HSC Portuguese Continuers study plan

HSC Portuguese Continuers · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Interpersonal communication (listening and responding) & Knowledge of language structures and vocabulary

Transcribe 10 short spoken Portuguese passages (news clips, dialogues) of 60-90 seconds each, noting main idea, speaker attitude, and two supporting details per passage.
Build a personal listening log of 40 high-frequency expressions and discourse markers (e.g. por outro lado, na verdade, ou seja) with a written example sentence for each.
Drill present, preterite, and imperfect tense endings aloud for 15 minutes daily, then write 20 sentences contrasting preterite and imperfect usage.
Record yourself summarising three of the transcribed passages in Portuguese for 45 seconds each, then compare your recording against the original for missed details.

A listening log of 40 expressions plus 10 completed passage summaries (main idea, attitude, two details each), submitted as one document.

Week 2

Respond in writing to 8 recorded prompts (announcements, invitations, phone messages) with a 60-80 word reply that addresses every point raised.
Identify and label the structure of 5 informational Portuguese texts (headline, lead, supporting detail, conclusion) by annotating each paragraph's function.
Compile a glossary of 30 connectives and text-organisation words and use at least 15 of them in your written responses.
Practise note-taking while listening: capture 5 key facts from a 2-minute audio text without pausing, then verify against a second listening.

A portfolio of 8 written listening responses, each 60-80 words, with a self-check marking whether all prompt points were covered.

Week 3

Read 6 informational or analytical Portuguese texts (300-400 words) and answer 4 inference questions per text in writing.
Summarise 3 of those texts in 80-100 words each, preserving the original's main argument and at least two supporting facts.
Revise subjunctive present and imperfect forms and write 15 sentences using them after expressions of doubt, emotion, and hypothesis.
Distinguish fact from opinion in 4 opinion pieces by underlining claims and circling verifiable evidence.

A reading-response sheet covering 6 texts: 24 inference answers plus 3 summaries of 80-100 words.

Week 4

Analyse 4 analytical texts for tone, purpose, and audience, writing a 60-word justification for each judgement.
Complete 40 cloze and sentence-transformation items targeting pronouns, prepositions, and verb tense consistency, then correct and explain every error.
Compare two texts on the same topic and write a 120-word paragraph identifying where they agree and diverge.
Build a personal error bank of 25 recurring grammar mistakes with corrected versions.

A comparative analysis paragraph of 120 words plus a 25-item error bank with corrections.

Week 5

Draft 3 personal texts (a diary entry, an informal email, a short narrative) of 150-200 words each, each with a clear opening, development, and closing.
Incorporate at least 8 cultural references drawn from Portuguese-speaking communities (festivals, food, geography, music) accurately into your drafts.
Revise drafts using a checklist covering agreement, tense consistency, register, and connective variety, and log every change made.
Write a 100-word reflection in Portuguese on how register shifts between writing to a friend and writing to an authority figure.

Three polished personal texts of 150-200 words each, with revision checklists showing at least 10 edits per draft.

Week 6

Produce 2 imaginative texts (a short story and a descriptive scene) of 200-250 words, using varied sentence structures and at least 6 different connectives.
Research and write a 150-word informative piece on one cultural tradition from a Portuguese-speaking country, citing specific details rather than generalities.
Practise timed writing: complete one 200-word text in 35 minutes without a dictionary, then self-assess against a rubric.
Expand vocabulary by recording 30 descriptive adjectives and 15 idiomatic expressions, using each in an original sentence.

Two imaginative texts of 200-250 words plus one 150-word cultural piece, all self-assessed against a written rubric.

Week 7

Simulate 3 full listening sections under timed conditions (one uninterrupted listening, written responses) and score each against a marking guide.
Simulate 2 full reading sections under timed conditions and identify which question types cost you the most time.
Revisit your error bank and rewrite 20 previously incorrect sentences correctly from memory.
Respond orally to 6 unseen prompts, speaking for 60 seconds each, and review recordings for fluency, accuracy, and range.

Three scored listening simulations and two scored reading simulations with a one-page diagnosis of weakest question types.

Week 8

Complete 2 full timed writing tasks (200-250 words) across different text types and self-mark against the rubric within 24 hours.
Run a final grammar sweep: 50 mixed items on tenses, subjunctive, pronouns, and agreement, targeting at least 90 percent accuracy.
Consolidate cultural knowledge by writing a one-page summary linking 5 cultural examples to likely writing or reading topics.
Review your full portfolio from weeks 1-7 and list the 10 corrections you most need to remember on exam day.

Two timed writing tasks with rubric scores plus a one-page final revision sheet of the 10 key corrections.

Week 2: You can listen once to a 90-second passage and write a 60-80 word response covering every prompt point without replaying.

Week 4: You score at least 70 percent on a mixed reading and grammar set and can explain each error in your own words.

Week 6: You produce a 200-word personal or imaginative text in 35 minutes with fewer than 5 errors against your checklist.

Week 8: You score at least 80 percent on both timed simulations and 90 percent on the final 50-item grammar sweep.