Matching Tracksuits

Here in Poland, the bane of high school students’ existence has just begun: the matura. This year is exceptional because it’s the first time in many years that the matura has been significantly revised.

The old matura was hell. The new matura — well, we’ll see.

This year the order is reversed: first the oral exams (in both Polish and a foreign language), then written exams (in Polish, a foreign language, and a third, student-chosen subject).

It is also, in my opinion, much easier. The foreign language exams, at least the basic level exam (there’s also a possibility to take an “extended” exam), depends more on students’ ability to communicate than on grammatical knowledge.

The English Matura

The English exam has four parts: three situations/dialogues, and a picture. The situations have three sub-points that students have to complete in order to get the full credit. Usually the situations are something like, “You are on vacation in England and you read an advertisement about excursions to Scotland. Call the given number and find out,” with the three sub-points being something like:

• cost of the trip;
• what’s included in the price;
• when and where the departure will be.

Pretty basic stuff, and most of the kids who’d put forth any effort whatsoever during the last three years will have no problem with it at all.

The picture is always of one or more people, doing some obvious, clear activity. Students have to describe the picture, than answer two questions about it.

Again, pretty basic stuff.

Still, a lot of the students are scared silly. Many of them have no cause to be frightened — they’ll pass despite their jitters. But a few have reason to be nervous.

I too am a little worried about it. It’s at least a partial reflection of my teaching ability. It shows, I think, students’ communicative skills (or lack thereof) much more so than my teaching, but still…