ABSTRACT
Despite its general downplaying, testing plays a central role in communicative classrooms. To varying degrees, testing influences the overall teaching and learning processes at the secondary-level classrooms in Bangladesh. Controlled by regionally spread eight different education boards and centrally supervised by the Ministry of Education, the final year public examination – Secondary School Certificate (SSC) – determines students' assessment and it is one of the most important nationwide examinations in Bangladesh. The current practice of determining students' English language skills through their performance in the final year examinations do not reflect the expectations set out in the language teaching and learning policies of communicative curriculum. It is high time to re-evaluate the policy and practice of English language teaching and learning at the secondary level where the textbook plays a major role. This study investigates how and to what extent the SSC examination influences teachers' use of the new English language textbook. It also explores the underlying factors that are working behind such influence. The study has been conducted involving classroom observation, document analysis, and a series of interviews with secondary English language teachers. It shows that contrary to the expectations of policy makers and content designers, teachers do not use the material in the way it is expected to be used. This chapter concludes with recommendations for change in the current testing system to improve the English language teaching scenario in Bangladesh.
