ARE TEACHERS TEACHING TO HIGH-STAKE LANGUAGE TESTS?

Abstract

When the pressure of a high-stake test is too high, does the teacher teach only to help students pass the test? The researcher attempted to find the answer by observing three classes representing three basic English modules: TACS1, TACS2 and TACS3 at Vietnam National University Hanoi (VNU). The context here is that TACS1 and TACS2 equip students with basic language knowledge, and at the end of the TACS3 module, students will have to take the VSTEP (Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency). Only those who have reached Level 3 can qualify for graduation. Initial research findings show that VSTEP had an impact on the teachers’ selection of class organization, content, material and students’ contribution. Teachers seemed to focus more on how to help students become accustomed to the paper format and test-taking strategies than develop their general language ability. However, the findings are only exploratory and can give suggestions for more studies on the issue in the future.