LCA French study plan
LCA French · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Listening Comprehension (Compréhension de l'oral) & Language Structures and Vocabulary (Structures de la langue et lexique)
Transcribe 20 short authentic French audio clips (news briefs, announcements) word-for-word, then compare against a transcript to log every misheard sound (liaisons, elisions, nasal vowels).
Identify and drill the 12 most frequent liaison and enchaînement patterns by shadowing audio at normal speed for 10 minutes daily.
Build a personal lexicon of 60 exam-relevant words and collocations (work, housing, health, environment) with example sentences you write yourself.
Distinguish passé composé vs. imparfait by ear in 30 narrated sentences, marking the aspect that triggered your choice.
Your checkpoint
A listening error log with at least 20 transcribed clips, each tagged with the phonetic feature that caused the error, plus a 60-entry personal lexicon.
Listening Comprehension (Compréhension de l'oral) & Reading Comprehension (Compréhension des écrits)
Answer 30 multiple-choice listening items under timed conditions (one play-through only), then re-listen to justify the correct option in writing.
Summarize five 90-second radio segments in three sentences each, capturing speaker, stance, and key detail.
Skim five 250-word informational texts and locate the main idea plus two supporting details in under 4 minutes per text.
Infer the author's tone or intent in 15 short opinion texts, citing the exact phrase that supports your inference.
Your checkpoint
A timed mini-mock of 15 listening items and 10 reading items with a scored answer key and a written justification for every wrong answer.
Listening Comprehension (Compréhension de l'oral) & Reading Comprehension (Compréhension des écrits)
Recognize numbers, dates, prices, and proper names in fast speech by completing 40 dictation gaps from authentic announcements.
Match 25 formal letters and emails to their communicative purpose (complaint, request, application, information) by identifying formulaic markers.
Paraphrase the argument of three 300-word argumentative articles in one sentence each without copying source wording.
Reduce average reading-item time to 90 seconds while keeping accuracy above 70%.
Your checkpoint
A reading portfolio of 10 texts with your one-sentence summaries, purpose labels, and a timing sheet showing per-item seconds.
Listening Comprehension (Compréhension de l'oral) & Reading Comprehension (Compréhension des écrits) & Language Structures and Vocabulary (Structures de la langue et lexique)
Complete a full-length timed section mock for listening and reading in one sitting, then classify each error as lexical, grammatical, or strategic.
Review the 15 grammar points most often tested (pronouns y/en, relative pronouns, subjunctive triggers, tense agreement) and write two original examples each.
Re-attempt every missed item from weeks 1-3 without notes and confirm at least 80% retention.
Record a 5-minute self-debrief in French on which distractors fooled you and why.
Your checkpoint
A diagnostic report with mock scores per domain, an error-type tally, and a ranked list of your five weakest sub-skills.
Written Expression (Expression écrite) & Language Structures and Vocabulary (Structures de la langue et lexique)
Write 15 formal emails (request, complaint, apology, application) using a consistent register and correct opening and closing formulas.
Draft four 180-word opinion pieces with a clear thesis, two developed arguments, and a conclusion, each within 30 minutes.
Self-edit every draft against a personal checklist covering agreement, tense consistency, connectors, and register, then rewrite the weakest piece.
Use 20 advanced connectors and discourse markers correctly in your own sentences (néanmoins, par conséquent, en revanche, dans la mesure où).
Your checkpoint
A writing folder of 15 emails and 4 opinion pieces, each with a first draft, a marked-up edit, and a final version.
Written Expression (Expression écrite) & Oral Expression (Expression orale)
Convert five of your written opinion pieces into 3-minute spoken monologues delivered from keywords only, not a script.
Record and review 10 monologues, logging filler words, hesitation markers, and pronunciation slips to correct next session.
Practice the interactive oral task by role-playing eight scenarios (asking for information, negotiating, defending a position) with a partner or self-recording both parts.
Answer 20 follow-up questions on the spot in full sentences, each answer extending beyond a single clause.
Your checkpoint
Ten recorded 3-minute monologues plus eight role-play recordings, with a self-assessment grid rating fluency, range, accuracy, and pronunciation out of 5.
Oral Expression (Expression orale) & Written Expression (Expression écrite) & Language Structures and Vocabulary (Structures de la langue et lexique)
Deliver a full simulated oral exam twice: a 5-minute presentation of a document with no preparation notes, followed by 8 minutes of questions.
Cut hesitation markers per minute by half compared with week 6 recordings, verified by counting in two samples.
Write one timed 200-word formal text in 25 minutes and read it aloud, correcting pronunciation of every word you stumble on.
Drill the 30 grammar structures you missed most across weeks 1-6 until each is produced correctly three times in speech and writing.
Your checkpoint
Two full oral-exam recordings with a scored rubric and a hesitation count, plus one timed written text with corrections.
Listening Comprehension (Compréhension de l'oral) & Reading Comprehension (Compréhension des écrits) & Written Expression (Expression écrite) & Oral Expression (Expression orale) & Language Structures and Vocabulary (Structures de la langue et lexique)
Complete two full timed mock exams (all sections) under authentic conditions and score each against a rubric.
Review only your error log and personal lexicon, not new material, in the final three days.
Re-record your weakest oral task from week 7 and compare it side by side with the original.
Finalize a one-page exam-day strategy sheet covering time allocation, order of sections, and distractor traps.
Your checkpoint
Two scored full mocks with a before-and-after comparison showing improvement per domain, plus a finished one-page exam-day strategy sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: You can transcribe a 60-second authentic clip with fewer than five errors and answer timed listening items at 60% or better.
Week 4: Your full-section mock shows listening and reading each at 60% or better, and your error tally names your five weakest sub-skills.
Week 6: You can speak for 3 minutes on a prepared topic from keywords alone and write a 180-word opinion piece in 30 minutes with a clean self-edit.
Week 8: Both full mocks score at or above your target band, hesitation markers are halved versus week 6, and your strategy sheet is complete.