The Washback Effect Of Reading Comprehension Test In NMET On The Cultivation Of Cultural Awareness Of Senior High School Students: An Empirical Study

NMET, which is based on the teaching goal of English Curriculum Standard, is the most important measure to evaluate students’ English proficiency. The cultivation of students’ cultural awareness, as one of the teaching goals, is also reflected in NMET, especially in the comprehensive readings in NMET. The present study probes into the relationship of the comprehensive readings in NMET and cultural awareness cultivation and attempts to answer what kind of washback effect NMET comprehensive readings have, be it positive or negative, on teachers’ cultivation of students’ cultural awareness and what kind of washback effect NMET comprehensive readings have on the formation of students’ cultural awareness.This study is theoretically based on the washback hypothesis of Alderson & Wall and Hughes’ s PPP washback model. The questionnaire survey and interview are used to investigate the washback effect of the NMET. The conclusions are as follows:(1) NMET comprehensive readings have both positive and negative washback effects on senior high school teachers’ cultivation of students’ culture awareness. The positive effect is more influential than the negative. They are reflected in the goal, the methods, the content and the attitude of cultural awareness cultivation.(2) NMET comprehensive readings have both positive and negative washback effect on the formation of senior high school students’ culture awareness. They are also reflected in the goal, the methods, the content and the attitude of students’ cultural awareness formation.This study also discusses the reasons for the negative washback and gives some suggestions on increasing the positive washback effect and reducing the negative.