Washback Of The New TEM-4 Writing On English Majors' Out-of-class Writing Learning

Washback generally refers to the influence of a test on teaching and learning,theoretical and empirical studies of which have obtained a wealth of research achievements.Test for English Majors for Grade Four(TEM-4),aiming at checking whether the sophomores majoring in English who have finished the courses of the foundation stage have fulfilled the requirements specified in the National Teaching Syllabus for English Majors,has been recognized extensively as a scientific and authoritative test in China.In its latest reform in 2016,some adjustments and modifications have been made to the test format and content.Currently,washback study on the new TEM-4 is still in its initial stage.Focusing on the new TEM-4 writing and English majors' out-of-class writing learning,the present study seeks to answer two research questions:(1)What are the washback effects of the new TEM-4 writing on English majors' out-of-class writing learning?(2)Is the nature of the new TEM-4 writing's washback on English majors' out-of-class writing learning positive or negative? A total of 178 second-year English majors from Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Zhongnan University of Economics and Law,and South-central University for Nationalities participate in the questionnaire survey,and 15 of them are invited to take part in the in-depth interviews.The results indicate that English majors generally hold much more positive attitudes towards the new TEM-4 writing.Besides,English majors' psychology,out-ofclass writing learning content,method,time arrangement,degree and depth are all affected by the new TEM-4 writing.In addition,the new TEM-4 writing has generated both positive and negative washback on English majors' out-of-class writing learning.On the one hand,the new TEM-4 writing helps English majors set specific learning goals,enriches and broadens their out-of-class writing learning content and method,extends and deepens their out-of-class writing learning degree and depth.It also stimulates students to invest more time in writing learning.On the other hand,the new TEM-4 writing imposes pressure and anxiety on English majors' out-of-class writing learning and makes some students' out-of-class writing practices totally test-oriented.Based on the results and findings of this thesis,some implications for English majors' out-of-class writing learning and future improvement of the new TEM-4 writing are put forward.