Open AccessTESTING WRITING: THE WASHBACK EFFECT ON ENGLISH COURSES
Author(s) -
Victoria Peña Jaenes
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the grove
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2386-5431
pISSN - 1137-005X
DOI - 10.17561/grove.v24.a4
Subject(s) - mathematics education , test (biology) , task (project management) , psychology , process (computing) , computer science , engineering , paleontology , systems engineering , biology , operating system
This paper analyses the potential washback effect of the Cambridge English First test on language courses by considering the choice of writing tasks and the key aspects for success in the test according to learners and teachers. For that purpose, several approaches about the washback effect have been considered and they have inspired the research process, in which six institutions, 136 students and 17 teachers have taken part. After discussing the results obtained from questionnaires and teaching diaries in the light of the latest views on washback, several conclusions have been drawn. The washback effect is evident in the task types used and also in the activities considered more effective to pass the test.