WACE Italian Second Language ATAR study plan
WACE Italian Second Language ATAR · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Language and cultural understanding
Transcribe and shadow 3 short native-speaker audio clips (60-90 seconds each) daily, marking unfamiliar sounds and contracted forms
Build a personal glossary of 40 high-frequency spoken expressions and discourse markers (e.g. fillers, hedging, turn-taking phrases) with a WACE-style example sentence for each
Record yourself answering 5 personal-information and daily-life questions in 45-60 seconds each, then self-correct against a model answer
Map the structure of the WACE oral exam (conversation and discussion components) and list the language functions each part rewards
Your checkpoint
An audio portfolio of 5 recorded 60-second responses plus a 40-item spoken-expression glossary with example sentences
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Language and cultural understanding
Sustain three 5-minute unscripted conversations with a language partner or self-recording on prescribed topics, using circumlocution when vocabulary fails
Practise 10 clarification and repair strategies (asking for repetition, paraphrasing, checking understanding) until they are automatic
Summarise 4 short audio news or interview segments in 3 spoken sentences each, capturing main idea and one detail
Analyse 3 Italian cultural topics (e.g. regional food traditions, family structure, school life) and prepare talking points linking them to personal experience
Your checkpoint
Three 5-minute recorded monologues/conversations with a self-assessment rubric scoring fluency, range, accuracy and cultural content out of 5 each
Reading comprehension & Language and cultural understanding
Skim and scan 6 authentic short texts (articles, notices, emails) to extract main idea, purpose and audience within timed limits
Identify and record 30 cohesive devices and text-organisation markers, noting how each signals contrast, cause, sequence or concession
Infer meaning of 25 unknown words from context without a dictionary, then verify and log accuracy
Compare register and tone across 3 text types (formal letter, informal message, journalistic piece) and note the linguistic markers that distinguish them
Your checkpoint
A timed reading log of 6 texts with comprehension answers, inferred-vocabulary accuracy rate, and a 30-item cohesive-device table
Reading comprehension & Writing in Italian
Complete 4 full-length timed reading comprehension sets under exam conditions and review every error by category
Write 4 short texts (120-150 words) in different formats: informal email, formal letter, diary entry, opinion paragraph
Self-edit each draft against a checklist covering verb tense consistency, agreement, pronoun use and accent placement
Build a personal error bank of 25 recurring mistakes with corrected versions and a rule for each
Your checkpoint
Four timed reading sets scored and error-analysed, plus four edited written texts with tracked corrections and a 25-item error bank
Writing in Italian & Language and cultural understanding
Plan and draft 3 extended responses (250-300 words) across argumentative, descriptive and narrative purposes using a 5-minute planning routine
Deploy a repertoire of 15 complex structures (subjunctive after opinion verbs, conditional, relative clauses, impersonal constructions) accurately in writing
Use 20 connectives and sequencing phrases appropriately to structure paragraphs and signal argument development
Adapt the same content into formal and informal registers to demonstrate control of address forms and vocabulary choice
Your checkpoint
Three polished 250-300 word texts in different genres, each with a planning sheet, first draft and final version showing revisions
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Writing in Italian
Deliver a 4-minute prepared oral presentation on a cultural topic and answer 5 follow-up questions without notes
Convert 3 written texts into spoken summaries, practising paraphrase rather than reading aloud
Write 2 responses under 30-minute timed conditions and self-assess against WACE-style criteria for content, range and accuracy
Refine pronunciation of 10 challenging phonemes and consonant clusters through daily minimal-pair drills
Your checkpoint
A 4-minute recorded presentation with Q&A, plus two timed written responses with completed self-assessment rubrics
Reading comprehension & Oral communication (listening and speaking)
Complete 3 full mock reading papers under strict timing and target 80% or above on each
Run 2 full mock oral exams with a partner or recording, covering both conversation and discussion components
Review all error banks and glossaries, converting unresolved items into flashcards for daily retrieval practice
Practise 10 listening tasks requiring note-taking and detail recall from longer passages (2-3 minutes)
Your checkpoint
Three scored mock reading papers, two recorded mock orals with rubric scores, and a consolidated flashcard deck of unresolved items
Oral communication (listening and speaking) & Reading comprehension & Writing in Italian & Language and cultural understanding
Complete 2 full timed mock exams spanning reading, writing and language/culture sections, simulating exam-day conditions
Consolidate cultural knowledge by reviewing a one-page summary of 8 key themes with supporting examples and vocabulary
Rehearse exam-day oral strategies: opening, sustaining, recovering from breakdowns and closing politely
Audit performance against all four domain criteria and identify the top 3 priorities for final revision
Your checkpoint
Two complete timed mock exams with scores, a one-page cultural themes summary, and a written final-revision priority list
Milestones
Week 2: Sustain a 5-minute unscripted conversation on a familiar topic with no more than 3 breakdowns requiring English, and correctly use at least 25 of the 40 glossary expressions in speech
Week 4: Score at least 70% on timed reading sets and produce written texts with fewer than 8 errors per 120 words, with all errors logged in the error bank
Week 6: Deliver a 4-minute presentation with rubric scores of 3+/5 or better in fluency, range and accuracy, and complete two timed written responses within the time limit
Week 8: Achieve 80% or above on both full mock exams and demonstrate all four domain criteria at a consistent level in the final oral rehearsal