Does grammar translation come from the entrance examination? Preliminary findings from classroom-based research

Abstract

It is often argued that the Japanese university entrance examinations dominate the whole educational process, including the practice of EFL. However, this type of argument has rarely been tested empirically. This research attempts to cast some light on this issue, with special reference to the relationship between university entrance examinations and the use of the grammar-translation approach to teaching in the years leading up to the examination. Classroom observations indicate that teacher factors, such as educational background, personal beliefs and teaching experience may outweigh the possible effect of the entrance examinations. The article concludes with several suggestions for future research.

Entrance examinations and TEFL in Brazil: a case study

“…The public institutions are either state or federal. The situation here is similar to that in Japan, as described by Watanabe (1996), i.e., there is a ranking of universities, and a widespread belief that entering high-ranking ones is a guarantee to better jobs after graduation. As the public institutions are regarded as the best ones, the competition to enter these universities is even greater, which makes these exams high-stakes.…”

“…These results could be interpreted as evidence against a deterministic view of washback and in favor of one which recognizes, as others have done (Gimenez, 1999;Watanabe, 1996), the importance of teacher personal beliefs and educational background, among others, as mediating factors between the exam and the type and amount of washback produced. It can also be said to provide evidence to confirm the hypothesis suggested by Alderson and Wall (1992) and expanded by Hamp-Lyons and Alderson (1996:296) that "Tests will have different amounts and types of washback on some teachers and learners than on other teachers and learners".…”

“…Despite the interest the topic has aroused and the many contributions produced since then (Alderson & Hamp-Lyons, 1996;Bailey, 1996;Cheng, 1999;Hamp-Lyons, 1997;Messick, 1996;Wall 1996;, Watanabe, 1996 one cannot affirm that the debate is resolved, as there is not yet a satisfactory theory to describe and explain its mechanisms. It could not have been otherwise, however, considering the complexity of the issues involved.…”

“…As in the case of the Japanese entrance examinations reported by Watanabe (1996), access to Brazilian universities via examination is extremely competitive, as the number of places is insufficient. Most of the students who fail to enter their target university after graduation from high-school will study another year to take the next year's entrance exam, contributing to the increase in the number of applicants in the following year.…”

Efeito retroativo da avaliação no ensino/aprendizagem de línguas: o estado da arte

“…O estudo de Watanabe (1996) também apresenta dados de um estudo de caso conduzido no Japão para avaliar uma possível relação entre exames vestibulares e o ensino de inglês através do método de gramática-tradução, prevalente naquele país. Os resultados das observações em sala de aula mostram que fatores relacionados ao professor, sua formação, crenças e experiência interferem de forma positiva ou negativa com as características do exame na determinação de seu efeito (vide Seção V, para estudos conduzidos em contexto de exames vestibulares no Brasil).…”