NSSCO Portuguese Foreign Language 6113 study plan
NSSCO Portuguese Foreign Language 6113 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Grammar and vocabulary in context & Reading comprehension
Conjugate regular present-tense verbs in -ar, -er, -ir across all six persons, writing full paradigms from memory
Distinguish ser from estar and use each correctly in 20 self-written sentences describing people and places
Apply gender and number agreement to articles, nouns and adjectives in a 150-word descriptive paragraph
Read two 200-word informative texts on familiar topics and underline every unknown word, then group them by word class
Your checkpoint
A handwritten or typed grammar notebook page with complete present-tense paradigms, 20 ser/estar sentences and a 150-word descriptive paragraph, all self-corrected against a dictionary.
Reading comprehension & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Skim three short articles of 250-300 words each and state the main idea of each in one Portuguese sentence
Scan the same texts to locate specific details such as dates, prices and names within a two-minute limit per task
Form the pretérito perfeito of regular and common irregular verbs and narrate five past events in writing
Build a personal vocabulary list of 40 high-frequency connectives, time markers and opinion phrases and use 15 of them in context
Your checkpoint
A reading log of three texts with main-idea summaries plus a 10-item scanning answer sheet and a 40-entry vocabulary list with example sentences.
Listening comprehension & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Listen to five 2-3 minute audio clips in European or Brazilian Portuguese and transcribe the key information (who, what, where, when)
Identify numbers, times and prices by ear in ten short listening exercises without pausing the audio
Recognise and produce the contrast between pretérito perfeito and pretérito imperfeito in ten sentences describing childhood habits versus single events
Shadow each audio clip once, repeating aloud immediately after the speaker to improve decoding speed
Your checkpoint
Five completed listening worksheets with transcribed key facts and a comparison table of ten perfect/imperfect sentence pairs.
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension
Complete two full listening sections under timed conditions and score them, recording error types (vocabulary, speed, accent, inference)
Complete two full reading sections under timed conditions and annotate why each chosen answer is correct and each distractor is wrong
Answer ten inference questions where the answer is implied rather than stated, citing the supporting phrase
Review all errors and write a rule or vocabulary note for each one
Your checkpoint
A timed mock score sheet for two listening and two reading sections with a written error analysis listing at least 15 corrected items.
Writing (controlled and free production) & Grammar and vocabulary in context
Write a 120-150 word informal email or message using an appropriate greeting, body and closing
Write a 150-180 word opinion text with a clear thesis, two supporting arguments and a conclusion, using subordinating connectives
Apply the subjunctive present after expressions of wish, doubt and necessity in eight original sentences
Self-edit two drafts using a checklist covering agreement, tense consistency, accents and spelling
Your checkpoint
Two polished written pieces (one informal message, one opinion text) with first drafts, self-edited second drafts and a completed correction checklist.
Writing (controlled and free production) & Speaking / oral interaction
Record a two-minute monologue on a familiar topic, then re-record it after correcting grammar and pronunciation slips
Sustain a five-minute simulated dialogue covering asking for information, expressing preference and negotiating a plan
Practise the pronunciation of nasals, final -s and the European versus Brazilian r, recording ten minimal-pair drills
Use five repair strategies (asking for repetition, paraphrasing, circumlocution) in a recorded role-play
Your checkpoint
Three audio recordings (monologue, dialogue, role-play) with a self-assessment sheet noting grammar and pronunciation corrections made between takes.
Speaking / oral interaction & Cultural and topical knowledge of Portuguese-speaking communities
Present a three-minute talk on a cultural topic from a Portuguese-speaking country, citing at least three concrete facts
Compare one cultural practice across two Portuguese-speaking regions using comparative structures
Prepare and answer ten follow-up questions a listener might ask about your talk
Summarise a short authentic text or news item on a lusophone community and give a personal reaction aloud
Your checkpoint
A recorded three-minute cultural presentation with a one-page fact sheet and a written list of ten anticipated questions with prepared answers.
Listening comprehension & Reading comprehension & Writing (controlled and free production)
Sit one complete timed mock covering listening, reading and writing under exam conditions without notes
Mark the mock against the mark scheme and classify every lost mark by domain and skill
Redo the weakest ten items after 24 hours to confirm the correction has stuck
Write a one-page exam-day strategy covering time allocation, question order and checking routines
Your checkpoint
A full timed mock with a scored breakdown by domain, a list of corrected weak items and a one-page exam-day strategy sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: Can read a 250-word unfamiliar text and state its main idea plus three details in Portuguese within five minutes.
Week 4: Timed listening and reading mocks scored and error analysis written; target at least 60% in each with every error categorised.
Week 6: Two edited written pieces completed and three oral recordings made, with a visible improvement between first and final takes.
Week 8: Full timed mock completed and scored across listening, reading and writing, with a written strategy sheet for exam day.