QCAA Japanese study plan

Produce 10 rehearsed spoken exchanges (introductions, requests, apologies) using register-appropriate 敬語 forms, recording each and noting one self-correction

Build a personal register cheat-sheet contrasting plain, 丁寧語 and 尊敬語/謙譲語 for 15 high-frequency verbs

Write 8 short dialogue prompts on everyday topics (school, part-time work, travel) and answer each aloud in 60-90 seconds

Log 20 keigo or culturally loaded expressions encountered in authentic audio or video, with a one-line gloss in Japanese

Role-play 6 transactional scenarios (asking directions, changing an order, declining an invitation) with a partner or self-recorded both sides, using appropriate honorifics and softeners

Analyse 5 Japanese cultural practices (e.g. 内/外, gift-giving, 本音/建前) and write a 120-word Japanese explanation of how each shapes conversational choices

Practise 15 conversational repair strategies (clarifying, hedging, paraphrasing) until each can be produced without notes

Transcribe and shadow a 3-minute authentic dialogue, marking every politeness marker

Read 4 short authentic texts (news briefs, notices, blog posts) and summarise each in 3 Japanese sentences identifying main idea and purpose

Listen to 6 authentic audio clips at natural speed and answer inference questions about speaker attitude and implied meaning

Compile 25 discourse markers and inferential cues (だから, ただし, というより) and demonstrate each in a written example

Compare two texts on the same topic and state in Japanese how tone and audience differ

Interpret 3 unseen authentic texts under timed conditions (10 minutes each) and identify purpose, audience and key detail in writing

Draft and revise a 400-character structured Japanese text (opinion or informative) using connectives and a clear introduction-body-conclusion

Summarise a 4-minute spoken passage in 5 Japanese sentences capturing main points and speaker stance

Self-mark two summaries against a checklist of content accuracy, cohesion and register

Produce 3 presentational pieces in different modes (informative speech, opinion essay, informal blog post) each 350-450 characters or 2-3 minutes spoken

Adapt the same core message into formal and informal registers and annotate the linguistic changes made

Deliver a 3-minute unrehearsed speech on a cultural topic, recording it and noting fluency breakdowns

Incorporate 10 new culture-specific references accurately into written and spoken output

Conduct 4 extended interactive exchanges of 5+ minutes each, sustaining turn-taking, asking follow-up questions and negotiating meaning

Write 2 formal Japanese emails or letters appropriate to a specified relationship and purpose

Respond spontaneously to 20 unpredictable prompts (opinion, clarification, disagreement) within 15 seconds each

Review recordings and rewrite 5 utterances that were grammatically or pragmatically weak

Complete 2 full timed mock sections combining interpretive reading/listening and interpersonal response tasks

Identify and drill the 15 error patterns most frequent in your mock results

Interpret 5 short texts containing unfamiliar vocabulary by inferring meaning from context, recording your reasoning

Re-record 3 earlier role-plays and compare register and fluency against week 2 versions

Complete one full timed mock covering all four domains and score it against all rubrics

Consolidate a one-page personal error-and-strategy sheet covering register, inference and text structure

Deliver a final 3-minute presentational speech and one 5-minute interaction, both recorded for comparison with week 1

Verify retention of 60 accumulated expressions and cultural points through self-quizzing