132 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Naser Rashidi 1 ; Fatemeh Javanmardi 1,* 1 Shiraz University, Iran *Corresponding author. Email: nrashidi@rose.shirazu.ac.ir Received 30 June 2011; accepted 17 August 2011 Abstract Due to the important roles that nowadays standardized tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, etc. have on students’ lives around the world like Iran, the present study has tried to provide both a clear view toward the washback effect of IELTS preparation courses on learning and teaching outcomes and an obvious path for IELTS teachers in order to modify their methods and their way of teaching if it is necessary. Therefore, the present study has tried to investigate whether IELTS preparation classes have any infuence on the learning processes and the achievement of students in such an examination, specifically in the Iranian context, and at the same time to seek whether the construct of such tests makes any difference in the methods used in teaching or not. Accordingly, the researcher benefted from a mixed method approach that is both qualitative and quantitative modes of inquiry. So, ffty fve students who took part in the IELTS preparation courses and nine IELTS teachers who involved in this learning and teaching process were selected to be representative of the accessible population. The students were supposed to be given one questionnaire before and one after taking part in IELTS preparation classes to extract their expectations of such classes. But because of the limitation of the study that is the shortage of time, both questionnaires were given to them at the same time. The teachers were also supposed to be interviewed and their ideas about these classes were transcribed and codified. However, because of inaccessibility to the teachers, the researcher had to type the questions and give them to the teachers. Finally, the gathered data were submitted to SPSS Software and the results were analyzed and interpreted. The results indicated a signifcant difference between the students’ expectations before taking part in the IELTS preparation courses and their expectations after taking part in such courses. In other words, these classes had both positive and little effects not necessarily negative effects on different Iranian students’ learning processes and their achievement in such an examination. Although the students’ expectations before and after taking the course changed signifcantly due to their both optimistic and pessimistic views toward some aspects of these courses, it was too diffcult to make it clear that in which aspects of the course their expectations changed. Moreover, the construction of such tests affected the teachers’ way of teaching processes and made them teach students different techniques and strategies in comparison to other types of tests. Key words: Washback; IELTS preparation courses; Learning outcomes; Teaching outcomes; Iranian context Résumé En raison de l'importance du rôle que les tests de nos jours standardisés tels que l'IELTS, TOEFL, etc avoir sur la vie des étudiants du monde entier comme l'Iran, la présente étude a tenté de fournir à la fois une vision claire vers l'effet en retour des cours de préparation IELTS apprentissage et l'enseignement des résultats et un chemin évident pour les professeurs IELTS afn de modifer leurs méthodes et leur façon d'enseigner si elle est nécessaire. Par conséquent, la présente étude a tenté de déterminer si les cours de préparation IELTS avoir une quelconque infuence sur le processus d'apprentissage et le rendement des élèves dans un tel examen, en particulier dans le contexte iranien, et dans le même temps de rechercher si la construction de ces tests rend aucune différence dans les méthodes utilisées dans l'enseignement ou non. En conséquence, le chercheur a bénéfcié d'une méthode mixte qui est à la fois qualitatives et quantitatives des modes d'enquête. Ainsi, 55 étudiants qui ont pris part au cours de préparation IELTS IELTS et neuf professeurs qui participent à ce ISSN 1712-8358 [Print] ISSN 1923-6700 [Online] www.cscanada.net www.cscanada.org The IELTS Preparation Washback on Learning and Teaching Outcomes RESULTATS D’APPRENTISSAGE ET D’ENSEIGNEMENT DE LA PREPARATION A L’IELTS WASHBACKS Cross-Cultural Communication Vol. 7, No. 3, 2011, pp. 132-144 DOI:10.3968/j.ccc.1923670020110703.162