WACE French Second Language ATAR study plan

WACE French Second Language ATAR · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Written examination & Practical (oral) examination

Diagnose current strengths by completing one full past-style written paper under timed conditions and logging every error by type (grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, register)
Record a 5-minute self-introduction and opinion monologue, then transcribe it and mark pronunciation, fluency and hesitation points
Build a personal error log spreadsheet with categories for tenses, agreement, pronouns, connectors and false friends
Drill present, passé composé and imparfait formation in 40 short transformation sentences

A completed error log with at least 30 categorised entries plus a scored baseline written paper

Week 2

Master the formation and use of future simple, conditional and plus-que-parfait through 60 targeted transformation items
Practise subjunctive triggers (il faut que, bien que, pour que) in 30 original sentences
Write two 250-word argumentative texts on exam-style prompts using a fixed introduction-body-conclusion structure
Identify and correct all tense and agreement errors in your own two texts during a redraft

Two redrafted 250-word essays with a before-and-after error count

Week 3

Analyse three authentic written text types (article, letter, advertisement) and annotate their purpose, audience and register
Answer comprehension questions on unseen texts within strict time limits, extracting key information without translating word-for-word
Compile a bank of 40 formal connectors and discourse markers and insert them into rewritten paragraphs
Summarise a 400-word article in 100 words in French

A timed comprehension set (three texts) scored and corrected, plus a 40-item connector bank

Week 4

Script and record a 6-minute structured monologue on a prescribed theme with clear signposting
Practise 10 follow-up question-and-answer exchanges by recording impromptu responses to unseen questions
Reduce filler sounds and English intrusions by re-recording the same monologue and comparing versions
Refine pronunciation of nasal vowels and liaison through daily 10-minute shadowing of authentic audio

Two recorded monologues (first and improved take) with a self-assessment rubric score

Week 5

Sit a full timed written paper and a full mock oral in the same week to build stamina across both formats
Deliver a 10-minute discussion on a cultural or social issue, defending a position with three supporting arguments
Practise paraphrasing when you lack a word instead of switching to English, recording five examples
Review the written paper and classify every lost mark by domain and skill

A combined mock exam report with written and oral scores and a prioritised weakness list

Week 6

Write four 300-word texts across different purposes (persuade, inform, narrate, respond) under 40-minute time limits
Eliminate recurring grammar errors flagged in your log by rewriting flawed sentences correctly
Expand topic vocabulary to 150 items across family, environment, technology and health, using each in a sentence
Self-mark essays against exam criteria for content, range, accuracy and structure

Four timed essays with criterion-based self-marks and corrected final drafts

Week 7

Conduct three full mock oral examinations with a partner or tutor, including monologue and discussion phases
Rehearse the discussion phase by preparing and defending both sides of four contentious topics
Improve fluency by speaking continuously for 3 minutes on random prompts without preparation
Record and review each mock, listing three specific fixes for the final week

Three recorded mock orals with examiner-style feedback notes and target fixes

Week 8

Complete two final timed written papers and two final mock orals under authentic conditions
Consolidate the error log into a one-page pre-exam checklist of your ten most frequent mistakes
Rehearse oral opening and closing phrases until delivery is automatic
Simulate exam-day timing, including reading time and transitions between sections

A one-page personal exam checklist plus final mock scores showing improvement over the week-1 baseline

Week 2: Can conjugate all major tenses accurately in 90 percent of transformation items and structure a 250-word argument without a model

Week 4: Can deliver a 6-minute monologue with signposted structure and respond to follow-up questions without reverting to English

Week 6: Can produce a 300-word essay within 40 minutes scoring at least mid-range on all four marking criteria

Week 8: Final mock written and oral scores both exceed the week-1 baseline, with the ten most frequent errors actively avoided