, interview and classroom observation, this study aims at exploring the washback effect of TEM4 on teaching and learning of EM teachers and learners at the foundation stage on the two facets of "teachers-teaching" and "learners-learning". Research subjects include 15 EM teachers, 98 freshmen, 101 sophomores and 102 junior students. Based on the language foundation at the admission into university, students are chosen from the third grade to form Junior Group 1 and Junior Group 2. Their responses are presented separately to tell whether TEM4 has different washback effects on learners with different language foundations through data.The research results show that TEM4 provides motivation for teachers in teaching and brings forth learners' enthusiasm in learning. Teachers and students hold correct perceptions about the role TEM4 plays in the teaching and learning assessment, which inhibits the phenomena of solely pursuing high passing rates and high scores. TEM4 has positive effects on teaching contents and methods, making the teachers focus their teaching on the enhancement of students' comprehensive language use ability. On the other hand, it exerts positive washback on students' learning contents and methods. Students adopt various kinds of learning materials and attend extracurricular activities to enhance their comprehensive language use ability. As for listening, reading and writing, both teaching and learning center on the enhancement of language ability. However, when TEM4 draws near, teaching and learning activities are to some extent influenced by test-taking while writing is the most greatly influenced.The intensity of TEM4 washback varies from teachers to teachers and its extent varies with respect to individual's language foundation. For Junior Group 2 students with poor language foundation, pressure from the test outweighs motivation from the test and they tend to fall into the vicious circle of learning to test. For Junior Group 1 students with good language foundation, motivation from the test outweighs pressure from the test and their learning is ability-oriented.To promote the positive washback of TEM4, based on the research results, this study provides implications for the TEM4 test designers, teachers and students.