Subjective critiques can often be heard about the quality of English language teaching and learning in higher education in Nepal -- both as being deteriorated and upgraded. This study stemming from the major finding of a previous one -- low grammatical proficiency of B. Ed. English majors studying at a community campus in Nepal -- was an attempt,…

This paper reports on a study that explored the impacts of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) English test on students' motivation to learn English. Unlike previous studies on test impact, this study has extensively explored both the pre-test and post-test impacts of the test on students' motivation to learn English. The data generated…

The practice of integrating pedagogical approaches using multimedia technologies has become one of the common interests in education in recent years. The technology-based approaches such as computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) and electronic literacy approach (ELA) are spreading widely in English language teaching (ELT) at present. The…

Parents, one of the primary stakeholders in their child's performance in tests, can play a vital role in assessment. As these high-stakes tests are likely to bring life-changing consequences to students' lives, most parents try their best to help their children to prepare for them. However, almost no research has explored the nature of parental…

The author, having drawn examples from her doctoral study, describes how a thematic analysis approach was employed to interpret raw data in her doctoral study which explored the impacts of a high-stakes test on students and parents in Nepal. As the main purpose of this paper is to provide some guidelines for English language teaching (ELT)…

The effect of high-stakes language tests on teaching and learning a language is usually known as washback. The true nature of test washback can be understood only by taking account of the educational, cultural, political and social contexts in which the test operates. Nevertheless, little research has explored the factors that affect the nature of…

This project examined academic reading in two contrasting English as a medium of instruction (EMI) university settings in Nepal and Sweden and the unique challenges facing students who are studying in a language other than their primary language. The motivation for the project was to explore the role of high-stakes testing in EMI contexts and the…

The notion of washback, that testing influences teaching, is explored and a series of possible hypotheses are advanced. The empirical research in general education and in language education is reviewed to determine whether washback actually exists, how it can be measured, and what accounts for its form. Proposals for future research are suggested.…

The concept of washback, or backwash, defined as the influence of testing on instruction, is discussed with relation to second language teaching and testing. While the literature of second language testing suggests that tests are commonly considered to be powerful determiners of what happens in the classroom, the concept of washback is not well…

This is a summary in outline form of the English language teaching situation in Nepal. Among the educated Nepalese, English has for a number of years been almost a second language. Its chief uses are as a medium of instruction in certain subjects at degree level, as the principal language for the growing tourist industry and as the medium of…

Papers on aspects of second language program evaluation include the following: "The Role of Language Testing in Language Program Evaluation" (Adrian Palmer); "Defining an Appropriate Role for Language Tests in Intensive English Language Programs" (Margaret Des Brisay, Doreen Ready); "Principles and Practice in an…