The Washback Of PRETCO On Higher Vocational English Teaching And Learning

The rapid development of Chinese economy has a higher demand for technical personnel. As a result, higher vocational education is developing vigorously. Naturally,as one of the essential parts, English becomes a part of teaching and training system in the higher vocational education. PRACTICAL ENGLISH TEST FOR COLLEGES, which is designed by the Ministry of Education has a general evaluation on the development of higher vocational college English teaching in different regions. More and more young people have taken the PRETCO since it has been promoted in higher vocational colleges, and now it becomes a test that all the higher vocational students need to take. It is a large-scale public test.This research uses scholars’ findings about the washback at home and abroad for reference and it is based on the theory of Alderson & Wall’s fifteen washback hypothesis and Hughes &Bailey’s Washback Basic Pattern. It focus on the empirical research of PRETCO’s washback of higher vocational English teaching and learning in a specific environment. The author collects a large number of the raw data from teachers and students by questionnaires which is about whether PRETCO produce washback on the behavior, concept, content and method form teaching and learning or not. And then, according to data analysis, the washback is negative or positive has been made sure.The result shows that PRETCO on higher vocational English teaching and learning has obvious washback to teaching and learning, both positive and negative. As for positive aspects, PRETCO has a clearly purpose of higher vocational English education and provides a relatively objective learning outcome. And also, it can make teachers and students find the advantages and disadvantages of teaching and learning. It guides higher vocational English teaching and learning. As for negative aspects, PRETCO causes an anxiety for the weaker students,and has strengthen the concept of exam-oriented education. So teachers and the students abandon the cultivation of English ability, just study for the exam.Finally, the author puts forward some ways for improving the positive washback and decreasing negative washback, such as the establishment of a variety of evaluation system, the optimization of the content of the PRETCO and so on.