Abstract: Test for English Majors-Band 4 (TEM-4) is one of the important ways to detect the English skills of English majors who have learned the English courses on fundamental stage. Although scholars at home and abroad have done a lot of studies on this test’s reliability, teaching strategies and so on, there is still a lot to do on the study of the washback effect of TEM-4, especially the washback effect on English majors’ learning. This paper takes English majors in ZUFE as an example and uses five dimensionalities of washback effect: specificity, intensity, length, intentionality and direction as a pointcut to explore the washback effect of TEM-4 on English majors’ learning at the level of “learners’ learning”, aiming at providing new enlightenment for English education.

Key words: TEM-4; English major; dimensionality; washback effect

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Washback Effect-2

2.1 Definitions of Washback Effect-2

2.2 Washback Effect Models-3

2.2.1 Alderson and Wall’s Washback Hypotheses-3

2.2.2 Hughes’ PPP Model-4

2.3 Five Dimensionalities of Washback Effect-5

3. Research Design-6

3.1 Purpose of the Study-6

3.2 Subjects of the Study-7

3.3 Instruments of the Study-8

3.4 Procedures for Data Collection-8

4. Data Analysis and Discussion-9

4.1 Washback Effect of TEM-4 in Specificity-9

4.2 Washback Effect of TEM-4 in Intensity-12

4.3 Washback Effect of TEM-4 in Length-14

4.4 Washback Effect of TEM-4 in Intentionality-17

4.5 Washback Effect of TEM-4 in Direction-19

5. Suggestions for English Majors-21

6. Conclusion-22

References-25

Appendix I Questionnaire-27

Appendix II Survey Questions-32