Cambridge IAL English Language study plan

Annotate three unseen non-fiction or multimodal texts for audience, purpose, form and register, labelling at least eight linguistic features per text

Build a personal glossary of 40 analytical terms (e.g. lexical field, syntactic parallelism, graphological deviation) with a one-line definition and an original example sentence for each

Write two 20-minute timed close-reading responses of 400-500 words, each identifying a thesis about how language constructs meaning rather than listing features

Self-mark both responses against a four-band rubric you draft yourself covering analysis, evidence, terminology and coherence

Compare two texts from different genres on the same topic, mapping differences in formality, deixis, modality and lexical choice to audience and purpose

Draft a reusable comparison frame that moves from overview to paired evidence to evaluative comment, then apply it to two fresh text pairs

Practise embedding short quotations of five words or fewer into your own syntax rather than quoting whole sentences

Complete one full timed Paper 1-style comparative response in 60 minutes and log where time was lost

Analyse how spoken interaction features (turn-taking, fillers, hedges, discourse markers, interruption) function in two transcripts, linking each to power, solidarity or context

Identify and explain five phonological or prosodic features (stress, intonation, pause, elongation) and what they signal in the transcripts

Write a 500-word commentary on one transcript that argues a position about how the speakers negotiate roles

Redraft that commentary after feedback, cutting at least 15 percent of words while adding one new analytical point

Deconstruct three model-style directed-writing tasks by identifying audience, form, register and the three to four content requirements hidden in each prompt

Plan and write two directed pieces (e.g. a persuasive article and a formal letter) in 45 minutes each, matching register to audience throughout

Apply a self-editing checklist covering sentence variety, cohesion, spelling and punctuation to both pieces, then correct every flagged error

Analyse how child language or accent-and-dialect data is described, distinguishing observation from deficit framing in two short data sets

Summarise the core claims and limitations of two language topics (e.g. language change and World Englishes) in your own 300-word notes each, citing at least three named concepts per topic

Analyse two short historical or global-variety data extracts, identifying specific features and explaining what they show about the topic

Build a one-page evidence bank per topic with dated examples, key theorists or models described in your own words, and counter-arguments

Write one 600-word topic essay that takes a clear line and rebuts the strongest opposing view

Complete two more language-topic essays under 60-minute timed conditions, each integrating data and at least one counter-argument

Write two transactional or persuasive pieces in contrasting registers, then annotate your own drafts to show exactly which choices create the register

Practise transforming a given source material into a different form (e.g. transcript into news report) while preserving factual accuracy

Compile a personal error log from all writing so far and rank your five most frequent weaknesses

Sit two full mock papers under strict timing (one analysis-focused, one writing-and-topics-focused) without notes

Mark both mocks against official-style band descriptors and assign a defensible mark per question with a one-sentence justification

Target your top three weaknesses from the error log with three focused 25-minute drills

Rewrite the lowest-scoring mock answer completely, aiming to raise it by at least one band

Sit one final full mock under exam conditions and compare section marks against your week 7 baseline

Condense all notes into a two-page final revision sheet of frameworks, terminology and topic evidence

Rehearse timing plans for each paper, writing down target minutes per question and a fallback if you overrun

Review the error log and confirm that at least four of the five ranked weaknesses are now resolved in your writing