Lessons of English in Polish schools: a third-grade lower secondary school perspective

Results from the European Survey on Language Competences (ESLC) show that regular exposure to a foreign language for many Polish pupils is limited to language classes at school. In this light, the authors of this article took a closer look at the Polish ESLC findings. With a discussion on current theoretical approaches, good practice in foreign language teaching and national core curriculum requirements, the paper presents an analysis of student responses to a questionnaire about English lessons at lower secondary school. It also aims to describe how the school language class, as students describe it, achieves its basic goal in language education – communication in a foreign language.