LC Spanish study plan
LC Spanish · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Listening comprehension & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Transcribe 90 seconds of authentic Spanish audio (news or interview) daily and mark every word you miss
Build a running error log of 30 grammar or vocabulary items drawn from your own listening transcripts
Identify the phonetic cues for Spanish word boundaries by shadowing two short clips per session
Classify each missed item as lexicon, morphology, syntax, or sound perception and tally the categories
Drill present-tense and reflexives in context by rewriting five transcript lines into different persons
Your checkpoint
A 7-day listening log with 7 transcripts, a categorized 30-item error list, and a category tally showing your weakest area.
Listening comprehension & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Interpret three 3-minute audio segments per week for main idea, then detail, without replaying more than once
Master past-tense contrast (preterite vs imperfect) by rewriting a narrated anecdote from audio
Practice connected-speech reductions (sinalefa, linking) by marking them in your transcripts
Expand to 40 error-log items and re-test the first 20 from memory
Record yourself summarizing one clip in 60 seconds and compare fluency against week 1
Your checkpoint
A recorded 60-second audio summary of a news clip plus a 40-item error log with self-test scores.
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Read two 400-word authentic articles per session and answer inference questions without a dictionary
Apply subjunctive recognition to identify stance and doubt in opinion texts
Compare your listening error categories to your reading error categories and note the overlap
Annotate 15 discourse connectors in your readings and use each in a written sentence
Complete one timed 20-question reading set under exam conditions
Your checkpoint
A timed 20-question reading practice set with a scored answer sheet and a list of 15 connectors used in original sentences.
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Sustain 10 minutes of continuous listening with only one replay and note comprehension percentage
Read one long-form text (600+ words) and outline its argument in five bullet points
Distinguish fact from opinion in three opinion pieces by underlining evidential language
Review the full error log and retire items you now control reliably
Explain in writing why each remaining error persists (rule gap vs retrieval gap)
Your checkpoint
A midpoint self-assessment report: listening comprehension percentage, reading score, and an error log with at least 60 items, half retired.
Spanish-speaking world cultural knowledge & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Map eight Spanish-speaking regions to two distinctive cultural features each (music, food, festival, or institution)
Use region-specific vocabulary in ten original sentences
Review idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms and place each in a regional context
Read one short cultural article per session and extract three verifiable facts
Practice numbers, dates, and proper nouns in listening to reduce cultural-name misses
Your checkpoint
A one-page regional reference sheet covering eight regions with facts, vocabulary, and ten original example sentences.
Spanish-speaking world cultural knowledge & Pragmatics and sociolinguistic appropriateness
Identify the register (formal, informal, neutral) in ten short dialogues and justify each choice
Practice tú vs usted vs vosotros selection across eight scripted social scenarios
Match five politeness strategies (softening, indirect requests) to appropriate contexts
Connect cultural knowledge to pragmatic choices in three written mini-dialogues
Listen for tone and intent markers (irony, hedging) in five clips
Your checkpoint
A register-and-politeness portfolio: ten dialogues labeled by register with a one-sentence justification each.
Pragmatics and sociolinguistic appropriateness & Listening comprehension
Role-play eight exam-style scenarios (complaint, invitation, negotiation) and self-critique register
Repair the five most frequent pragmatic errors from week 6
Re-listen to two week-1 clips and measure improvement in transcription accuracy
Practice turn-taking cues and backchanneling in recorded dialogues
Write appropriate responses to six prompts requiring formal or informal address
Your checkpoint
Eight recorded role-plays with a self-critique rubric and six written pragmatic responses scored for register.
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension & Grammar and vocabulary in context & Spanish-speaking world cultural knowledge & Pragmatics and sociolinguistic appropriateness
Take two full-length timed mock exams and score each section by domain weight
Target the two lowest-scoring domains with focused 30-minute drills
Review the error log and confirm every item is retired or scheduled for post-exam study
Simulate exam-day conditions for listening (single play, no pausing)
Write a final one-page summary of remaining weaknesses and a maintenance plan
Your checkpoint
Two scored mock exams with a domain-by-domain comparison and a one-page final weakness and maintenance plan.
Milestones
Week 2: You can transcribe a 90-second authentic clip with 80%+ accuracy and explain the preterite/imperfect choice in five sentences.
Week 4: Listening comprehension reaches 70%+ on a 10-minute clip with one replay, and timed reading scores 70%+ on a 20-question set.
Week 6: You correctly label register in at least 8 of 10 dialogues and justify each choice in one sentence.
Week 8: Both full mock exams are scored, the two weakest domains are identified with drill evidence, and the maintenance plan is written.