NMET Backwash On Senior English Teaching

Backwash refers to the effect of testing on teaching and learning.The studies on backwash effect have been developing rapidly since 1990 s.Now it has become a hot topic for both theoretical and empirical investigation in the field of language testing and language teaching.It is proved that backwash has great influence on language testing,especially high-stakes tests.Backwash can be divided into positive effect and negative effect.Positive effect can promote language teaching and learning;Negative effect does harm to language teaching and learning.The National Matriculation English Test(NMET)is organized and administered by the National English Testing Committee in China.NMET is playing an import role in personnel selection in China.In a way,the result of NMET has a great influence on candidate's future choices.Therefore the NMET can be considered as a large-scale and high-stakes test,and the backwash of NMET on senior English teaching and learning cannot be ignored.However,the studies of backwash at home mainly focus on CET4,CET6,TEM4,TEM8.The studies about NMET are limited.This thesis focuses on the backwash of NMET on English teaching and learning in senior high schools on the basis of former study,and analyzes the adjustment of teaching and learning.At the same time,the thesis points out the limitations and flaws that NMET may bring about.Finally this thesis is aimed to give some advice to promote the positive effect of NMET on senior high school English teaching and learning.The thesis includes three research questions:(1)What are the senior English teachers' and students' attitudes toward NMET?(2)How does NMET influence senior English teaching and learning?(3)What measures should be taken to promote the positive backwash effects of NMET? Three questions in the thesis are researched by questionnaires,classroom observation and interview carried out by 12 English teachers and 290 students from three grades in a senior school.Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies have been adopted in the thesis to collect data.SPSS 19.0 is used to analyze data.The results show that the teachers and students are positive about the NMET,which has produced both positive and negative backwash effects on English teaching and learning in senior high schools.On one hand,the NMET motivates the teachers and students to pay more efforts on English teaching and learning,and it is beneficial to improve students and teachers' language skills and knowledge.On the other hand,the NMET has negative effects on English teaching and learning.Students spend much timedoing papers,which has brought much pressure on students to get better grades.English teaching is in a test-oriented environment.Based on the findings,some suggestions are put forward to promote the positive backwash effects and overcome the negative ones to improve the effectiveness of English teaching and learning in senior high schools.