Abstract:
Attaining native-like accuracy and fluency is the aim of every student that has embarked on the study of a foreign
language. In order to achieve this aim, students are encouraged to perceive and analyse the way English is used in
various contexts, especially in those that are of interest to them in the light of their future careers. The lexical approach
facilitates the mediation of language by means of a purposeful focus on chunks of language, since words do not occur in
isolation but in meaningful combinations that are formulaic (e.g. collocations, idioms, discourse markers, phrasal verbs)
and reveal the speakers’ level of proficiency. Linguists are in favour of teaching chunks as they facilitate the acquisition
of fluency, confer idiomaticity and provide the basis for subsequent language acquisitions. The present study focuses on
the extent to which the Occupational English Test (OET) for Veterinary Science practice tests can be used in order to
expose students to various instances in which chunks of language occur in professional contexts. The practice tests that
assess the receptive (reading and listening) and productive (speaking and writing) language skills rely on a consistent
use of chunks in various healthcare professional settings and can be used to consolidate learners’ linguistic knowledge
and accurate communication skills. Learners can be trained to notice the various linguistic contexts in which chunks
occur, to accurately infer their meaning and the typical structure they are based on, and to confidently build on this
acquired knowledge. Careful consideration is given to specific collocations and formulaic phrases used in the OET
listening and reading materials which can be further transferred to other communicative instances and activated in the
area of productive skills.
