Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
With the development and globalization of every field in China, the communicationswith other countries in politics, economy, and culture are more highlighted than any other era.English as an important medium for international communication is enhancing its socialstatus in China especially after China’s entry into the World Trade Organization and thesuccess in holding 2017 Olympic Games. In order to meet the increasing demands, theimprovement of senior high school students’ speaking communicative competence becomesthe core of English teaching and learning. On the other hand, senior high school students’speaking skill has been downplayed because the NMET only tests listening, reading andwriting skills with speaking excluded, although the current English curriculum, which hasbeen in operation throughout the country since 1997 (Liang, 1999) requires that the fourlanguage skills should be practiced through various communicative exercises and activities.In order to satisfy the demands of improving senior high school students’communicative especially speaking proficiency and to provide a more satisfactory model forteaching and learning. In October, 2017, Guangdong Education Examinations Authorityofficially delared the specific NMET-SET reform program, which stated that the SpokenEnglish Test (SET) would be introduced into the existing NMET. The NMET carries a heavyweight in the Chinese society. Undoubtedly, they can be regarded as high-stakes tests, thetype of test that is supposed to exert profound influence on teaching and learning (Madaus,1988). In essence, the ultimate goal of change is to replace the time-honored traditionalmethod in China’s ELT. That is to say, the NMET needs to test all four language skills inmore integrated ways if it is expected to school ELT to a more communicative mode ofteaching.
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1.2 Significances of the Study
Our knowledge about how tests, especially the NMET-SET, have played its role islimited. This is mainly because insufficient empirical research has been carried out to identifythe washback effect of the NMET-SET. To some extent, the empirical research of theNMET-SET in China is nearly a blank. No systematic investigation has been carried out toexamine the NMET-SET’s washback effect on teaching. The NMET can be regarded ashigh-stakes tests, it is supposed to exert profound influence on teaching. Such a deficiencystrongly provides an impetus for the author to carry out a study in the field of the washbackeffect of the NMET-SET on English teaching. The study is thus particular opportune and haspractical value to Senior English teaching. The study will provide new empirical evidencethat helps to deepen our understanding of the nature and mechanisms of the washback phenomenon. Findings concerning the factors that interact with the test to shape classroomteaching will give new light on the issue and contribute to the relevant literature.
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Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1 Definitions of Washback
The past two decades have witnessed growing interest in the notion of language testwashback. Much evidence suggests that testing influences teaching and learning (Alderson &Wall, 1993), and a number of terms are related to test influence: washback, impact, backwash,curricular alignment, measu，英语毕业论文，英语毕业论文
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