Volume 2, Issue 2 August 2019, pp. 96-109 
Articles
The washback of listening tests for entrance exams on EFL instruction in Taiwanese junior high schools
Huei-Chun Teng1, Chun-Wei Fu2
1 National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan 
2 Taipei Municipal Hong Dao Junior High School, Taiwan
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29140/lea.v2n2.150
Abstract
The study aims to explore the washback of incorporating English listening tests in the senior high entrance exam (Comprehensive Assessment Program: CAP) on EFL instruction in junior high schools in Taiwan. The participants were thirty English teachers and 298 students from three junior high schools in Taiwan. The instruments consisted of questionnaires and interview guide. The questionnaires were conducted to investigate the participants' perceptions of the influence of CAP English listening test on EFL teachers' instructions, students' learning activities and test preparation. A semi-structured interview was also adopted to probe specific information of participants' perceptions of the CAP listening test, their needs and suggestions. Results showed that teachers and students had positive perceptions of the incorporation of CAP listening assessment. Moreover, the CAP reform generated positive washback effects to the instructors. Most of them were willing to change their teaching approaches, arrange some teaching activities, and provide diverse learning materials as long as class time allows. In addition, the results showed that students' English learning motivation increased due to the CAP listening test. It is also indicated that students' stress and test anxiety for senior high entrance exam may increase. As for the suggestions, both teachers and students indicated that they cared about the time for practicing listening and speaking, listening assessment of different English accents, and better audio equipment. Moreover, because the inequality of educational resources and bimodal distribution of students' EFL proficiency still exist in Taiwan, most of the participants considered that the difficulty level and score weighting of the CAP listening test should not be increased. The study findings are expected to provide empirical descriptions for the field of washback in language testing. Implications for enhancing EFL listening instruction in junior high schools were further proposed.
Copyright
© Huei-Chun Teng, Chun-Wei Fu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Suggested citation
Huei-Chun Teng, Chun-Wei Fu. (2019). The washback of listening tests for entrance exams on EFL instruction in Taiwanese junior high schools. Language Education & Assessment, 2(2), 96-109. https://doi.org/10.29140/lea.v2n2.150
Related Articles:
Negotiating intercultural spaces and teacher identity in an internationalised school in Shanghai
Adam Poole
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 23 August, 2019, Volume 2(2), pp. 59-70.
Designing a course in intercultural education
Adrian Holliday
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 11 August, 2018, Volume 1(1), pp. 4-11.
(Re)imagining a course in language and intercultural communication for the 21st century
Adriana Raquel Diaz, Paul J. Moore
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 29 December, 2018, Volume 1(3), pp. 83-99.
Engagement with technology: Gaming, immersion and sub-optimal experiences
Alastair Henry, Cecilia Thorsen
Technology in Language Teaching & Learning Published: 21 December, 2019, Volume 1(2), pp. 52-67.
Language, diversity and culturally responsive education
Ann E. Lopez
Migration and Language Education Published: 30 April, 2020, Volume 1(1), pp. 3-13.
L2 motivation in ESP and EGP courses: An investigation of L2 motivational selves among learners of English in Saudi Arabia
Aser Nazzal K Altalib
Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics Published: 30 April, 2019, Volume 2(1), pp. 1-16.
The Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture:
Ideological refractions, othering and obedient politics
Ashley Simpson, Fred Dervin
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 20 December, 2019, Volume 2(3), pp. 102-119.
Theory of Mind development and narrative writing: A longitudinal study
Birgitta E. Svensson
Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics Published: 31 December, 2018, Volume 1(3), pp. 118-134.
"I don't want to be stereotypical, but..."
Norwegian EFL learners' awareness of and willingness to challenge visual stereotypes
Cecilie Waallann Brown
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 20 December, 2019, Volume 2(3), pp. 120-141.
Teaching pragmatics: Nonnative-speaker teachers' knowledge, beliefs and reported practices
Christine Savvidou, Maria Economidou-Kogetsidis
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 30 April, 2019, Volume 2(1), pp. 39-58.