Hokkaido Entrance English study plan
Hokkaido Entrance English · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Reading comprehension of expository and argumentative passages & Logical structure and discourse cohesion (paragraph ordering, reference, connectors)
Skim 3 expository passages (400-600 words each) in 12 minutes total, then write a one-sentence main-idea statement for each without rereading
Annotate paragraph function (claim, evidence, concession, conclusion) on 4 argumentative passages and label every connector that signals contrast, cause, or addition
Build a personal list of 40 academic connectors and discourse markers, grouped by rhetorical function, and test yourself on them twice
Identify the referent of 25 pronouns and demonstratives (this, these, it, they, such) across two passages within 3 minutes per passage
Your checkpoint
A one-page passage map template plus a completed map for 4 passages, each showing main idea, paragraph functions, and every connector with its function
Reading comprehension of expository and argumentative passages & Logical structure and discourse cohesion (paragraph ordering, reference, connectors)
Complete 6 timed reading sets (2 passages each) at 15 minutes per set, scoring at least 70 percent on detail and inference items
Classify 30 wrong answer choices by trap type (scope shift, unsupported inference, true-but-irrelevant, reversed causality) and record which trap you fall for most
Reorder 5 scrambled paragraphs into coherent passages using only reference words and connectors as clues, then justify each link in writing
Distinguish stated fact from inference in 20 questions by underlining the exact line that supports or fails to support each choice
Your checkpoint
An error log of 30 trap-type classifications with your two most frequent trap types identified and a written correction rule for each
Reading comprehension of expository and argumentative passages & English-to-Japanese translation (paragraph-level, contextual meaning)
Read 5 full-length argumentative passages under 18-minute timing and write a 40-word summary of each from memory
Translate 4 short paragraphs (80-100 words) from English to Japanese, preserving pronoun reference, tense, and logical connectors rather than translating sentence by sentence
Revise each translation once after a 24-hour gap, marking every place where a literal rendering produced unnatural Japanese
Compile 25 recurring translation problems (articles, singular-plural, relative clauses, passive voice, nominalization) with a preferred Japanese handling for each
Your checkpoint
Four translated paragraphs in first-draft and revised versions, with a 25-item translation-problem checklist
Reading comprehension of expository and argumentative passages & English-to-Japanese translation (paragraph-level, contextual meaning)
Take two full reading sections under exam timing (60 minutes) and score them against an answer key, recording time spent per passage
Translate 3 paragraphs (100-120 words) containing abstract argumentation, keeping the writer's stance and hedging (may, tend to, arguably) explicit in Japanese
Cut your average translation time per 100 words to under 12 minutes while keeping the revision pass
Explain in Japanese, in 3 sentences each, why 5 specific English sentences cannot be translated word for word
Your checkpoint
A timed mock reading score report plus 3 polished translations with a short Japanese note on each key structural decision
English composition and summary writing (content, organization, grammar) & Grammar, syntax, and vocabulary in context
Write 4 argumentative paragraphs of 120-150 words, each with a clear topic sentence, two supports, and a concluding link, in 20 minutes each
Summarize 3 passages of 400 words into 60-80 words each, preserving the author's claim and excluding examples
Diagnose and correct your own 20 most frequent grammar errors using a personal checklist covering articles, agreement, tense consistency, and clause boundaries
Complete 60 vocabulary-in-context items and record 30 words with their collocations rather than isolated meanings
Your checkpoint
A writing portfolio of 4 paragraphs and 3 summaries, each self-marked against a 5-point rubric (content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, length)
English composition and summary writing (content, organization, grammar) & Grammar, syntax, and vocabulary in context
Write 2 full summaries of 500-word passages in 15 minutes each, then compare against a model and list every omitted main point
Draft one 200-word opinion response with a concession-counterargument structure and revise it twice for cohesion
Apply 15 cohesion devices (however, therefore, in contrast, for instance) correctly in your own writing and delete any that add nothing
Reduce your grammar checklist errors to under 5 per 200 words in a timed write
Your checkpoint
Two timed summaries plus one revised 200-word opinion response with a marked-up first draft showing at least 8 substantive edits
Reading comprehension of expository and argumentative passages & English composition and summary writing (content, organization, grammar)
Complete 3 full mock exams under strict timing and score each section separately to find the weakest domain
Write 2 summaries and 1 opinion response under exam conditions without a dictionary, then self-mark within 24 hours
Reread your week 1-2 error log and confirm that your top trap type no longer appears in the latest mock
Trim reading time per passage to 14 minutes while maintaining at least 75 percent accuracy
Your checkpoint
Three scored mock exams with a domain-by-domain trend table showing week 4 versus week 7 results
English-to-Japanese translation (paragraph-level, contextual meaning) & English composition and summary writing (content, organization, grammar) & Logical structure and discourse cohesion (paragraph ordering, reference, connectors)
Translate 2 paragraphs under 15-minute timing and self-check against your week 3 checklist for all 25 problem types
Write one final summary and one opinion response, then proofread both using a fixed 3-pass routine (content, cohesion, grammar)
Review the connector and reference-marker list and confirm you can name the function of 40 markers without hesitation
Consolidate a one-page exam-day strategy sheet covering time allocation per section and your personal trap checklist
Your checkpoint
A final timed portfolio (2 translations, 1 summary, 1 opinion response) plus a one-page exam-day strategy sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Under 15-minute timed conditions you score at least 70 percent on detail and inference items and can name your two most frequent wrong-answer trap types from a 30-item log
Week 4: Two full timed reading sections are completed within 60 minutes each, and 3 abstract paragraphs are translated with stance and hedging preserved and average time under 12 minutes per 100 words
Week 6: You produce 2 summaries of 500-word passages within 15 minutes each with all main points retained, and grammar-checklist errors fall below 5 per 200 words in a timed write
Week 8: Three week-7 mocks show at least 75 percent reading accuracy at 14 minutes per passage, and the final timed portfolio passes your own 5-point rubric on every piece