Ocenianie stopnia znajomości słownictwa w kontekście jego nauczania: rzeczywistość, potrzeby, możliwości
Testing lexical competence in the context of its teaching: needs and reality

Summary/Abstract: Lexical competence of intermediate and advanced learners of Polish as a foreign language is usually tested by means of tasks which focus on the form and meaning of items and not on their use. This kind of evaluation checks mostly learners’ declarative knowledge that cannot be applied under pressure. A fluent and adequate reaction in authentic situations requires implicit (or highly automatized declarative) knowledge based on such an organization of the mental lexicon in which, beside single words, formulaic expressions are stored. The purpose of the article is an analysis of vocabulary teaching/testing at the B2 level in the context of learners’ needs. The author argues that traditional tests should be complemented by tasks which; (i) necessitate the use not only of specific words but also of formulaic language, (ii) engage learners in a quasi-natural communication. Such tasks could help to evaluate their implicit vocabulary knowledge and their use in tests could in turn have a beneficial effect on the way vocabulary is taught in Polish.

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