An Investigation Into The Washback Effect Of NMET Reading Test On English Reading Teaching And Learning In Senior High Schools

Washback,the impact of language testing on language teaching and learning,is often divided into positive one and negative one.Since the 1990 s,an increasing number of scholars at home and abroad have paid much attention to the washback effect.Furthermore,a lot of theoretical and empirical washback studies are carried out to push forward the development of language testing and teaching.As a large-scale and high-stakes selection test in China,National Matriculation English Test(NMET)has significant influence on English teaching and learning in senior high schools.However,investigations carried out at home mainly focus on the washback effect of CET-4 and CET-6,while the researches on NMET,particularly on its reading tests,are pretty insufficient.Under such circumstances,an empirical study is conducted,to reveal the washback of NMET reading test on English reading teaching and learning in senior high schools,with Zhejiang Province as an example.Meanwhile,this research also makes a comparison between the washback of NMET reading test on Grade Three(test-preparation grade)and the washback on Grade Two(non-preparation grade)to perceive the different effects on reading teaching and learning caused by NMET reading test.All the data are collected from 40 English teachers and 180 students in two senior high schools in Zhejiang Province with three instruments,namely,questionnaire,classroom observation and interview.The results of the research show that NMET reading test exerts both positive and negative washback on senior high school reading teaching and learning.The positive washback manifests itself as follows: it promotes the implementation of the Curriculum Standards and ensures the enough time of reading teaching and learning;it can motivate teachers and students to great extent;it can train students? thinking ability and enrich their horizon of knowledge.In contrary,the negative washback includes: test-taking materials are largely used in reading class;the phenomenon of “teaching and learning to test” exists among the overwhelming majority of teachers and students;it results in teachers and students paying much attention to summarizing the skills to solve the objective questions.Furthermore,in terms of English reading teaching and learning,some significant differences exist between Grade Two and Grade Three,for the latter is mainly test-oriented.Finally,some suggestions are put forward for the improvement of question types in NMET reading test,English reading teaching and learning in high schools to promote the positive washback effect of NMET reading test.