The English language education in Vietnam
As mentioned by Hoang (2011), English test is one of the six national exit exams at Junior and Senior Secondary School and English is studied as a compulsory subject by 94% undergraduates and 92% graduates at Vietnamese institution However, the teaching activities in classes are not delivered in an effective way for students to achieve sufficient levels of competence to pass the certifications required for recruitment Ha (2007) also argues that the level of communicative competence in English of most Vietnamese employees are still very low, and many freshly graduated students cannot get jobs in foreign companies because of the English language requirements The fact is that most Vietnamese learners still cannot use it effectively as a means of communication after a long period of learning English Pham (2004) estimated that in a class of fifty English major learners, fewer than ten graduates have the sufficient English skills for jobs such as interpreters, translators, tour guides or teachers of English Moreover, according to Ellis (1996) and Pham (2004), English classrooms in Vietnam continue to focus more on grammar-oriented than communicative
The current issues point to the fact that Vietnam should upgrade the currently low English teaching and English use standards in order to catch up with the fast globalisation process, sizable inputs and major changes An innovation has been proposed in order to ensure higher standards of English proficiency among students graduating from Vietnamese tertiary institutions One of the main goals of the
“National Foreign Languages Project to the year 2020” (DA2020) is to strengthen students‟ English proficiency throughout the educational system A key feature of this English project is to impose graduation standards control; that is, to require graduates to achieve certain minimum standards before they could graduate from their study programmes Therefore, in early 2008, Vietnamese Ministry of Education & Training (MOET) gave an official instruction, requiring universities and colleges to articulate their graduation standards, among which is the English requirement, by the end of the same year.
Rationale of the study
Since August 15 th , 2015, ULIS-VNU has used the VSTEP as an exit test for all students This proficiency test is completely new in Vietnam and there has no study on this Therefore, I would like to conduct this study in order to explore its impact on students‟ English learning at ULIS
Students at ULIS have to achieve certain level of the VSTEP required by the university before graduation Therefore, the test would have certain impacts on their learning Among students at different years, the first year students are those who just enter a new learning environment The transition from high school to higher education is considered the most stressful period for the first year university students Adapting to the new environment makes them experience many unexpected circumstances Different workload such as assignments, varied teaching methods, and working with other students and lecturers are some examples of these unexpected circumstances Thus, knowing the impact of the test on the first year students‟ learning of English would be helpful to both lecturers and students in their teaching and learning
As mentioned before, the VSTEP is a new test, so an investigation of its impacts on students‟ learning of English at ULIS-VNU could be seen as an example of research on test impact, which has become a significant area of interest in language testing in recent years.
The significance of the study
This is a small-scale empirical study of test impact in Vietnam It is one of the first studies exploring the impacts of the VSTEP - a new English proficiency test in Vietnam, so this study would fill in the research gap on the VSTEP The study is potentially significant in that it provides an insight into the impact of an exit test on English language learning in University of Languages and International
Studies (ULIS) Most importantly, the study highlights the voices of students, the very people at the centre of the learning process
The findings of this study should provide some important information to help the institution; on the other hand, to further improve the test itself for more beneficial impacts, i.e to enhance English teaching and learning through the design and administration of the test and to improve the policy and implementation of the English graduation requirement.
Aims of the study
This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of the VSTEP on the first year students‟ language learning at University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) – Vietnam National University (VNU) Following the study of Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen (2012), the researcher would like to investigate the impact of VSTEP on ULIS students‟ English learning in two ways: academic and affective The academic impact refers to the VSTEP‟s influence on
“students‟ English - learning behavior, as this pertains to learning content (i.e., what students study) and learning methods (i.e., how they study)”, whereas affective impact refers to the VSTEP‟s influence on “students‟ affective conditions, such as goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety.” (Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen, 2012: 82).
Research questions of the study
Research question 1: How does the VSTEP influence the students’ English learning behavior in terms of learning content (i.e., what students study) and learning methods (i.e., how they study)?
Research question 2: How does the VSTEP influence the students’ affective conditions such as goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety?
Organization of the study
The study consists of 5 chapters Chapter 1: Introduction of the research Chapter 2: Literature review (Other researches on this topic are discussed)
Chapter 3: Methodology (the way the researcher collected the data as well as analysis them is showed)
Chapter 4: Findings and discussion Chapter 5: Conclusion and recomendations
The VSTEP
The introduction of the VSTEP as an English certificate exit
It has been obvious that many tertiary institutions integrated graduation standard control into study programmes which was essential for assuring the quality of institutions‟ qualifications There have been several means to achieve the goal
Most universities in Vietnam adopted standardized English proficiency tests such as Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL), either self-developed tests or external public tests, as the means of standards control ULIS is an example of this policy The institution has newly applied a national English proficiency test called Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) and required all the students to submit evidence of the required English level measured by the VSTEP for graduation
The VSTEP is a standardized test designed to measure the English proficiency of undergraduate students at ULIS The test is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and be relevant to the context of English use in Vietnam Students are expected to take the VSTEP from the end of their second year till the last year at ULIS The VSTEP are held several times a year; therefore, students can take the test many times while at the university
The test targets level 3 to level 5 The students of ULIS need to achieve level 5 which is equivalent to the level C1 of the CEFR test Like most of the CEFR - based test, VSTEP consists of four sections: listening, reading, writing and speaking The innovation - setting the VSTEP as a graduation requirement – is expected to have impacts on what and how teachers teach and what and how students learn, thereby promoting students‟ English skills development.
The basic information of the VSTEP levels 3-5
It is clearly that English has played a predominant role in the foreign language teaching program at tertiary level in Vietnam for a long period (Hoang Van Van, 2008) In 1986, opening the door of Vietnam to the world and under the impact of globalisation and internationalisation in higher education lead to the demand for enhancing English language teaching and learning which is one of the most important purposes of higher education renovation in Vietnam The Vietnamese government also seems to prioritise this goal when it officially adopted the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as the national framework of reference for foreign language education in Vietnam in 2008 under Decision 1400/QĐ-TTG Decision 1400/QĐ-TTG is to approve DA2020 and one of the duties of the DA 2020 is to design and apply a tool for assessing English proficiency of Vietnamese students
Therefore, linguists and educators created a local CEFR-V; that is, a Vietnamese version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a set of standards used in teaching English in Vietnam According to Circular No 01/2014 / TT – 01- Ministry of Education & Training on January 24 th ,
2014, Minister of Education and Training has issued the Vietnameses Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) for levels from 3 to 5 It is applied to foreign language training institutions, language training, and language learning in the national education system
2.1.2.2 The format of the VSTEP
There are four parts in the test:
Part 1: Listening _40 minutes Part 2: Reading _60 minutes Part 3: Writing_60 minutes Part 4: Speaking_12 minutes
Table 1 Format of the VSTEP
Parts Time Numbe r of items/ tasks
Listening About 40 minutes (including time to transfer answers into the answer sheet
Test-takers listen to short exchanges, instruction/ announcements, coversations and longer talks and then do the multiple choice questions
To test different listening sub- skills from level 3/B1 to 5/C1: listening to specific information, main ideas, opinions, purposes inferences
(including time to transfer answers into the answer sheet
Test-takers read 4 texts on various topics relevant to level 3/B1-level 5/C1, around 1900-2050 words in total, then do the multiple choice questions
To test different reading sub- skills from level 3/B1 to 5/C1: reading for specific information, main ideas, opinions, purposes inferences, meaning of words
Writing 60 Minutes 2 tasks Task 1: Time limit: 20 minutes Length: 120 words at least Weighting:
10/30 Test takers write a (n) letter/ email in response to a (n) given letter/ email
Task 2: Time limit: 40 minutes Length: 250 words at least Weighting:
20/30 Test takers write an essay on a given topic, using his/ her experience and knowledge to support his/ her arguments
To test written interaction skills and written production skills
Speaking 12 minutes 3 tasks Task 1: Social Interaction: test-takers have to answer three to six questions of two different topics
Task 2: Solution Discussion: test-takers are provided with a situation and three proposed solution options and is required to give opinions about the best solution and counter-arguments for the others
To test various speaking skills: interaction, discussion and presenting a topic to the audience
Development: test-takers develop a given topic He/ she can use the ideas provided in the form of a mind-map and/ or use his/ her own ideas to develop the topic, followed by some further questions
(My translation from http://ulis.vnu.edu.vn/taxonomy/term/205/3273)
Table 2 VSTEP level conversion table
0 – 3,5 Not mention No description 4,0 – 5,5 3 Can understand the gist of a text or a standard speech clearly on familiar themes in work, study, entertainment,
Can handle most situations occurring when travelling in the areas where the language is used
Can write simple texts related to familiar topics or personal interests
Can describe experiences, events, dreams, hopes, aspirations and possibly give a short presentation of reasons explaining their ideas and plans
6,0 – 8,0 4 Can understand the main ideas of a complex text on both specific and abstract topics, including technological exchanges in their field
Can communicate fluently, naturally so that regular communications with native speakers do not make any difficulties for both sides
Can write texts clearly about different topics and can give explanation for their views on a topical issue, point out the advantages and disadvantages of different options
8,5 – 10 5 Can understand long and difficult texts and identify implications
Can express the ideas fluently, promptly and do not take time to find words or phrases to express the ideas
Can use the language flexibly and effectively serving the social/ academic/ professional purposes
Can write texts clearly and cohesively on complex topics, demonstrating the great ability of using types of writing organizations, conjunctions and linking words or phrases
(My translation from http://ulis.vnu.edu.vn/taxonomy/term/205/3273)
The table below shows comparisons between various test scores and level systems (like TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS) and the VSTEP level system
(The above scores are minimum that test takers need to achieve)
(My translation from https://vnu.edu.vn/upload/vanban/2015/05/06/1610-HD-DHQGHN-27Apr2015.PDF)
Definition of impact and related studies
Recently, in language testing research, some researchers have distinguished between „washback‟ and „impact‟ According to Wall (1997), test impact is “any of the effects that a test may have on individuals, policies or practices, within the classroom, the school, the educational system or society as a whole” whereas washback is “the effects of tests on teaching and learning” (p 291) Bachman and Palmer (1996) considered washback as one dimension of test impact; thus, the impact of the test is divided two levels: the micro level, such as the effect of a test on individual students and teachers, and the macro level, such as the impact on society and its educational systems These definitions made the assumption that
“tests or examinations can or should drive teaching, and hence learning” (Cheng &
At micro level, since the 1990s, the term „washback‟ (Alderson & Wall,
1993) in the field of applied linguistics and „backwash‟ (Biggs, 1996) in general education has been used to refer to the impact which occurs in the form of teaching and learning directed towards a test, in terms of both intended positive effects or unintended effects and perhaps negative effects (Alderson & Wall, 1993; Bachman
& Palmer, 1996; Cheng, Watanabe, & Curtis, 2004; Hughes, 2003) Concurring with this, Taylor (2005) also said that washback can be considered positive (beneficial) or negative (harmful) Positive washback encourages good teaching and learning practices while negative washback encourages bad teaching and learning practices Shohamy (1992) also focuses on washback in terms of language learners as test-takers by describing "the utilization of external language tests to affect and drive foreign language learning in the school context" (p 513) Alderson and Wall
(1993) proposed the washback hypotheses which provide clear guidelines on the areas that might be influenced by washback For example, a test will influence teaching and learning; a test will influence what learners learn and how they learn; and a test will influence the rate, sequence, degree, and depth of teaching and learning Similarly, Hughes (1993) pointed out that a test will first influence the participants‟ perceptions and attitudes, then how they perform, and finally the learning outcomes
In a broader way, Bachman and Palmer (1996) argued that washback was a more complex phenomenon than simply the effect of a test on teaching and learning They think the impact of a test should be evaluated with reference to the contextual variables of society's goals and values, the educational system in which the test is used, and the potential outcomes of its use Hughes (2003) also had the same opinions as Bachman and Palmer when he defined washback as “a part of the impact a test may have on learners and teachers, on educational systems in general, and on society at large” (p 53)
Despite different terms defined by different researchers, they all referred to different aspects of the same phenomenon Research studies showed that impact/ washback was an educational phenomenon related to (1) the relationship between teaching, learning and testing, and the relationship between different curriculum components, and to (2) curriculum change and innovation
The term „washback‟at a micro level used interchangeably with impact was chosen in this study as it was the most commonly used in the field of applied linguistics Moreover, Wall (1997) interpreted washback that it includes test effects on teaching and learning For the purpose of this study, the term impact meaning
„washback at micro level‟ is completely suitable as it covers the impact of the VSTEP as a graduation requirement on the first year students‟ learning at ULIS
The influence of washback has been observed on various aspects of learning and it has been found that the washback was generated by numerous mediate factors There have been many research projects looking at washback carried out in several different countries and contexts such as: Netherlands school language exams (Luijten, 1991); a needs-based exam at a Turkish university (Hughes, 1988); the national university entrance examination in China (Li, 1990); the various exams and exam revisions in Hong Kong (Andrews, 1994; Cheng, 2005; Fullilove, 1992; Lam, 1994); the reformed high school entrance exam and a new test in Taiwan (Chen, 2002; Shih, 2007); washback in language testing (Balley, 1999) It is worth examining some of these studies in a little more detail
Shohamy (1993) and Shohamy et al (1996) conducted two research projects in the Israeli context to examine the washback of an interactive English Foreign Language (EFL) oral matriculation test on teaching They concluded that test impact was multi-faceted towards teaching Based on their conclusion, Ferman
(2004) later used questionnaires to explore students‟ views of the English Foreign Language (EFL) oral matriculation test and found differential washback on learners, according to proficiency level The researcher found that low ability students prepared for the test more intensively, including private tutoring and memorising prompts These students generally believed that they could improve their scores by cramming, and studied independently for areas of the test that were not covered in class Additionally, students at the middle ability level said that they experienced the highest average levels of anxiety and felt that the test was one of the most important factors leading to improvement in their language skills Therefore, washback appeared to be most intense for students at this level
In a study investigating the impact of an Arabic Second Language (ASL) test, Shohamy et al (1996) found that the ASL test did not generate a high degree of washback on students‟ learning, and the effects decreased as time went by In spite of changing teaching and learning, the test had not successfully raised the role of Arabic It is found that the stakes of the test were low and teachers thought that the test was not useful for facilitating higher-level learning; therefore, the influence of the ASL test only lasted for a short period of time Shohamy et al draw a conclusion that washback could change over time due to the language status, the importance of the test, , the purpose of the test, the format of the test, and the skills tested
Cheng (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005) conducted a large-scale quantitative and qualitative empirical study with the aim of investigating the influences of the modified Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) which was taken by most secondary school graduates In order to find out the washback of HKCE on students‟ learning, she used questionnaire and received responses from
42 students The students' data revealed that the HKCEE played "a 30% role in their learning," followed by the influence of future jobs, their parents' concerns, and competition with their classmates (ibid., p 47) Thus Cheng (1997) concluded the students felt that the exam is the single greatest factor influencing their English progress In her later 1998 study, Cheng found that students still retained their original learning processes, learning strategies, and individual motivations to learn English although they shifted their attention after the test content was change With respect to washback from HKCEE on students‟ feelings and attitudes, Cheng (1998:
296) pointed that students expressed mixed feelings towards the test itself They recognized that they had motivation to achieve good scores due to the test; on the other hand, they thought that exams were not an accurate reflection of all aspects of their study
Li (1990) did a research titled “the National Matriculation English Test (NMET)” for entrance examination to all universities in China The aim of NMET was to produce a positive washback effect on school teaching and learning Li suggested that due to a large number of people taking this test annually (about three million), it could be seen as a high-stakes test Li discovered that while teachers felt uncomfortable with the NMET, students were much more adaptable and accepted the new testing methods quite readily, due to the significant influence of the test on their future opportunities
Impacts of some English tests as a graduation requirement
There have been many studies related to the today‟s trend in language testing field which are using English proficiency tests as a graduation requirement for students Among several studies, there are three studies which are worth focusing on in more detail
The first study was conducted in context of Taiwan titled “The impact of implementing English proficiency tests as a graduation requirement” at Taiwanese universities of technology by Hui-Fen Hsu (2009) The researcher explored the impacts of a new educational policy on two groups of university students: non- English major students who had to pass one of a set of English proficiency tests at a specified level as a graduation requirement and major English students who did not prescribe any English graduation requirement The results of the study showed that washback on students‟ learning related to three aspects: students‟ learning context, students‟ perception of the impact of the test and their learning With respect to the students‟ learning contexts, the implementation of English proficiency tests as a graduation requirement did have a minimal washback effect on the classroom activities and it did not encourage more English-medium activities outside class
With regard to students‟ perceptions of the impact of English proficiency tests, although students really did not like examinations, examinations seemed to be one of their key motivations for learning English, indicating the important role of examinations in students‟ lives The study revealed that imposing the new regulation might have changed certain aspects of the students‟ attitudes towards teaching and learning, but the regulation did not seem to have changed their attitudes towards the function of examinations With regard to students‟ learning, students who had to comply with the graduation regulation seemed not to be making a concerted effort to prepare for English proficiency tests As a means of motivating students to engage in more English language learning, the graduation requirement was not proving effective
The second study titled “the TOEIC® Test as an Exit Requirement in Universities and Colleges in Danang City, Vietnam: Challenges and Impacts” carried out in Vietnam by Thuy Nhan (2013) The researcher drew a conclusion from her personal experience and the data from the questionnaires The policy to use TOEIC® to decide students‟ graduation eligibility in Danang‟s institutions has increasingly confirmed the gate-keeping role of the English language and accordingly, disadvantaged certain groups of students There are many factors affecting to the effectiveness of the test and learning enhancement such as social and educational backgrounds and demands for learning English The researcher pointed that the effectiveness of the policy in Danang City is yet to be seen This policy has existed many problems that need to be solved Therefore, English programs and teacher training should be modified in a way that could encourage learners‟ production of the target language and make them have enough time and attention to improve English skills and practice for the English exit tests
The third study is the one conducted by Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen
(2012) titled “Students‟ Perceptions of the Impact of the College English Test”
Based on evidence from the questionnaire survey, the researchers found out that the College English Test (CET) has a greater impact on students‟ learning content than on their learning methods In addition, among communicative skills, students focused more on listening and reading than on writing and speaking Moreover, although students‟ self efficacy in regard to their overall English ability and to different English skills was increased as a result of preparing for or taking the CET, they felt more pressure and anxiety In general, the researchers concluded that the CET has certain impacts on students‟ English learning both in term of their English learning behaviors and affective conditions
Regarding affective impact of tests, in an extensive literature review, Kirkland (1971) concluded that tests had impact on some factors such as a student‟s self-concept, motivation, level of aspiration, study practices, and anxiety Firstly, test scores impact students‟ self-concept Based on students‟ opinion towards the test results, their performance on the test and others, the researchers pointed that tests can influence a student‟s self-concept in positive or negative way Secondly, the test can influence a student‟s motivation in regard to the stakes of a test, the frequency with which it is given, and expectations of success or failure on the test
Thirdly, students expecting to reach level of aspiration refers to the level of achievement that a student expects to reach is also related to both self-concept and motivation If they perform the test successfully, it will increases the level of aspiration but if they fail the test, it will decrease their aspiration Fourthly, it is the ways students study in preparing for a test There are different types of tests, such as open-book versus closed-book, multiple-choice versus essay questions, which influence students‟ study practices in different ways Finally, taking tests always bring anxiety and tension to students Students find the tests difficult may often experience more anxiety than those who have no such expectations In particular, Harlen and Deakin-Crick (2003) reviewed the impact of tests on student motivation
They found that there is a complex interaction between motivation and other factors, such as effort, goal orientation, locus of control, self-efficacy, sense of self as a learner, self-esteem, self-regulation, and interest
It can be seen that most studies have focused on academic factors, while students‟ affective conditions have been somewhat neglected As mentioned in chapter 1, part “aims of the study”, this study followed the study of Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen (2012) and investigated the VSTEP‟s impacts on students‟ learning in two ways: academic and affective The academic impact relates to the VSTEP‟s influence on “students‟ English - learning behavior, as this pertains to learning content (i.e., what students study) and learning methods (i.e., how they study)”, whereas affective impact refers to the VSTEP‟s influence on “students‟ affective conditions, such as goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety.” (Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen, 2012: 82)
Summary: In this chapter, two main aspects of the research that are the VSTEP and impact are mentioned In other words, their concepts, classification are listed The impacts of some studies on English proficiency tests as a graduation requirement are discussed as the last part These contents are pointed out with an aim as a base to build up the questions in the questionnaire and the determination of the research design
Introduction
As established in the part “Brief literature review”, the majority of previous studies on test impact focused on how testing influences classroom teaching or on both teaching and learning, whereas studies on how testing influences students‟ learning behaviours and their affective conditions are fewer
Moreover, some studies investigated the impact of tests as a graduation requirement but their participants were those who both had taken and would take the test
Whereas, VSTEP is a new official test in Vietnam based on the CEFR and the participants of this study were only the first year students, so there has been no study about its impact on students‟ learning
This gap in the literature served to inform the design of the present study This part explained and discussed the methods used to collect data and context and participants of this study in order to investigate impact of the VSTEP for the first year students‟ learning at ULIS.
Method of the study
Because my intention was to explore washback effects on learning only, so the design of the study needed to capture a small picture Accordingly, I decided to conduct a questionnaire survey study As Fritz Scheuren (2004: 9) defines “Survey is a method of gathering information from a sample of individuals.”
Due to the purpose and the limited length of the thesis, I chose a single method approach to collect data Using a questionnaire was the most possible method which should be employed in this study Moreover, the review of washback studies in Chapter 2 showed that methods employed to elicit data in previous research studies tended to involve questionnaires, interviews, testing measures and classroom observations A number of studies have drawn on students‟ self-report responses to questionnaires on the effects of standardised testing (e.g, Herman &
Golan, 1991; Shohamy, 1992) Therefore, questionnaire tends to be suited to involving a large number of subjects, as they allow a structured approach, but the result is that they can generate a large volume of numerical data Therefore, the data in this study would be analyzed quantiatively Questionnaire has the possible advantage that they can be administered without the presence of the researcher, particularly when they consist largely of closed questions These have the further administrative advantage that the answers to a questionnaire are often comparatively straightforward to analyse (Cohen et al., 2007; Gillham, 2007) The results are more comprehensive and representative than data obtained from studying individuals
Moreover, the research aims in the present context is to explore the impact of the VSTEP as a graduation requirement on students, so questionnaires would be an appropriate method in order to allow a considerable number students to voice their opinions.
Context of the study
This study was taken place at ULIS_a famous university in Hanoi capital, which is one of the high-ranking universities in Vietnam As the university requires its students to have high college entrance examination scores in order to enroll, its students‟ English language proficiency is generally higher than the national average
Therefore, ULIS really needs to upgrade their educational quality, including English language Using the VSTEP as a national standard certificate is an instance of a significant change in education and language policy at ULIS.
Participants
The researcher chose students whose major was English at ULIS to be the participants of the study on the basis of their agreement to participate The sample included 150 first-year students from 10 classes
The researcher chose the first year students as participants of the study but not the second-year/ third-year or last-year students because of two reasons Firstly, it related to the purpose of the study The researcher would like to explore impacts of the VSTEP on the first year students‟ English learning at ULIS so that even better English learning/ teaching assistance to the first year students could be provided Secondly, the VSTEP is a new test used as a graduation requirement for students at ULIS The first year students were those who just entered the university and approached the test for the first time They all have not taken the test before
Moreover, English levels among the first-year students were surely different Before entering the university, they came from different learning environments and had different language learning background They might follow the seven/ ten/ twelve- year English program Many of them came from rural or remote areas where English grammar was mainly taught and hardly had chance to learn English with native teachers, whereas others came from urban areas or gifted schools might have more chances to learn both grammar and communicative skills VSTEP focuses on four macro skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing For this reason, it can be seen that some students could do grammar test well but they could not speak or listen as well as other students English proficiency varies greatly among students from different social and educational backgrounds Therefore, they would have different attitudes toward the test.
Data collection instrument
As mentioned before, to collect data for the study, a questionnaire was used
This study replicated and modified six tables from the research titled “Students‟ perceptions of the Impact of the College English Test” conducted by Li, Zhong and Suen (2012) at a university in Beijing because of two reasons Firstly, these two studies have similar context The previous research was taken place at a university in Beijing, China where English is considered as a foreign language This is similar to the context of Vietnam in the current study Although both universities are high- ranking ones and their students‟ English language proficiency is generally higher than the national average, English tests often put pressure on students and affect their learning in many ways Secondly, the study being conducted and the research in China have the same goal when focusing on the exit test In both studies, English test is used as a precondition for students to earn a bachelor‟s degree
In term of the structure, the questionnaire items in this study were arranged in a similar order to the one in the research carried out in China Items in the questionnaire were also arranged in categories such as learning content, learning methods, goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety Besides, the questionnaire consisted of two parts The first part comprises students‟ general information and the second part comprises 4-option, forced-choice Likert-type items asking students to select whether they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed, or strongly disagreed with each statement about the impact of the VSTEP To be more specific, part one aims to ask students about some specific information such as English program of study they took, their English result at ULIS‟s entrance exam, whether they are informed of the VSTEP as an English exit requirement by their institution and the required level/ score is achievable for them or not Part two consists of six sections corresponding to table 8 through table 13 as in Li, Zhong and Suen (2012) study Table 8 includes five items related to students‟ reported learning content Table 9 comprises four items about their learning methods Three items in table 10 focus on students‟ goal orientation Table 11 is about students‟ motivation with twelve items There are six items in table 12 which investigate students‟ self-efficacy The last table includes five items focusing on students‟ anxiety
Table 4: Structure of the questionnaire
Part one Students‟ general information (English program of study they took, their English result at ULIS‟s entrance exam, their knowledge about the VSTEP)
Part two Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ learning content 5
Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ learning method 4 Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ goal orientation 3
Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ motivation 12 Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ self-efficacy 6
Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ anxiety 5
In term of editing, due to the similarities between these two studies, the researcher decided to replicate the research instrument in the previous study which is questionnaire In this paper, the researcher just edited some question items compared to the original version; for example, CET was changed into VSTEP and Chinese into Vietnamese In the table 9 of learning methods, the first item “I have taken or will take the CET coaching classes” was rewritten as: “I will take the VSTEP coaching classes” because the study‟s goal is to investigate impacts of VSTEP on “future” VSTEP takers Besides, the phrases “taking or preparing for the VSTEP” in some survey items of tables 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 were all edited into
“preparing for the VSTEP” because the participants of the current study are the first-year students who have never taken the VSTEP before
Table 5: Changes of some items in the edited questionnaire compared to original version
I will work hard to practice English speaking if it is required on the CET
I will work hard to practice English speaking if it is required on the VSTEP
In order to prepare for the CET, I spend more time practicing English–Chinese translation
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time practicing English–
I have taken or will take the CET coaching classes
I will take the VSTEP coaching classes
Taking or preparing for the CET makes me more motivated to learn English
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me more motivated to learn English
I spend more time learning English because of taking or preparing for the CET
I spend more time learning English because of preparing for the VSTEP
In term of piloting, the questionnaire used for this survey is written in English and directly delivered to a sample of 50 first-year students at ULIS to get an insight into the possible issues such as comprehension of questionnaire items or response The researcher personally delivered the questionnaires to the students
These students were asked to do the trial questionnaire by attempting to answer the questions and by writing comments on any problems they had, or any issues that occurred to them The presence of the researcher enabled students to ask questions about the questionnaire or the task while they were doing it The purpose was to determine whether (a) the question items in the questionnaire were understood as intended, and (b) they were understood in the same way by all students It also aimed to pre-test the questions and items and to determine what was and was not working in the questionnaire In this current study, as the researcher replicated the questionnaires from the previous study, there were no problem for students to understand part two but they were confused with some items in part one The first item is “numbers of year (s) you have studied English” The first year students misunderstood this item because some students counted total years they have learnt English till the time of questionnaire survey while the others thought that it was numbers of year (s) they have studied English at ULIS However, the researcher‟s intention was to ask about the English program they took: 7-year/ 10-year/ 12-year program Therefore, the item was edited as: “which English program did you take? - 7-year program; 10-year program; 12-year program” The second item which is
“what was your English result at entrance exam?” also made students confused
Therefore, it was rewritten into “What was your English test result at the Vietnam National University (VNU) entrance exam - English proficiency section?”
Table 6: Changes of some items between pilot and main questionnaire
1.1 Numbers of year (s) you have studied
Which English program of study did you take?
☐12-year program 1.2 What was your English result at entrance exam?
What was your English test result at the Vietnam National University (VNU) entrance exam - English proficiency section? /80
Data collection and analysis procedures
Copies of the final questionnaire were distributed to 150 first year students at ULIS with the guide of the researcher The researcher spent three days delivering and collecting questionnaires from the students Firstly, the researcher delivered about 40 questionnaires to the students of four classes during their break time
Although each class has about 30 to 40 students, the reseacher did not issue all of 40 questionnaires to one or two classes because not all students in each class were willing to do the survey Some students were busy doing their assignments or others went out for some personal reasons Moreover, due to the limitation of the break time or the noise from the outside of the class at break time, students could not do the survey carefully Therefore, the researcher decided to deliver to those who lived in the hostel because normally most of the first year students live there However, the researcher did not know exactly their room number, so the researcher had to knock at the door of each room In total, the researcher left 110 questionnaires in 38 rooms where the first year students lived Then the researcher collected all the time to do the survey carefully After collecting the completed questionnaire, the researcher checked how many questionnaire were valid in total 20 out of 150 questionnaires were invalid because these students reported that they did not know about the VSTEP and were not informed of the VSTEP as a graduation requirement Therefore, they did not complete other items related to the VSTEP
Then, the researcher analyzed the information from collected questionnaire
Because the data from the questionnaire was not complex, the researcher first calculated all the questionnaire items After that, the researcher used Microsoft Excel to change the numbers in each item into percentages All percentages were reported as valid percentages with missing data excluded The tables were created in Microsoft Word
Summary: This chapter has showed the methodology applied in this research by means of a questionnaire with elaborating questions for 150 first year students at ULIS In the chapter, the process from collecting data to analyzing them is discussed All participants‟ confusions were clarified and their suggestion was also taken into consideration to make an amendment to the questionnaire The questionnaire‟s format and content were explained carefully in this chapter The results collected were then transferred into numerical forms and presented in tables
This presentation of the methodology would help make the easier way for studying the next chapter
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Some general information about the first-year students
English program of study 7-year program 40,8
English test result at the VNU entrance exam
Be informed of the VSTEP as an exit requirement
Achievable required level/ score Yes 91,6
Since 2009 there have been 2 programs: the 7 year program (700 hours) and the 10 year program (1,050 hours) at secondary schools As shown in the table, the students of the 7-year program account for the highest percentage Those of the 10- year program account for over 36% in total Nearly one fourth of students followed the 12-year program The students of the 12 year program may have two years of learning English as an optional subject, not a compulsory one as the former two programs It can be seen that students‟ English language background is different
Many of them started to learn English from grade six whereas other students began studying English at grade three or even grade one
Due to a high-ranking university, all students are required to have a good English language background To enter ULIS, students had to take the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) Entrance Test of English Proficiency which includes 80 question items As shown in the table, students‟ results ranged from 51 to 78 in total of 80 Over 67 % of students reached 60-69 out of 80 in the test About one fifth of students had English result ranging from 51 to 59 Whereas only 13,3
% of them gained from 71 to 78 In general, students‟ English test results at the entrance exam were high This implicates that their English proficiency was good at the starting point
VSTEP is a new test, so the institution often informs the first year students at the meeting organized before the new school year It has newly applied at ULIS as an exit requirement test The table shows that over 86% of students were informed of the VSTEP as an English exit requirement whereas over one tenth of them reported that they were not There were some reasons for their unknown of the VSTEP Some students said that they were absent from the meeting which was organized for the first year students before a new school year The others admitted that they did not pay much attention to what the teachers said during the meeting It can be seen that not all of the students knew about VSTEP and its requirement
Among students who were informed of VSTEP as an exit requirement test, only 8,4% of them said that the required level/ score of the VSTEP was not achievable for them because of some reasons such as the VSTEP is so difficult for them, they would not study hard or they were afraid of failing the listening part
This result shows that these students are not willing to prepare for and try their best to take the test Whereas, over 91% of students reported that the required level/ score of the VSTEP was achievable for them The following are about some of their opinions about the reason why they chose yes:
- “ I think it is not really hard
- I will try my best, no matter how hard it is
- Because we are taught carefully at school
- I have a basic ground and I’m practicing to get it
- I’m on my way to reach the required score
- I will try my best to get it
- I will learn and achieve it, no matter what required score is
- I have two years to try my best
- I have a good foundation and ability to focus
- Because I will try my best to obtain it
- I will make every effort to achieve that required score”
From the students‟ responses, it can be seen that these students are willing to take the VSTEP and they will put every their effort to prepare and learn English for this test with the best result as they can They show their high motivation towards their learning and the test.
Impacts of the VSTEP on students’ English learning
Academic impacts: Learning Content and Learning Methods
In table 8, there are five items related to the impact of the VSTEP on students‟ English study behavior in term of learning content The table shows the percentage of the students who strongly agreed (SA), agreed (A), disagreed (D), or strongly disagreed (SD) with each item The items in this table are listed in descending order of the overall percentage of SA responses In other words, the item listed at the top has the highest percentage of SA responses, whereas the item at the bottom has the lowest percentage of SA responses
Table 8 Impact of the VSTEP on students’ learning content
I will work hard to practice English speaking if it is required on the VSTEP
I will spend more time practicing English listening if listening gets heavier weight in the VSTEP
I pay more attention to the words that are labeled as VSTEP vocabulary
I am more attentive in the class if the teacher lectures on contents related to the VSTEP
I pay more attention to the content that is related to the VSTEP
Note: SA =Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree All the numbers in the cells are percentages
It can be seen that over 90% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would work hard to practice English speaking if it was required on the VSTEP
As mentioned in chapter 1, speaking is one of four main skills in the structure of the VSTEP because VSTEP is based on the CEFR According to the students‟ responses, the majority of students would focus more on developing their English- speaking ability Whereas, over 87% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time practicing English listening if it got heavier weight in the VSTEP The high percentages of SA and A responses related to speaking-listening skills show that speaking cannot be separated from listening According to Long
(1987), the listening skill has been considered as the other half of oral proficiency
In context of Vietnam, Lâm (2011) claimed that students practised listening and speaking skills very little in class because they spend most of their time learning grammar, vocabulary and reading text documents Teachers do not pay attention to listening and speaking activities; and often give students two-language lectures
(native language and English) Therefore, students at tertiary education are under- standard listening and speaking skills (Van et al., 2006) That might be the reason why most of the first year students focus more on these two skills
Similarly, over 72% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would be more attentive in class if the teacher lectured on content related to the VSTEP Due to the VSTEP as a graduation requirement, students seem to take more concern about its content Likewise, over 81% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they would pay more attention to the content that is related to the VSTEP, which again tends to confirm the VSTEP‟s influence on their learning content In fact, VSTEP is used in the current curriculum at ULIS, so students would be more familiar with the test and put more concentration on the lessons which are related to VSTEP
Furthermore, over 85% the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would pay more attention to the words labeled as VSTEP vocabulary The National Reading Panel's (NICHD, 2000) concluded that vocabulary learning is effective when it entails active engagement in learning tasks Vocabulary words should be those that the learner will find useful in many contexts When vocabulary items are derived from content learning materials, the learner will be better equipped to deal with specific reading matter in content areas Therefore, it is likely that students would pay particular attention to the words labeled as VSTEP vocabulary
In general, current curriculum at ULIS is completely suitable for students to take the VSTEP because the VSTEP focuses on four English skills: reading, speaking, writing and listening while students at ULIS also have two first years to learn these communicative skills They have chance to practice the VSTEP before taking the test because teachers often give them tasks and activities related to the VSTEP and the content of the mid-term and final tests during the two first years are mostly related to the VSTEP Therefore, students could know what to study in order to prepare for the VSTEP well and improve their English learning
Table 9 Impact of the VSTEP on students’ learning methods
I will take the VSTEP coaching classes 14,6 63,1 19,2 3,1
I will buy or have bought VSTEP coaching materials
I would like to try any learning methods that can help me perform better on the VSTEP
Preparing for the VSTEP influences the way I learn English
Note: SA =Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree All the numbers in the cells are percentages
Table 9 presents the four items related to learning methods Over 77% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would take the VSTEP coaching classes whereas over 22% of the students disagreed or strongly disagreed with this item At present, after-school VSTEP classes have become popular in Hanoi Such classes not only provide intensive training on how to learn English but also they offer training on test-taking strategies Compared to self-study, benefits of coaching classes are interaction with an enormous group of people which is very essential for students in the language environment Besides, more than two third of students would buy the VSTEP coaching materials Students could find a large number of VSTEP coaching materials on the market or on some websites The VSTEP committee has also issued a manual of the structure of the VSTEP test and a sample test However, the quality of the VSTEP coaching classes and materials which are online or on the markets varies greatly, so the students need to be careful in choosing where to take coaching classes or which materials to study These results show that majority of the participating students would take VSTEP coaching classes and/ or buy VSTEP coaching materials Over 80% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would try any learning method that might help them perform better on the VSTEP while over 71% of the students thought that preparing for the VSTEP influenced the way they learned English Accordingly, table 8 and table 9 show that both students‟ learning method and learning content are influenced by VSTEP.
Affective impacts: goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy and
Table 10 Impact of the VSTEP on students’ goal orientation
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me have clearer goals in learning English
To pass the VSTEP is my major driving force in learning English
To pass the VSTEP is my major purpose for learning English
Note: SA =Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree All the numbers in the cells are percentages
Pintrich & Schunk (1996) found out that goals provide students with direction and a purpose for engaging in an activity And Anderman, Austin, &
Johnson (2002) pointed that goal orientations constitute students‟ reasons for engaging in academic tasks Three items in the table are related to goal orientation
Table 10 presents that over two third (69,3%) of the students agreed or strongly agreed that preparing for the VSTEP made them have clearer English- learning goals whereas nearly a half of of them (about 45%) agreed or strongly agreed that passing the VSTEP was their major driving force for learning English
However, only one fourth (27,7%) agreed or strongly agreed that passing the
VSTEP was their major purpose for learning English The data reveals that the VSTEP helps students set their learning goal and make them concentrate more on their English learning
A concept related to goal orientation is motivation, which is “a stimulant for achieving a specific target” (Johnstone, 1999, p 146) Motivation is a broader concept, and there are many different theoretical models which have been developed to describe it In this study, motivation mainly relates to how much effort the students are willing to make to pass the VSTEP Table 11 shows the results of
12 items related to students‟ motivation
It can be seen that over 74% (about three fourth) of the students agreed or strongly agreed that preparing for the VSTEP made them more motivated to learn English More than a half (57,7%) of them agreed or strongly agreed that they spent more time learning English because of preparing for the VSTEP Over 71% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the VSTEP made them feel that English was a very useful tool, and 67,7% of them agreed or strongly agreed that preparing for the VSTEP made them feel that English learning was more important
Table 11 Impact of the VSTEP on students’ motivation
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me more motivated to learn English
I spend more time learning English because of preparing for the VSTEP
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time memorizing English words
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time watching English movies
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more 12,3 64,6 20 3,1 time listening to English broadcasts
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time practicing English–Vietnamese translation
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time practicing English writing
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time reading English newspapers
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me pay more attention to English use in real life
The VSTEP makes me feel that the English language is a very useful tool
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me feel that learning English is more important
In order to prepare for the VSTEP, I spend more time learning English and American literature
Note: SA =Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree All the numbers in the cells are percentages
However, according to students‟ responses, the extra time that they would spend on specific language skills varied For instance, nearly 80% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time memorizing English words This result reveals that students focus much on rote memorization in their English-learning practices It is understandable because as Thompson (2009) finds that in Vietnam, rote learning has become a popular learning style of students from primary school to university He also claims that “students are expected to accept the knowledge provided by the instructors as truth” , while Stephen et al (2006) criticise that Vietnamese student‟s learning and the learning process are passive and only involves listening to lectures, taking notes, and reproducing memorized information in exams
In addition, over 71% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time watching English movies and more than 73% of them agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time practicing English- Vietnamese translation The first-year students who just enter university may cope with many English language problems such as poor comprehension, limited vocabulary, slow reading, bad grammar and low-level conversational skills And movies can help on all these factors As Luo (2004) states that students‟ listening skill “did improve” through the instruction of using DVD movies in a motivating learning environment with “lower level of anxiety” after a whole school year
Moreover, many Vietnamese students often have difficulties in English-Vietnamese translation because they often translate word by word This explains why approximately three fourth of students would watch English movies and practice English-Vietnamese translation in order to prepare for the VSTEP
Besides, approximately 77% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time listening to English broadcasts This result shows that students may find listening skill difficult and need more time to practice 62,3% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time reading English newspapers It seems that students learned English not only from books but also from other channels; however, newspapers were not as popular as movies or broadcasts for their English learning Whereas approximately 65% of them agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time learning English and American literature
Those who agreed or strongly agreed that preparing for the VSTEP made them pay more attention to English use in real life totaled 73,8% It is the fact that the VSTEP assesses authentic language use in real life In all specific language skills mentioned in this part, students seem to pay much more attention to writing skill when 83,1% of them agreed or strongly agreed that they would spend more time practicing English writing As Daly and Miller (1975) stated that the majority of language learners at all levels consider writing as one of the most complex skills to master (p.244) It can be evidence that students‟ needs regarding to writing are at a higher level compared to other communicative skills
Table 12 Impact of the VSTEP on students’ self-efficacy
I feel more confident about my English-reading ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
I feel more confident about my English-listening ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
I feel more confident about my overall English proficiency as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
I feel more able to use English in real situations as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
I feel more confident about my English-speaking ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
I feel more confident about my English-writing ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
Note: SA =Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree All the numbers in the cells are percentages
Self-efficacy is believed to “influence how well people motivate themselves and persevere in the face of difficulties through the goals they set for themselves, their outcome expectations, and causal attributions for their successes and failures”
(Bandura, 2011, p.13) Schunk and Meece (2005) also emphasized, “Self-efficacy is hypothesized to affect individuals‟ task choices, effort, persistence, and achievement” (p 73)
As shown in Table 12, over 71% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more confident about their English reading and listening ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP Reading and listening have also been focused in the VSTEP; therefore, students may have put more effort into reading and listening and consequently feel more confident about their reading and listening ability In addition, over three fourth of students felt the same way about their writing ability and agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more able to use English in real situation as a result of preparing for the VSTEP Table 11 showed that the students focused more on writing compared to other specific language skills This may account for the reason why they felt more confident about their English-writing ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP Table 11 also presented that approximately three fourth of students agreed or strongly agreed that preparing for the VSTEP would make them pay more attention to English use in real life Therefore, they felt more capable of using English in real situations as a result of preparing for the VSTEP
English speaking skill is compulsory in the VSTEP and as analyzed in table 8, more than 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they would work hard to practice English speaking if it was required on the VSTEP This result may explain for why over 84% of students felt more confident about their English speaking ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP Furthermore, nearly 80% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more confident about their overall English proficiency as a result of preparing for the VSTEP It can be seen that table 12 showed the high percentages of SA and A responses Therefore, it is reasonable to surmise that VSTEP influences on students‟ self-efficacy in all language skills, especially speaking and writing skill
Table 13 Impact of the VSTEP on students’ anxiety
I am under greater pressure to learn English because of preparing for the VSTEP
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me feel more 16,9 45,4 31,5 6,2 anxious about learning English
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me feel that I have failed in my efforts to learn English
Preparing for the VSTEP makes me more frustrated with learning English
I am more afraid of learning English because of preparing for the VSTEP
Note: SA =Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SD = Strongly Disagree All the numbers in the cells are percentages
Table 13 shows that over a half of the students (57,7%) agreed or strongly agreed that they were under greater pressure because of preparing for the VSTEP, and more than 62% agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more anxious about learning English as a result of preparing for the VSTEP As mentioned in chapter 1, the VSTEP is used as an exit test Therefore, it may put pressure on students because it directly relates to their overall studying result If they do not pass the VSTEP during their school years, they cannot graduate From the students‟ responses, approximately 30% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that preparing for the VSTEP made them feel that they had failed in their efforts to learn English Around one third of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more frustrated with learning English and had become more afraid of learning English This is somewhat in contrast with the increasing self-efficacy they reported in terms of their English ability, as illustrated in Table 12 While students felt more confident about their English ability as a result of preparing for the VSTEP, the test preparation put them under great pressure and became more anxious about and frustrated with learning English It can be seen that in spite of students‟ high confidence level, they still felt anxious due to the VSTEP exit requirement
Summary: Findings and results to all two research questions are presented in this chapter It shows that the VSTEP has great impact on students in both terms of academic and affective Besides, although the part 4.1 “some general information of the first-year students” is not directly addressed in the research questions, it is considered as an evidence for making some recommendations in the following chapter
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
From evidence of the questionnaire survey in this study, the VSTEP seems to have had a pervasive impact on the participating students, both in terms of their English-learning behaviors and affective conditions First, the VSTEP has a great impact on students‟ learning behaviour referring to learning content and learning methods The VSTEP seems to be effective in directing students‟ attention to what they need to learn and how they study in order to pass it Current curricula at ULIS are constructed to meet the needs and proficiency levels of students Test- preparatory classes or test-related instruction in regular English classes are offered, so students have been more familiar with the test and a clear direction as to what and how to prepare for it Second, the VSTEP influences students‟ affective conditions In term of goal orientation and motivation, over two third of the students felt that the VSTEP had caused them to clarify their English learning goals, and about three fourth of the students were more motivated to put more effort to learn English It showed that the students usually expressed their willingness to put their effort to learn all language skills However, they seem to put more effort into writing skill than other communicative skills Besides, the VSTEP also has great impact on students‟ self-efficacy and anxiety Approximately 80% of the students reported a higher level of self-efficacy in regard to their overall English ability and to different English skills, especially speaking and writing as a result of preparing for the VSTEP Despite the increasing self-efficacy, however, almost 60% of the students reported that they felt more pressure and anxiety as a result of preparing for the VSTEP, and around one third of the students felt more frustrated with learning English and became more afraid of learning English
As mentioned in Chapter two “Literature Review”, tests influence students‟ learning on “both intended positive effects or unintended effects and perhaps negative effects” (Alderson & Wall, 1993; Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Cheng, Watanabe, & Curtis, 2004; Hughes, 2003) In the present study, the exit requirement of the VSTEP has brought about both positive and negative washback Whereas most of the students were motivated to learn English as a result of preparing for the VSTEP, the VSTEP also made many of them feel more anxious about and frustrated with their efforts to learn English The exit requirement may put undue pressure on students because of the concern that they may not be able to graduate if they do not pass the test