The Impact Of Beijing English College Entrance Examination's Reform On High School Students' English Learning Behaviours

The reform of the English College Entrance Examination in Beijing was proposed in October, 2013. According to Beijing Municipal Commission of Education(BMCE), from 2016, students will be able to take the examination twice a year. Instead of only one opportunity, examinees will be allowed to repeat the tests during their three-year high school. The best result will be recorded as the final mark in the College Entrance Examination portfolio and is valid for three years.In terms of students? high school integrative learning, the reform will provide more freedom and make students? learning more flexible. Therefore, it is possible that students will spare more time to further study the subjects they need as the foundation of the university and career thus promoting students? comprehensive development. However, for some advanced English learners, an interruption may appear between their completion of the test and the start of college English learning.This research aims to find out the impact that the reform of English College Entrance Examination may exert on high school students? English learning behaviours. One hundred Senior One students, fifty Senior Three students, ten teachers who taught Senior One students and ten teachers who taught Senior Three from various high schools in Beijing were asked to do questionnaires which explored students? English learning behaviours. Teachers were asked to grade students? performance based on their own observations.The result of the research may provide useful suggestions to high school as well as to College English teaching and learning. Especially to Foreign Languages College in the University, students who have been selected through a new College Entrance Examination may need different teaching plan to achieve the goal of College English teaching. How to transit between high school English and College English learning also needs serious consideration by both students and teachers.The data in the research shows that Senior Three students seemed to spend more efforts on test-oriented learning activities while Senior One students outperformed Senior Three students in participation of extra-curriculum activities. The students? English level at their entrance of the university may change a lot because of the reform. About one third of students claimed that they would not learn English once they got a satisfying mark in the reformed test. Though there were about 40% students admitted that they would learn English after the Exam, 60% students who had not responded positively might have the risks of dropping English learning.