Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to redraw the boundaries of EFL from a teaching-testing perspective. Though the crux of the problem in language teaching has always been the general principles underpinning the methodologies, the ‘what-to-teach’ and the ‘what-to-test’ questions have always been a concern for most stakeholders. Parents would most probably argue about what is best to be taught to their children as well as about the most appropriate and effective learning path leading to their offspring success, whereas the others, not least, teachers, strive to cope with a delicate intertwined questioning of how to strike the balance between an effective teaching and an efficient testing. However, this thorny issue, so to speak, is not a new one. The relationship between teaching and testing has called into question the communicative abilities of Algerian EFL learners. To score high, through a test-oriented teaching in an EFL exam does not necessarily mean to speak fluently and to write accurately the English language. EFL learners in public schools are in most need of a well-rounded education.

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