EFL TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF THEIR TESTING READING COMPREHENSION AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF ITS WASHBACK EFFECTS

Authors

  • Dang The Bac MA Candidate, School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Vietnam Teacher at Binh Thuy High school, Can Tho City, Vietnam
  • Thai Cong Dan Senior Lecturer, Dr., School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejals.v5i1.361

Keywords:

washback effects, teaching reading comprehension, EFL teachers, teachers’ perceptions, teachers’ practices

Abstract

This study aims to investigate two issues. Firstly, it explores English as a foreign language (EFL) high school teachers’ practices of testing and washback in teaching reading comprehension. Secondly, their perceptions of its washback effects are scrutinized. Content analysis, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Sixty teachers at some high schools in Can Tho City, Vietnam were contacted to answer the questionnaire. In the end, five of them were selected to take part in the interviews. The findings indicated that designing tests has a beneficial impact on reading for EFL learners in the areas of students' passion for reading, decreasing reading boredom, students' interest in reading text content, and students' development of thinking skills. It has an impact on the teachers' time allotment, teaching strategies, and instructional materials.

Author Biographies

  • Dang The Bac, MA Candidate, School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Vietnam Teacher at Binh Thuy High school, Can Tho City, Vietnam

    Mr. Dang The Bac is an English teacher at Binh Thuy High school, Can Tho City, Vietnam. He is now an MA candidate in Principles and Methods of English Language Education, School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Vietnam. His main research interests are English teaching methods, writing techniques, English testing and evaluation. He can be reached at bacm1620003@gstudent.ctu.edu.vn

  • Thai Cong Dan, Senior Lecturer, Dr., School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Vietnam

    Mr. Thai Cong Dan, Dean of School of Social Sciences & Humanities (SSSH), Can Tho University (CTU), Vietnam, is currently a lecturer in English. He has held his PhD at Naresuan University, Thailand since 2010 in Educational Administration- English program. His main research interests are TEF/TESOL issues, intercultural communication, high school English learning and teaching, English program management, curriculum design, testing and evaluation and professional development. He can be reached at tcdan@ctu.edu.vn.

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Published

2022-08-30

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