Introduction

The main subject of my thesis is testing vocabulary skills. The thesis is divided into
theoretical and practical part. In the theoretical part I will try to summarize
various
kinds of tests, then I will focus on those methods of testing which would be
suitable for
testing vocabulary. Besides I will also deal with the basic principles of tests such
as
validity and reliability and the question of size of vocabulary and if it is important
to test
it. In the practical part I will use various methods of testing vocabulary in real
classes.
As a teacher of the lyceum I have a great opportunity to use the methods in
practice. In the thesis I want to explore some other ways of testing and my secret
wish is
to do the testing more interesting or even amusing. I want to stop the routine of
CzechEnglish translations and started to be more creative. Moreover, the other goal is
to use
the vocabulary more in practice or in context and to work with the words more
intensively so that the students would remember them better.
Many of the techniques described in the theoretical part will be used in
classes in more or less modified versions. My goal is to find those methods which
would be easy to prepare and to correct but also inventive and raising students
nterests
in learning vocabulary.
Chapter I. The new Learner - Centred Approach in testing Vocabulary Skills.

Introduction
I come to school to learn, not to be tested [6, 9]. As teachers, how many
times have we heard this remark from our learners? And how many times have we
agonized over how to make a course culminating in an exam more interesting,
motivating and meaningful to each of our students.
The name of the work characterizes its contents exactly enough. The
research is devoted to learning of effective ways of testing English vocabulary
from different points of view.
The topicality of this research is determined by increasing dimension and
level of complication of the language system and particularly of its vocabulary
nowadays.
The object is the contents and complex of exercises for academic
performance and skills.
The main subject is testing vocabulary skills, summarizing various kinds of
tests, focusing on those methods of testing which would be suitable for testing
vocabulary doing it more interesting or even amusing.
The present work has the aim to deep and enlarge the existing system of
testing vocabulary skills making them clearer, brighter and more useful in the
field of linguistics and pedagogic and to find those methods which would be easy
to prepare and to correct but also inventive and raising students interests in
learning vocabulary.
The tasks are: specifying the testing vocabulary types, stages of making
them, necessary knowledge and skills for making tests, selecting information that
reflects contents and language accuracy of tests, creating tests for checking
learners expertise, knowledge and skills.
Learner-centred assessment is an approach enables learners to take
responsibility for their learning. It is a way of achieving a more positive learning/
teaching experience. Assessment is a fundamental, integrated part of learning
program, and recent shift in assessment from norm-referenced testing to a criteriareferenced approach (from comparing performance with other individuals tested to

estimating how much content and skills have been acquired by each individual)
helps learners develop a positive attitude and approach to their own progress.
This development is reflected in the Council of Europes CEF (Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, testing assessment)
framework [5, 35]. The CEF draws on theories of communicative competence and
language use in order to describe what a language user has to know and do to
communicate effectively.
Competency-based approach is designed to identify the learners
competence in use of the language [4, 26]. The primary focus is not on the
learners knowledge of what language is, but on how she/he applies it to convey
her/his message as effectively as possible.
Real use of the language implies that learners are assessed on their use of
language in tasks, situations and contexts that reflect the environment for which
they need and use language in everyday life.
Assessment techniques can directly reflect what is happening in the
classroom or in the learning process. In the run-up to the assessment, learners can
be given guidance and scope to evaluate where they are according to the
assessment criteria. This gives an opportunity for learners to develop self
awareness about their progress and attainment. It also allows learners to set
realistic learning objectives. The assessment will show them how much they know
and have achieved rather than how much they dont know or how much they still
need to learn.
Giving learners decision-making control over key aspects of their
assessment can be an excellent way to encourage and enable them to take
responsibility for their learning and assessment of it. One way to do this is by
allowing each learner to select and develop the content of their individual test.