English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Perceptions Towards The Use of the Communicative Testing Method

Abstract

The current study addresses the existing gap between English language programme of the secondary stage classes, and the English language testing method of the Ministry of Education in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), which is used to assess students’ outcomes in English language in the school leaving exams (known as Baccalaureate Exams).The study aims at exploring EFL teachers’ views about English language testing method acquired in the Baccalaureate exams in developing students’ communicative skills. It also aims at revealing their opinions regarding the introduction of a more communicative format for testing students’ outcomes in English in the Baccalaureate Exams of Grade 12. The data for the current study was collected through a questionnaire with a sample of 60 EFL teachers who teach English at Grade 12 in different secondary schools in the KRI. The main findings of the study showed that, the English language test, in the Baccalaureate exams, does not meet the communicative needs of the students. This study has implications for the Ministry of Education to introduce more communicative tests in assessing students’ levels of English at the end of their secondary education.