Washback on speaking and spoken interaction: teachers’ perceptions in the French as an additional language classroom

Abstract

The increasing importance of tests in society raises questions about their impact on teaching and learning situations, and washback is precisely concerned with the effects they can have on teaching materials and classroom management. Although research in washback is extensive, there are languages that have not received much attention, such as French. Using a corpus of interviews, we study the influence that a standardised exam at the end of the B1 level in Escoles Oficials d’Idiomes (EOI) in Catalonia (Spain) has on teachers’ practices, particularly concerning oral activities. Although most of the teachers believe that their focus is still on teaching rather than testing, the interviews reveal that they may attach more importance to the exam than they realise. Moreover, they seem particularly concerned with the format of the spoken exam, the communicative nature of which they consider questionable. The results of this qualitative analysis further the knowledge of the role of wash-back in the teaching of additional languages.