The Practice of Teaching to the Test in General English Classes: A Case Study of a University in Vietnam

The assessment of both students and teachers depends too much on grades, causing most teachers to choose the “teaching to the test” method. This choice is due to the pressure of assessment and also the wishes of most students. This study examines how teachers have implemented “teaching to the test” in their General English (GE) classes, and what their views are on this method. To answer the above questions, a research method including both qualitative and quantitative methods was conducted with teachers at a university in Vietnam. Two data collection tools were a questionnaire and an interview. The results from the questionnaire show that teachers emphasize on test-wiseness training, curriculum narrowing, and motivational activities to maximize students’ final exam performance. However, teaching test content and format, although moderately employed, often overshadows efforts to develop students’ broader communicative and practical language skills. When interviewed about teachers’ views on this approach, they expressed concerns about long-term negative impacts such as limiting the development of comprehensive language skills and reducing students’ career opportunities. Although this approach helps students improve their short-term performance, its negative effects make it necessary for teachers and administrators to reconsider how they assess teachers’ and students’ abilities and rebalance their teaching programs accordingly.