JC German study plan

Read one 250-350 word German article daily and mark every unknown word, then sort those words into nouns, verbs, and connectors in a personal list.

Build a 120-item active vocabulary deck drawn only from your own reading, tagging each entry with article and plural for nouns and a sample sentence for verbs.

Drill the four German cases with 40 fill-in-the-blank sentences per session, focusing on accusative versus dative after prepositions.

Summarize each article in three German sentences using at least two subordinate clauses with correct verb-final order.

Time yourself on one 400-word text per session and record words-per-minute plus comprehension score in a log.

Read two longer texts of 500+ words each and answer 8 self-written comprehension questions per text, then verify answers against the source.

Listen to 15 minutes of authentic German audio daily and transcribe 5 sentences verbatim, checking spelling against a transcript afterward.

Identify and list 20 discourse markers (jedoch, allerdings, deshalb, einerseits) and rewrite 10 sentences using them correctly.

Practice skimming: extract the main claim of a text in one German sentence within 90 seconds, three times per session.

Shadow one 2-minute audio clip per session to connect written vocabulary to spoken form.

Listen to one 5-minute authentic recording daily (podcast, news segment) and take structured notes on who, what, when, and outcome.

Write a 150-word summary of each recording in German, then compare it to the audio for factual accuracy.

Draft 5 short opinion paragraphs of 80-100 words each, each containing a clear thesis, one example, and a conclusion.

Revise every paragraph once for verb position, case endings, and connector variety, marking each correction type.

Record yourself reading two of your paragraphs aloud and note where pronunciation or rhythm breaks down.

Write two full 180-word texts under a 30-minute timer, one formal letter and one argumentative response, without dictionaries.

Apply a self-editing checklist to each timed text: subject-verb agreement, case after prepositions, verb-final clauses, and comma placement.

Review 60 grammar items covering modal verbs, separable prefixes, and the perfect tense, logging every miss with the rule it violates.

Rewrite the three weakest sentences from each timed text twice, once simplified and once with a subordinate clause.

Compare your timed texts against a model structure you build yourself (opening, development, closing) rather than copying a sample.

Listen to one 8-minute recording daily and answer 6 detail questions from memory before relabeling with the transcript.

Practice the oral format: prepare a 2-minute monologue on a familiar topic in 3 minutes, then deliver it while recording.

Hold three 10-minute self-recorded dialogues answering likely examiner questions about work, plans, and opinions.

Review each recording and list 5 specific fixes (filler words, tense slips, missing endings) to apply in the next attempt.

Build a 15-item personal phrase bank for buying time and expressing uncertainty, and use at least 4 per monologue.

Deliver two 3-minute presentations on cultural or everyday topics (regional customs, education system, food culture) with a clear structure and no notes after the first minute.

Prepare and answer 10 follow-up questions per presentation, recording responses of 30-60 seconds each.

Read two short German-language articles on contemporary daily life and extract 10 facts you can deploy as examples in conversation.

Practice paraphrasing: restate 10 complex sentences in simpler German without losing meaning.

Reduce filler-word frequency by counting them in each recording and targeting a 50% reduction by week's end.

Complete two full timed reading sections of 4 texts each in 45 minutes, then review every wrong answer and label the cause (vocabulary, inference, or misread question).

Write two full timed 200-word texts in 40 minutes each, applying your week-4 checklist and phrase bank.

Rework every reading error into a flashcard testing the exact skill that failed, not just the word.

Rewrite one timed text a second time aiming for more complex sentence structures without accuracy loss.

Rehearse the full written and reading sequence back-to-back once to build stamina.

Simulate the full listening section twice under exam timing and score both, tracking improvement per question type.

Run two complete mock oral exams with a partner or recording, covering monologue and Q&A without preparation notes.

Review all accumulated error logs and re-test only the 30 highest-frequency mistakes.

Deliver one final 3-minute presentation and one 200-word timed text as a confidence check, not for new learning.

Write a one-page exam-day routine covering timing checkpoints, phrase-bank triggers, and self-editing order.