WASHBACK AND THE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES OF ESL INSTRUCTORS AT JAPANESE UNIVERSITY

Lee Hughes

Abstract


This study investigated awareness among native-English instructors teaching English to first year freshman students studying English at a university in Japan, and the potential effects of their chosen methods of oral evaluation on washback. Washback effect refers to the impact of testing – whether positive or negative - on teaching practices, curriculum design, and learning behaviors.  Oral washback, in particular, in evaluation has seen increased importance in recent years, with more consideration given to how to provide positive oral washback in evaluations to ensure that they are as effective as possible in improving English levels. A mixed methods approach was used – a survey and interviews – with five instructors to find out about how they assess their students and how aware and how much attention they gave to possible washback effects of their chosen methods of evaluation. It was found that there is quite a variance among different instructors and knowing more about how to promote more positive oral washback to be useful in improving evaluation methods used.


Keywords


esl, washback, assessment

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alderson, C. J., & Wall, D. (1993). Does Washback Exist? Applied Linguistics, 14 (1), 115–129.

Azmi, M. N. L., Sham, R. M. (2018). The Washback Effect of School-Based Oral Evaluation Performance and Its Causal Relationship with Fear of Negative Evaluation. Language Literacy, Volume 2, Number 1, June 2018. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/37078380/he_Washback_Effect_of_School_Based_Oral_Evaluation_Performance_and_Its_Causal_Relationship_with_Fear_of_Negative_Evaluation?email_work_card=title

Cheng, L., Rogers, T., & Hu, H. (2004). ESL/EFL Instructors' Classroom Assessment Practices: Purposes, Methods and Procedures. Language Testing, 21(3), 360-389.

Davison, C., & Leung, C. (2009). Current Issues in English Language Teacher‐Based Assessment. TESOL QUARTERLY Vol. 43, No. 3, September 2009.

Dawadi, S. (2019). Students’ and Parents’ Attitudes Towards the SEE English Test. Journal of NELTA, 1-2, 1-16.

Estaji, M., Ghiasvand, F. (2019). The Washback Effect of IELTS Examination on ELF Teachers’ Perceived Sense of Professional Identity: Does IELTS Related Experience Make a Difference? Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies 6(3), 83-103. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/40839168/The_Washback_Effect_of_IELTS_Examination_on_EFL_Teachers_Perceived_Sense_of_Professional_Identity_Does_IELTS_Related_Experience_Make_a_Difference?email_work_card=title

Green, A. (2013). Washback in Language Assessment. International Journal of English Studies, 13 (2), 39–51.

Hazaca, A. N., Tayeb Y. A. (2018). Washback Effect of LOBELA on EFL Teaching at Preparatory Year of Najran University. International Journal of Educational Investigations. Vol. 5, No.3: 1-14, June 2018. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/37625472/Washback_Effect_of_LOBELA_on_EFL_Teaching_at_Preparatory_Year_of_Najran_University?email_work_card=view-paper

Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Khan, A. B. M. A., Aziz M. S. A. A., & Stapa S. H. (2019). Examining the Factors Mediating the Intended Washback of the English Language School-Based Assessment: Pre-service ESL Teachers’ Accounts. Retrieved from http://journals-jd.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2027%20(1)%20Mar.%202019/4%20JSSH-2622-2017.pdf

Kim, Y. (2009). An investigation into Native and Non-Native Teachers' Judgments of Oral English Performance: A mixed Methods Approach. Language Testing 26(2):187-217

Loumbourdi, L. (2014). The Power and Impact of Standardised Test: Investigating the Washback of Language Exams in Greece. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Matsuno, S. (2009). Self-, Peer-, and Teacher-Assessments in Japanese university EFL writing classrooms. Language Testing, 26(1), 075-100 – January 2009

McKinley, J., & Thompson, G. (2018). Washback Effect in Teaching English as an International Language. TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching. 1. 2018.

Muñoz, A. P., & Álvarez, M.E. (2010). Washback of an Oral Assessment System in the EFL Classroom. Language Testing 2010; 27; 33

Prodromou, L. (1995). The Backwash Effect: From Testing to Teaching. ELT Journal, 49(1), 13–25.

Saif, S. (2006). Aiming for Positive Washback: a Case Study of International Teaching Assistants. Language Testing, 23 (1), 1–34.

Saville, N. D. (2009). Developing a Model for Investigating the Impact of Language Assessment within Educational Contexts by a Public Examination Provider. An unpublished PhD thesis, University of Bedfordshire, England.

Sugimoto, Y. (2014). An Introduction to Japanese Society (4th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Takagi, A. (2010). A Critical Analysis of English Language Entrance Examinations at Japanese Universities. An unpublished PhD thesis, University of Exter, England.

Tsagari, D. (2012). FCE-exam Preparation Discourses: Insights Form an Ethnographic Study. ESOL Research notes 47.

Wicking, P. (2017). The Assessment Beliefs and Practices of English Teachers in Japanese Universities. JLTA Journal, vol. 20: pp. 76-89, 2017.

Xie, Q. (2013). Does Test preparation work? Implications for score validity. Language Assessment Quarterly, 10 (2), 196–218.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30743/ll.v5i1.3238

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Fakultas Sastra 
Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara (UISU), Medan
Jl. Sisingamangaraja Teladan Medan 20217
Telp. (061) 7869911, e-mail: language_literacy@sastra.uisu.ac.id