L’effet de retour de l’évaluation dans l'enseignement et l’apprentissage du français sur objectifs spécifiques en contextes technique et scientifique
The Washback Effect of the Assessment in Teaching and Learning French for Specific Purposes in Technical and Scientific Contexts

Summary/Abstract: This article sets out a phenomenon not widely known in the field of language didactics: the washback effect. Over time, the experts have tried to offer several definitions of the term and generally, its meaning sends to the influence exerted by assessment activities on the teaching and learning process of languages. We have examined the impact of washback on educational activities conducted during the courses of French for Specific Purposes from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. We have found that to obtain a positive washback, the exam of FSP must include tasks related to authentic professional communication situations. Furthermore, the teacher should emphasize the teaching content during the assessment, offering the students the possibility of self-assessment to gain autonomy over the learning process. We considered that there is a need to reinterpret and reconsider the assessment activities of FSP since the curriculum, the teaching and learning methods, and materials should be adapted to this relatively unexplored domain from a didactic perspective.

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