WACE Chinese: Second Language ATAR study plan
WACE Chinese: Second Language ATAR · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Language and cultural understanding (vocabulary, grammar, text types, Chinese-speaking communities) & Reading comprehension
Build a 200-item personal vocabulary bank of high-frequency verbs, measure words and connectives, sorted by function
Drill the 把, 被 and 是…的 constructions by rewriting 30 given sentences and checking each against a written rule card
Identify the five recurring question types in reading passages (detail, inference, main idea, vocabulary-in-context, author attitude) and label them in two unseen texts
Set up a spaced-repetition schedule and a weekly error log template for all four domains
Your checkpoint
A 200-item vocabulary bank with example sentences plus a labelled analysis of two unseen reading passages
Language and cultural understanding (vocabulary, grammar, text types, Chinese-speaking communities) & Written production (writing in Chinese)
Master the four prescribed text types (formal letter, article, speech, recount) by writing a one-paragraph model of each with correct opening and closing formulas
Practise 40 sentence-combining exercises to vary clause order and use 因为, 虽然, 不但…而且 and 如果 accurately
Memorise 30 formal register phrases and 15 colloquial equivalents, and classify them by text type
Self-mark one model text against a checklist of register, structure and grammar accuracy
Your checkpoint
A one-page register comparison table plus four short model paragraphs, each annotated for structure
Written production (writing in Chinese) & Language and cultural understanding (vocabulary, grammar, text types, Chinese-speaking communities)
Write two full-length formal letters (250 characters each) in 25 minutes under timed conditions
Write one argumentative article of 300 characters with a clear thesis, two supporting reasons and a conclusion
Reduce grammar errors to fewer than five per 250-character text by applying the error log from week 1
Revise drafts using a self-editing routine: check measure words, aspect markers (了, 过, 着) and topic-comment order
Your checkpoint
Three timed written pieces with a marked-up first and second draft showing at least a 50% reduction in errors
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Written production (writing in Chinese)
Record and review five two-minute monologues on prescribed themes, focusing on tone accuracy and fluency without scripted notes
Practise the 10 most common conversation functions (apologising, persuading, comparing, giving opinions) in spoken role-plays
Transcribe one of your own recordings and correct pronunciation and grammar slips aloud
Write a 300-character speech on a cultural topic using at least three rhetorical devices suitable for oral delivery
Your checkpoint
A five-recording speaking portfolio with a self-assessment rubric score and one corrected transcript
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Reading comprehension
Complete eight timed listening tasks (one per sitting) and note the cue words that signal numbers, negation and contrast
Summarise each listening passage in three written sentences within two minutes of hearing it
Skim-scan four unseen reading texts for specific information in under six minutes each
Build a glossary of 40 discourse markers that signal cause, concession, sequence and conclusion in both listening and reading
Your checkpoint
Eight listening summaries and four timed reading answer sheets, all self-marked with an accuracy percentage
Reading comprehension & Language and cultural understanding (vocabulary, grammar, text types, Chinese-speaking communities)
Answer full reading sections under exam timing and classify every wrong answer by cause (vocabulary, inference, misread question)
Analyse two short authentic-style texts for implied meaning, tone and cultural reference points such as festivals, family roles and education values
Paraphrase 20 complex sentences from reading texts into simpler Chinese to confirm comprehension
Review the error log and re-test the 40 weakest vocabulary items
Your checkpoint
Two full reading sections scored with a written error-cause breakdown and a re-test score above 80%
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Written production (writing in Chinese)
Complete two full mock papers under exam conditions, including the oral component recorded and timed
Deliver a three-minute prepared talk and a two-minute follow-up Q&A without notes
Write one text of each prescribed type back-to-back within the combined time limit
Identify the three weakest skill areas from mock results and design targeted drills for each
Your checkpoint
Two completed mock papers with scores, plus a recorded oral mock and a one-page remediation plan
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Reading comprehension & Written production (writing in Chinese) & Language and cultural understanding (vocabulary, grammar, text types, Chinese-speaking communities)
Re-drill only the flagged weaknesses from week 7, spending no more than 90 minutes per domain
Rehearse oral responses to 20 unpredictable follow-up questions to build spontaneous fluency
Rewrite the three lowest-scoring written pieces from earlier weeks and compare error counts
Finalise a one-page exam-day strategy sheet covering timing, text-type checklists and common traps
Your checkpoint
A final strategy sheet plus a before-and-after error comparison showing improvement across all four domains
Milestones
Week 2: Can produce a correctly structured paragraph in all four prescribed text types with fewer than eight grammar errors each
Week 4: Speaks for two minutes on an unseen prompt with a self-rated fluency score of at least 3 out of 5 and no reliance on written notes
Week 6: Scores at least 70% on timed reading sections and at least 75% on the re-tested vocabulary set
Week 8: Mock scores in all four domains are at least 10 percentage points above the week 1 baseline, with the oral mock recorded and reviewed