How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

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Chapter 3: Work for positive washback

After all, it’s not going to change by itself The cultural, economic, and political interests that benefit from the status quo are not going to suddenly disappear, so there is no use waiting for this change to happen from the top In fact, research has suggested that even if the entrance exam system were abolished tomorrow, things would likely still stay pretty much the same (Watanabe, 2008: 131): The research into washback to date implies that an attempt to in novate in education could not be successful simply by changing the examination system. If this type of top-down approach does not work, then a more appropriate approach would be the one that starts at the level of individual teachers. As MEXT continues to place new emphasis on communicative goals in language teaching, there will be an urgent need in our pro fession for classroom teachers to equip ourselves with some measure ment tools in order to evaluate students’ oral proficiency (Nagata, 1995) As we develop these skills, our knowledge and influence can grow along with them We can then become more effective sources of information and inspiration to our colleagues in the field Despite strong headwinds, the simple truth is that there is al ways more we can do within the confines of our own classrooms and teaching practice than we realize Conducting speaking tests may seem like a trivial thing, and on one level this is exactly correct! Nevertheless, that old saying from Gandhi still holds true: Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. This truism becomes abundantly clear if you consider what would happen if we did not invest our time and energy into oral testing Hughes (1989: 47) frames the consequences in stark terms: Before we can decide that we cannot afford to test in a way that will promote beneficial backwash, we have to ask ourselves a question: what will be the cost of NOT achieving beneficial back -