LC Italian study plan
LC Italian · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Written production (composition and structured writing) & Grammar and language accuracy
Write 4 short compositions (120-150 words each) on personal topics (family, daily routine, last holiday, future plans), applying a 5-minute outline before drafting each one
Identify and correct your 10 most frequent errors by reviewing your own drafts against a personal error log
Review and drill present tense regular and irregular verb conjugations, including reflexive verbs, with 30 fill-in items
Build a 40-item personal lexicon of connective phrases (perché, quindi, tuttavia, inoltre, invece) and insert at least 5 per composition
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of 4 corrected compositions plus a dated error log listing at least 10 recurring error types with the rule that fixes each
Written production (composition and structured writing) & Grammar and language accuracy
Write 3 structured texts (formal email, informal message, opinion paragraph of 150-180 words) using correct register and salutations
Master past tense selection (passato prossimo vs imperfetto) by completing 40 contrastive sentence transformations and justifying 10 choices in writing
Revise compositions to eliminate agreement errors in gender and number across articles, adjectives, and past participles
Memorize and apply the pronoun set (direct, indirect, combined) in 20 rewriting exercises
Your checkpoint
One formal email and one opinion paragraph, each rewritten twice, with a marked-up version showing corrections and the grammatical rule behind each change
Written production (composition and structured writing) & Oral examination (spoken interaction and presentation)
Draft a 3-minute spoken presentation on a familiar topic, write the script, then reduce it to keyword cue cards
Record the presentation 3 times and self-assess fluency, pronunciation, and hesitation markers using a fixed 5-point rubric
Write 2 argumentative compositions (200 words) using subjunctive after opinion verbs (penso che, credo che) and check mood accuracy
Practice 15 structured question-answer exchanges aloud, answering in full sentences within 10 seconds each
Your checkpoint
A recorded 3-minute presentation with two revised versions and a completed self-assessment rubric noting 3 concrete improvements between takes
Oral examination (spoken interaction and presentation) & Listening comprehension
Sustain 10 minutes of unscripted spoken interaction with a partner or tutor, covering at least 4 topic shifts without reverting to English
Complete 6 short listening passages (1-2 minutes) and transcribe 5 key sentences from each by ear
Practice 20 clarification and repair phrases (come scusa, puoi ripetere, non ho capito) and deploy at least 3 in live conversation
Deliver a 4-minute presentation with a question-and-answer segment, answering 5 follow-up questions
Your checkpoint
A 10-minute recorded conversation plus a 4-minute presentation with Q&A, scored against a checklist of fluency, range, accuracy, and interaction strategies
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Complete 8 timed reading tasks (one 400-word article each) and answer 5 comprehension questions per text in under 8 minutes
Scan 6 authentic short texts (news briefs, notices, advertisements) to extract specific details without full translation
Train listening for gist and detail with 8 audio clips, writing a one-sentence summary and 3 specific facts for each
Build a 50-item vocabulary list from your reading and listening material, grouped by theme, and test yourself twice
Your checkpoint
A reading and listening log covering 16 texts and clips, with accuracy percentages per task and a list of 10 unknown words resolved by context
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Practice inference questions on 6 texts, distinguishing stated facts from implied meaning and citing the line that supports each answer
Complete 2 full timed reading sections under exam conditions and review every wrong answer to classify the error type
Listen to 10 minutes of natural-speed speech daily and note 5 expressions per session for active reuse
Write 150-word summaries of 3 articles, condensing main idea and two supporting details
Your checkpoint
Two full timed reading sections with scored results and a written error analysis identifying your three weakest question types
Written production (composition and structured writing) & Oral examination (spoken interaction and presentation)
Write 2 full timed compositions (250 words in 40 minutes) under exam conditions and self-mark with an accuracy checklist
Deliver a 6-minute presentation with structured introduction, development, and conclusion, using at least 8 discourse markers
Role-play 6 exam-style interaction scenarios (booking, complaining, discussing plans) with a partner or recorded solo
Refine pronunciation of difficult sounds (gli, gn, double consonants, open/closed vowels) through 15 minutes of daily shadowing
Your checkpoint
Two timed compositions and a recorded 6-minute presentation with role-play samples, each scored on a 4-criterion rubric with a written improvement target
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension & Written production (composition and structured writing) & Grammar and language accuracy & Oral examination (spoken interaction and presentation)
Simulate the full exam across two sittings, completing listening, reading, writing, and grammar sections under strict timing
Conduct a 15-minute mock oral with a tutor or partner, including presentation and follow-up questions
Review your error log and redo the 20 items you missed most often until each is correct twice in a row
Consolidate a one-page grammar checklist covering tenses, mood, agreement, and pronouns, and verify it against your own writing
Your checkpoint
A complete scored mock exam with section-by-section results and a final one-page revision sheet of your remaining weak points
Milestones
Week 2: You can produce a 150-word structured text with no more than 5 errors, and you correctly choose passato prossimo or imperfetto in at least 8 of 10 sentences
Week 4: You speak for 10 continuous minutes on familiar topics without switching languages, and you answer 4 of 5 follow-up questions comprehensibly
Week 6: You score at least 70% on timed reading and listening tasks and can justify inference answers by pointing to supporting text
Week 8: Your full mock exam shows no section below 60%, and your oral mock scores at least 3 of 5 on fluency, accuracy, range, and interaction