VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This study evaluates the washback effect of the Vietnamese National High School Graduation Examination (NHSGE) on English grammar teaching for 12th-grade students through a case study at one private upper-secondary school in Vietnam. Data were collected from five teachers and 85 twelfth graders using questionnaires, semi-structured in-depth interviews, observations of six grammar lessons, and analysis of lesson plans and test-preparation materials. The findings reveal both positive and negative washback effects. On the positive side, 100% of the teachers agreed that the exam helped them identify core grammar foci (tenses, conditionals, passives, relative clauses). Students spent more time on systematic grammar revision, and their average grammar scores on internal tests increased by 12% compared to the pre-exam year. However, negative washback predominated. 80% of the teachers reported that they had reduced communicative grammar activities (e.g., spoken practice, creative writing) to shift to multiple-choice test-item drilling. In 75% of the observed grammar lessons, instruction focused solely on structure recognition and mock tests, with no language production tasks. Over 60% of students admitted learning grammar mainly to cope with the examination, lacking the ability to apply structures in speaking or writing. Lesson plan analysis showed that teachers omitted approximately 30% of textbook grammar content, believing it rarely appeared on the test. The study confirms a strong washback effect, leaning toward negative, due to the mismatch between the exam format (discrete-point multiple choice) and the goals of the 2018 General Education Curriculum (communicative competence). Recommendations include redesigning the test toward contextualized items and balancing test preparation with the development of genuine grammatical competence.

Keywords: washback effect, grammar teaching, National High School Graduation Examination, grade 12, case study