[susan53]

Yes, one of the most important strategies for any language learner is to be able to "talk around" words they don't know in order to communicate effectively without them. So for example, in a speaking test, if the learner said "mane" s/he would be marked high on the "range and accuracy of vocabulary" scale. If s/he didn't know the word but said "they have long hair on their necks" then s/he would be marked high for fluency/ability to use communication strategies.

A good way of practising this (technically it's called circumlocution) is to give learners pictures of things you know they won't know the names of. Student A has 10 pictures and is a shop assistant. Student B is given one of the pictures and has to go into the shop to buy it. So eg if St. B's picture was of some goggles, s/he says Do you have the things you wear over your eyes when you go swimming? Student A has to listen to the description and choose the right object to "sell" to B. Then they swap roles.