Washback effects of the Portuguese CAPLE exams from Chinese university students and teachers’ perspectives: a mixed-methods study

Abstract Research on Portuguese language exams in the language assessment field remains scarce. To bridge this gap, this study examined washback from the large-scale, high-stakes Portuguese proficiency tests created by the Center of Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language ( Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira, or CAPLE as abbreviated). Using Green’s (2007). Theoretical model of washback and an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, questionnaires were first administered to Chinese students of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PFL) who had taken the CAPLE exams ( N = 102) and Chinese, Portuguese, and Brazilian PFL teachers in China ( N = 28) for quantitative data, followed by semi-structured interviews with five participants-three students and two teachers- to obtain results in a qualitative way. Questions about their perceptions and preparational practices of the exams demonstrate that although the CAPLE exams are considered important and high-stakes, PFL students and teachers in China do not consider them a high-pressure burden. Moreover, while the test preparation efforts may indicate some restrictions on the scope of PFL teaching and learning in China, a large proportion of teachers do not change their teaching approach due to the exams but focus on their students’ long-term language development. In general, the washback effect of the CAPLE exams in the Chinese context demonstrates a beneficial trend.