Washback
Sometimes referred to as „washback‟, backwash is “the effect of testing on teaching and learning”, whether good or bad (Hughes, 2003:1). As a consequence of its popularity in Japan, the TOEIC test must have a backwash effect on numerous classrooms, students and teachers. Unquestionably, some of that washback is positive. Students being motivated to study more in order to attain a higher score in the test should be considered positive. However, negative backwash is also clearly in evidence too.
In their desperation to help students attain higher TOEIC scores prior to graduation and entering the employment market, more and more universities throughout Japan are replacing English proficiency classes with TOEIC preparation classes. Communicative competence is patently not the primary objective of these classes, and instruction time is focused on learning discrete grammar items and mastering test-taking strategies (Miller, 2003).
In a commercial environment, teachers are likely to have to deal with conflicting pressures, between giving the students what the teacher perceives they need, and giving the clients what they want (the clients being corporations, institutions or individuals). Brown‟s study focusing on graded reading for TOEIC preparation (2006) gives a vivid example of the attitudes teachers face. Table 8 highlights students‟ lack of connection between reading helping English and helping TOEIC score, and the improvement in perception after a mock TOEIC test was administered. “Even though learners felt the reading was improving their reading speed and fluency, they did not see a connection to TOEIC success.” (H. Brown, 2006: 1176)
Washback
Sometimes referred to as „washback‟, backwash is “the effect of testing on teaching and learning”, whether good or bad (Hughes, 2003:1). As a consequence of its popularity in Japan, the TOEIC test must have a backwash effect on numerous classrooms, students and teachers. Unquestionably, some of that washback is positive. Students being motivated to study more in order to attain a higher score in the test should be considered positive. However, negative backwash is also clearly in evidence too.
In their desperation to help students attain higher TOEIC scores prior to graduation and entering the employment market, more and more universities throughout Japan are replacing English proficiency classes with TOEIC preparation classes. Communicative competence is patently not the primary objective of these classes, and instruction time is focused on learning discrete grammar items and mastering test-taking strategies (Miller, 2003).
In a commercial environment, teachers are likely to have to deal with conflicting pressures, between giving the students what the teacher perceives they need, and giving the clients what they want (the clients being corporations, institutions or individuals). Brown‟s study focusing on graded reading for TOEIC preparation (2006) gives a vivid example of the attitudes teachers face. Table 8 highlights students‟ lack of connection between reading helping English and helping TOEIC score, and the improvement in perception after a mock TOEIC test was administered. “Even though learners felt the reading was improving their reading speed and fluency, they did not see a connection to TOEIC success.” (H. Brown, 2006: 1176)
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
