Bulgaria DZI Italian study plan
Bulgaria DZI Italian · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Transcribe 40 minutes of B1-level Italian audio (news briefs, short dialogues) and mark every word you mishear
Read two 400-word Italian articles daily and underline unknown lexis, building a 60-item personal vocabulary list
Practice identifying main idea versus detail in 10 short listening passages by writing a one-sentence summary of each
Drill Italian phoneme contrasts (single vs double consonants, gli/gn, open vs closed vowels) for 20 minutes three times this week
Your checkpoint
A listening error log of at least 50 misheard items plus a 60-entry vocabulary sheet organized by theme
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Complete two full timed listening sets (about 25 minutes each) and score them against transcripts
Skim and scan 15 short texts to locate specific information within 90 seconds per text
Paraphrase 10 reading passages aloud in your own Italian words to check comprehension
Categorize 30 reading questions by type (main idea, inference, detail, vocabulary-in-context) and note which type you miss most
Your checkpoint
A scored record of two listening sets and two reading sets with a written note on your two weakest question types
Reading comprehension & Language use: grammar and vocabulary
Read three 600-word Italian texts on unfamiliar topics and answer 12 comprehension questions per text
Review and drill the passato prossimo versus imperfetto contrast with 40 gap-fill sentences
Build a 40-item list of connective and discourse markers and use each in one original sentence
Practice inferring the meaning of 20 unknown words from context before checking a dictionary
Your checkpoint
A 40-sentence grammar exercise set on past tenses with your own corrections and a 40-item connector list
Reading comprehension & Language use: grammar and vocabulary
Complete two full timed reading sections under exam conditions and record time per text
Drill pronoun systems (direct, indirect, combined, ne, ci) with 50 transformation exercises
Review subjunctive forms and use them correctly in 30 sentences after verbs of opinion and doubt
Compile a personal error sheet of the 25 grammar mistakes you repeat most
Your checkpoint
A timed reading score report plus a 25-item recurring-error sheet with corrected examples
Language use: grammar and vocabulary & Writing: guided and free production
Drill the conditional and future tenses with 40 mixed transformation sentences
Write four guided texts (formal email, informal message, short narrative, opinion paragraph) of 120 to 150 words each
Self-edit each written text against a checklist of agreement, tense consistency, and connector use
Practice 30 vocabulary items on everyday topics (work, health, travel, housing) using them in original sentences
Your checkpoint
Four corrected written texts with a self-edit checklist showing at least three revisions per text
Writing: guided and free production & Language use: grammar and vocabulary
Write two free-production essays of 180 to 220 words within 40 minutes each on exam-style prompts
Rewrite both essays after feedback, cutting redundancy and improving cohesion
Drill prepositions and articulated prepositions with 40 gap-fill items
Practice 25 idiomatic expressions and use each in a written sentence
Your checkpoint
Two timed essays plus revised second drafts with a short reflection on what changed
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension & Writing: guided and free production
Take one full mock exam under strict timing across all four domains
Analyze every missed item and classify errors as knowledge, carelessness, or time pressure
Write one additional essay and one guided text to strengthen weak writing areas identified in the mock
Re-listen to three previously transcribed audio clips and check whether your error rate dropped
Your checkpoint
A full mock exam score breakdown by domain with a written error analysis and remediation list
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension & Language use: grammar and vocabulary & Writing: guided and free production
Take two full timed mock exams and compare scores against week 7
Review the 25-item recurring-error sheet and confirm each item is now resolved
Practice 30 minutes of speaking aloud daily to stabilize fluency and pronunciation
Finalize a one-page exam-day strategy covering time allocation and question order
Your checkpoint
Two scored mock exams with a final one-page exam-day strategy sheet
Milestones
Week 2: You can summarize a 2-minute B1 audio clip in three accurate Italian sentences and finish a 400-word reading text with at least 70% comprehension accuracy
Week 4: Timed reading accuracy reaches 75% or higher and you correctly use passato prossimo, imperfetto, and combined pronouns in at least 80% of drill items
Week 6: You produce two 180-word essays within 40 minutes each with no more than five self-identified grammar errors per essay
Week 8: Mock exam total score improves by at least 10 percentage points over week 7 and every domain scores at or above 60%