LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 7 July 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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The Washback Effect of Cloze and Multiple-
Choice Tests on Vocabulary Acquisition

Mansour Amini, Ph.D. Candidate and Noraini Ibrahim- González, Ph.D.

Abstract

Despite attribution of varieties of terminologies by the linguistics scholars for washback effect, such as ‘backwash effect’ and ‘impact’, it is generally known as the effect of testing on teaching and learning, and is defined as “the relationship between teaching, learning and testing” (Tsagari, 2007). Researchers such as Oller (1972, 1979), Alderson (1978,1996), Shohamy (1993), Prodromou (1995), Baily (1996, 1999), Qi (2005), Saif (2006) and Tsagari (2007) in the scope of washback, and Nation (1990, 1993, 2001), Chapelle (1999), Read (2000), and Tseng and Schmitt (2008), in the vocabulary acquisition area, have highlighted that by achieving positive washback effect, learning and teaching are improved and facilitated.

The present study fills in the gap in the scope of washback effect of test types on students’ vocabulary acquisition. The key research question for the present study was to seek any significant relationship between test types (cloze test type and multiple-choice test types) and the washback effect of each test type on the degree to which vocabulary was acquired.

The survey was targeted to pursue the ongoing discussion over the washback effect on vocabulary acquisition. The appropriate method considered in the study was quantitative experimental using pretest- posttest design. The results gained through data analysis, finally suggested that cloze tests, in contrast to multiple-choice tests, led to a better acquisition of vocabulary in the process of language learning, i.e. productive vocabulary learning, which is the ultimate aim of every vocabulary learning project (Nation, 2001). The findings of the study imply that further attention should be paid to tailoring cloze test by teachers, syllabus designers and test developers. Key words: cloze test, multiple choice test, washback, vocabulary acquisition.

1. INTRODUCTION

Many studies in language testing have surveyed the effect of tests on learning and testing – the so-called washback effect (Wall & Anderson, 1993) which all share a point that the role of washback must be considered effectively by test developers, in particular. “The washback effect of testing is primarily the influence of testing on training and learning. … The washback or backwash effect of testing is a well-documented academic phenomenon common to nearly all institutional learning processes” (Shawcross, 2006, pp.152-153). However, it is evident from the major works on washback that this complex phenomenon is more than simply the effect of a test on teaching and learning. It can be observed as the direct or indirect effect of examinations on teaching methods.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Mansour Amini, Ph.D. Candidate in Translation Studies
Section of Malay Language, Translation and Interpreting
School of Humanities
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Penang, Malaysia
mansouramini96@gmail.com

Noraini Ibrahim-González
Senior Lecturer in Interpreting
Freelance Malay-English-Spanish Court Interpreter
Section of Malay Language, Translation and Interpreting
School of Humanities
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Penang, Malaysia

noni.ib@gmail.com
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