Abstract
Aim. The paper addresses the problem of formative assessment in the foreign language (FL) classroom. Its main objective is to present the outcomes of a study identifying tendencies related to the use of formative assessment during English lessons in Polish high schools, and students’ opinions on the frequency, type and effects of assessment they had been provided with during secondary school education.
 Methods. The data come from a retrospective study applying a mixed-method approach. They were gathered with a questionnaire based on a Likert scale, complemented with a few open-ended questions. The responses were provided by 106 students who graduated various high schools in the years 2014-2017 in 36 towns/cities located in different regions of Poland. The frequencies of using formative assessment in the case of all the FL skills and subskills are presented in comparison to summative assessment. The qualitative data were coded with an aim of finding some common trends. 
 Results. The study showed that in the case of the participants of this research, formative assessment in secondary education at EFL classes was evidently neglected. Many students (approximately 25%) acknowledged to never having been provided with formative assessment with regards to pronunciation, receptive and productive skills. The open responses signal students’ awareness of the importance of feedback and of several negative effects resulting from the lack of its regular provision. 
 Conclusions. The data gathered in the study seem to call for the need to raise the understanding of the role and the practical abilities to use formative assessment in the EFL classroom both at pre-service and in-service teacher training courses.
Highlights
Specialists in education all agree that assessment constitutes a crucial element of the didactic process
Having been introduced into the Polish education system almost 20 years ago, it could be expected to have found a safe ground and to be used on a regular basis by Polish teachers. Is it so? The paper offers a look at this matter, providing data regarding the use of formative assessment during classes of English as a foreign language (FL) (EFL) in Polish high schools
The paper opens with a brief introduction of formative assessment contrasted with summative assessment, with a particular focus on its use in the FL classroom and on a project consisting in introducing FA into the Polish education system
Summary
Specialists in education all agree that assessment constitutes a crucial element of the didactic process. The assessment type that has captivated most attention among educational researchers is formative assessment (FA), which is due to the positive direct and indirect effects it has been found to have on the process and outcomes of learning various subjects (Black, & Wiliam, 1998a; Crooks, 1988; Fontana, & Fernandes, 1994). The paper offers a look at this matter, providing data regarding the use of formative assessment during classes of English as a FL (EFL) in Polish high schools. The paper opens with a brief introduction of formative assessment contrasted with summative assessment, with a particular focus on its use in the FL classroom and on a project consisting in introducing FA into the Polish education system. The paper closes with conclusions, a critical look at the study and very brief practical implications deriving from the outcomes of the reported research
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