A Study Of The Washback Effect Of Analytic Scoring Oral Test On English Majors’ Oral English Learning

Language testing generates along with the development of teaching and learning.Influenced by them, tests will in turn affect the teaching and learning. Washback meansthe effects of tests on teaching and learning. Since the late1980s, some researchersabroad have made many investigations on washback from the theoretical and empiricalperspectives, which deepens scholars’ understanding of washabck and guides teachingand learning. At present, there are some washback studies in China, but these studieshave their limitations. The empirical studies on oral tests designed and implementedwithin a certain school is very rare. Through the study on the washback effect of analyticscoring oral test on the English major students’ learning attitude, processes and products,this paper aims to explore the necessity of setting such a kind of test to English majors inuniversity.Based on J. Charles Alderson and Dianne Wall’s Washback Hypotheses (1993), andArthur Hughes’ PPP Model (1993), the present study adopts the form of tests andquestionnaire to explore the washback effects of analytic scoring oral test on Englishmajors’ oral English learning. The participants of the study are the78sophomores of2012majoring in English in Tieling Normal College. The research results are as follows.(1) Analytic scoring oral test has positive washback effect on students’ attitude towardsoral English learning.(2) Analytic scoring oral test has positive washback effect on students’ oral learning processes. The aspects affected by the test from high degree to lowdegree are time&frequency of learning, degree of learning, sequence of learning,method of learning, content of learning, and depth of learning.(3) Analytic scoring oraltest has positive washback effect on students’ oral learning products. The aspects of orallearning products affected by the test from high degree to low degree are grammar,vocabulary&content, pronunciation&intonation, and fluency.Based on the survey, the paper summarizes it is necessary setting up some certainforms of oral tests to English major students and also puts forward some suggestions onlearning and teaching in this field.