JC Spanish study plan
JC Spanish · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Interpretive Communication: Reading & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Identify the question type (main idea, detail, inference, vocabulary-in-context, author's purpose) for 40 reading items and label each before answering
Annotate 6 authentic Spanish-language articles of 300-500 words each, marking connectors, pronoun referents, and tone shifts
Build a personal glossary of 60 academic and journalistic connectors and discourse markers, sorted by function (contrast, cause, concession, sequence)
Read 2 short literary excerpts (poem or narrative) aloud and paraphrase each in 3 sentences without translating word-for-word
Your checkpoint
A reading log of 6 annotated articles plus 40 labeled practice items with a written justification of the correct answer for each
Interpretive Communication: Reading & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Complete 3 timed reading sets of 4-5 passages under exam pacing, recording time per passage and error type
Distinguish fact from opinion and identify the author's stance in 5 opinion columns on cultural topics
Compare how a single news event is framed in two Spanish-language outlets from different countries, noting vocabulary differences
Rewrite 10 missed inference questions, explaining in Spanish why each distractor is wrong
Your checkpoint
A timed reading score sheet showing accuracy and pace across 3 sets, plus a 150-word Spanish comparison of two outlets' coverage of one event
Interpretive Communication: Listening & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Shadow 5 audio segments (interview, announcement, conversation) of 1-2 minutes each, transcribing key phrases after one listen
Identify speaker register and relationship (formal/informal, professor/student, service encounter) in 10 short dialogues
Take notes in Spanish using abbreviations on 4 longer audio passages and answer detail questions from notes only
Practice predicting content from the first 10 seconds of 15 audio prompts before hearing the rest
Your checkpoint
A listening notebook with Spanish notes and post-listen answers for 4 audio passages, plus a self-scored accuracy count for 15 prediction drills
Interpretive Communication: Listening & Interpretive Communication: Reading
Run a full-length timed section combining listening and reading, then classify every error by cause (vocabulary, pacing, inference, attention)
Re-listen to each missed audio segment twice and write the exact phrase that carried the answer
Reduce average reading time per passage by 15 seconds while holding accuracy above 75%
Compile a 40-item vocabulary list drawn only from passages and audio you personally missed
Your checkpoint
A diagnostic report with error-cause tallies, accuracy percentage, and average time per passage, plus the 40-item personal vocabulary list
Interpersonal Writing: Email Reply & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Write 4 email replies of 60-75 words each in 10 minutes, each addressing every bullet of the prompt
Use the formal register (usted, opening and closing formulas) in 3 replies and the informal register (tú) in 1, matching the prompt's relationship
Draft and reuse a bank of 8 opening formulas and 8 closing formulas appropriate to different relationships
Self-edit each reply against a checklist: greeting, all bullets answered, register consistency, closing, no English
Your checkpoint
Four timed email replies with a completed self-edit checklist and one rewritten revision of the weakest reply
Presentational Writing: Argumentative Essay & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Outline 3 argumentative essays in 5 minutes each, stating a clear thesis and two supporting reasons with evidence
Write 2 full essays of roughly 200 words in 25 minutes, using at least 6 cohesive devices and one counterargument with rebuttal
Build a bank of 10 cultural examples (traditions, social issues, education, environment) usable as evidence across topics
Revise one essay to raise lexical variety, replacing 8 repeated or basic words with precise alternatives
Your checkpoint
Two timed 200-word essays plus a revision of one, with a highlighted list of cohesive devices and evidence used
Interpersonal Speaking: Simulated Conversation & Presentational Speaking: Cultural Comparison & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Record 4 simulated conversations of 20 seconds per turn, responding to unexpected prompts without long pauses
Use 6 repair and turn-taking strategies (asking for clarification, paraphrasing, gaining time) naturally in recordings
Deliver 2 recorded cultural comparisons of 2 minutes each, comparing a Spanish-speaking community with your own on a specific theme
Structure each comparison with an introduction, two concrete similarities or differences, and a conclusion that avoids stereotypes
Your checkpoint
Four recorded conversations plus two recorded 2-minute cultural comparisons, each with a self-assessment noting filler count and pauses over 3 seconds
Interpretive Communication: Listening & Interpretive Communication: Reading & Interpersonal Writing: Email Reply & Presentational Writing: Argumentative Essay & Interpersonal Speaking: Simulated Conversation & Presentational Speaking: Cultural Comparison & Cultural and Linguistic Competence (integrated across all tasks)
Simulate a full exam across all sections under strict timing over two sessions
Review every error from the simulation and write a one-line fix rule for each recurring mistake
Re-record the weakest speaking task and rewrite the weakest essay using the fix rules
Consolidate a one-page personal reference sheet of connectors, formulas, and cultural examples for final review
Your checkpoint
A full simulation score report by section, a list of recurring error fixes, and a one-page final reference sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Complete a timed reading set at 75% accuracy or better and correctly identify the author's stance in 4 of 5 opinion columns
Week 4: Full combined listening-reading diagnostic completed with errors classified by cause and accuracy at or above 70%
Week 6: Two 200-word essays written in 25 minutes each, both with a clear thesis, counterargument, and at least 6 cohesive devices
Week 8: Full simulation completed in all sections with a written error-fix list and final reference sheet ready