An Investigation of the Washback Effect of the New National Matriculation English Test (NMET) on Senior Three English Teaching in a State High School in Hunan China

Abstract

The National Matriculation English Test (NMET) is one of the compulsoryparts of China’s college entrance examination that is designed and organized yearly by the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA). In addition to improving the fairness and authority of the NMET, as a high-stake test, allowing it to play the guiding role in high school English teaching and learning is one of most important reasons for its continuous reform. Hunan province located in central China has undergone two major NMET reforms in the last four years, which has had a great impact on high school English teaching and learning and this phenomenon is called the washback effect in the field of language education.