Negative Washback of 12th Grade Baccalaureate English Language Exam in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract

The current study deals with the phenomenon of washback ‘the effect of examination on teaching/learning’, especially the negative type of washback. It is thought that the 12th Grade Baccalaureate English Language Exam washback replaced teaching to ‘teaching to the test’; teaching is directed towards passing the test rather than learning the target language. The current English language teaching in Kurdistan Region/Iraq has changed to fulfill the final exam demands. This study investigated the negative type of washback in that teaching/learning context. To this end, data was collected from both English language teachers through questionnaire, and by analyzing the 12th grade English language exam sheets. Results obtained show that the 12th Grade Exam negative washback, which occurred due to the testing technique type, affected the teachers/learners to shift their focus from learning the language to prepare the students to pass the exam. It was also found that there was a strong correlation between English language classroom teaching and assessment practices. The pedagogical implication of the study is that there is a problem which needs to be urgently handled. It is recommended that the test should use a different technique to assess the participants’ writing, speaking and listening skills besides their reading skill and grammatical knowledge.