A Study On The Washback Of TBR Test In NMET(Anhui Province) On Teaching And Learning Of English Reading In Senior High Schools

Washback is an important research subject in the field of Applied Linguistics, which mainly refers to the impact of language testing on language teaching and learning, including positive washback and negative washback. Many experts and scholars abroad have done lots of researches on the theoretical and empirical washback, which deepens people's understanding of washback, enriches the washback theory and promotes the development of English teaching and learning. However, studies on washback at home are not wide enough and many experts and scholars focus on CET-4/ CET-6(short for College English Test Band 4 / College English Test Band 6) and other large-scale English examinations. Studies on the washback of NMET(short for National Matriculation English Test), especially this single item---TBR(short for Task-based Reading) are even less. In recent years, with the development of new curriculum reform, this new item has been added in NMET in many provinces. In 2009, it was the first time that TBR had been brought into NMET in Anhui province.Does this new item influence teaching and learning of English reading in senior high schools? If it does, what impact does it produce? Up till now, there are few studies on this new item. The present study is to investigate the washback of TBR in NMET on teaching and learning of English reading in senior high schools in Anhui province, which concentrates on the following issues:1. What kind of attitudes do the senior high school English teachers and freshmen own towards the TBR in NMET? 2. What's the washback of TBR in NMET? What types of TBR questions have positive washback and what have negative washback? 3. How can we improve the positive washback of TBR in NMET?To solve the above issues, the dissertation combines qualitative and quantitative methods. By using questionnaire and interview with high school English teachers and freshmen who just experienced the college entrance examination, people can specifically learn some comments and suggestions for the type design of TBR in NMET, as well as current teaching and learning of English reading in senior high schools. The main findings of this study are as followings:1. According to the results of questionnaires and interviews, it can be found that most senior high school English teachers and freshmen have positive attitudes toward TBR. They figure that TBR can test students' actual language level and competence and they are also satisfied with the formats of TBR.2. They generally believe that TBR has both positive washback and negative washback, but the positive washback is greater than the negative. It is also found that almost five types of TBR questions have washback on teaching and learning of English reading in senior high schools. Among these five types of questions, the washback of the questions needed to infer and judge and the questions needed to convert the information are the most obvious, while other types of questions have less washback relatively.3. The study also puts forward some suggestions to promote the positive washback of TBR in NMET.The achievements of the study have a guiding significance in senior high school teaching and learning of English reading and they are also beneficial to further enrich washback theory. At the same time, the study has referential value to other provinces and can provide a new perspective for English teachers. However, because of the limitations of time and space, the study has some shortcomings, which hope to be made up in the future.