SACE Stage 2 French (beginners) study plan
SACE Stage 2 French (beginners) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Interacting in French (oral interaction) & Producing written French texts / language use
Produce the full range of French vowel sounds (including nasals and rounded front vowels) in isolation and in minimal pairs, recording yourself and self-correcting against a reference model.
Conjugate the 20 highest-frequency regular -er verbs in the present tense and use them in spoken sentences about daily routine.
Build and rehearse a 90-second self-introduction covering name, origin, studies, work and one hobby, using at least eight different verbs.
Write 10 original present-tense sentences (minimum 8 words each) and mark every subject-verb agreement before checking with a grammar reference.
Your checkpoint
A recorded 90-second spoken self-introduction plus a written transcript of 10 original present-tense sentences, both submitted for self-review against a checklist.
Interacting in French (oral interaction) & Understanding and responding to spoken French texts
Ask and answer 15 question types (yes/no, inversion, est-ce que, question words) aloud in paired or simulated dialogue.
Identify the main idea and two supporting details in three short authentic audio clips of 1-2 minutes each, taking notes in French only.
Distinguish and produce the liaison and elision patterns that occur in the question forms you practised.
Transcribe 10 short spoken utterances of 6-10 words with at least 90 percent word accuracy.
Your checkpoint
A listening log of three audio clips with main idea plus two details each, and a 10-item dictation scored for accuracy.
Understanding and responding to spoken French texts & Interacting in French (oral interaction)
Extract specific factual information (numbers, times, prices, directions) from four recorded announcements or dialogues and record it accurately.
Sustain a 3-minute spoken exchange on shopping, transport or appointments, using repair strategies (repeating, asking for clarification) at least twice.
Use the passé composé with avoir and être correctly in 12 spoken sentences describing past events.
Summarise each of the four audio texts aloud in two French sentences.
Your checkpoint
Four audio summaries (two spoken sentences each) plus a written table of the factual details extracted from each recording.
Understanding and responding to written French texts & Producing written French texts / language use
Read two short authentic texts (300-400 words each) and answer comprehension questions on main idea, detail and inference in French.
Identify and correctly translate 20 new lexical items encountered in context, recording gender and an example sentence for each.
Write a 120-word informal message or email using the passé composé and present tense appropriately.
Apply agreement rules for adjectives and past participles in your own writing, self-editing before submission.
Your checkpoint
A 120-word written message plus a 20-item personal vocabulary log with genders and original example sentences.
Understanding and responding to written French texts & Producing written French texts / language use
Analyse the structure and register of two written text types (formal letter, short article) and list their defining features.
Draft a 150-word formal letter or short article using appropriate register, connectors and at least three tenses.
Use direct and indirect object pronouns correctly in 10 written sentences.
Paraphrase five sentences from a source text without copying, demonstrating comprehension.
Your checkpoint
A 150-word formal text in the correct register, plus a five-item paraphrase exercise checked against the source.
Interacting in French (oral interaction) & Understanding and responding to spoken French texts
Deliver a 4-minute prepared spoken presentation on a familiar topic with clear pronunciation and structured signposting.
Respond aloud to five unpredictable follow-up questions with at least two sentences each.
Identify speaker attitude and tone in three audio texts and justify each judgement with a quoted phrase.
Use the future tense and conditional forms in spoken opinions and plans.
Your checkpoint
A recorded 4-minute presentation plus responses to five follow-up questions, with a self-assessment against a pronunciation and fluency rubric.
Producing written French texts / language use & Understanding and responding to written French texts
Write a 200-word text under timed conditions (45 minutes) combining narration and opinion, using at least five tenses.
Proofread and correct a set of 15 deliberate errors in an unseen short text, explaining each correction in French.
Read an unseen 400-word text and answer inference questions within 20 minutes.
Consolidate the 10 grammar points you have most often got wrong, with a corrected example of each.
Your checkpoint
A timed 200-word written text plus an error-correction exercise with written explanations for all 15 corrections.
Interacting in French (oral interaction) & Understanding and responding to spoken French texts & Understanding and responding to written French texts & Producing written French texts / language use
Complete a full mock examination covering all four domains under timed conditions.
Review every error from the mock and categorise it by domain and error type.
Re-record the week 1 self-introduction and compare fluency and accuracy against the original.
Rehearse a 5-minute spoken interaction covering two role-play scenarios with a partner or recording.
Your checkpoint
A completed timed mock examination with a written error-analysis table and a recorded comparison of the week 1 and week 8 self-introductions.
Milestones
Week 2: Can sustain a 90-second self-introduction and transcribe 10 short spoken utterances at 90 percent word accuracy.
Week 4: Can extract main idea and details from short audio and written texts and produce a coherent 120-word written message with correct past-tense agreement.
Week 6: Can deliver a 4-minute presentation and handle five follow-up questions, and can justify judgements about speaker tone with quoted evidence.
Week 8: Mock examination completed within time limits across all four domains, with an error analysis showing fewer than five recurring error types.