Progress log — daily tracking template
Copy the daily template below at the start of each study day. Fill it in by end of day. Review weekly.
Daily entries
Sprint Day 1 begins 2026-05-28 (Thursday). Pre-sprint phonology exploration (R uvular, nasal vowels) was done 2026-05-20 to 2026-05-27 — reference material lives in sounds/r-uvular.md and sounds/nasal-vowels.md but does not count toward the 120-day clock.
Daily template
### Day N — YYYY-MM-DD — Phase X
**Minutes by skill**
- Reading: __ min
- Writing: __ min
- Listening: __ min
- Speaking: __ min
- Grammar: __ min
- Vocab/Anki: __ min
- TOTAL: __ min
**Anki**
- New cards added: __
- Reviews done: __
- Retention (mature): __%
**Output produced**
- Words written: __ (topic: ____________)
- Minutes spoken: __ (with: tutor / solo / language partner)
**Specific work today**
- Grammar topic: ____________
- Input source: ____________
- New expressions captured: ____________
**Stuck on / errors recurring**
- ____________
**Tomorrow's priority**
- ____________Weekly review template
Do every Sunday evening (~15 min).
### Week N — YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD — Phase X
**Time totals**
- Reading: __ min (target: __ )
- Writing: __ min (target: __ )
- Listening: __ min (target: __ )
- Speaking: __ min (target: __ )
- Grammar: __ min (target: __ )
- Vocab/Anki: __ min (target: __ )
- TOTAL: __ hrs (target: __ hrs)
**Anki**
- Active words (mature + young): __
- Retention rate: __%
- Decks worked: ____________
**Mock TCF (if applicable this week)**
- CE: __ /699 (target CLB 7: 453–498)
- CO: __ /699 (target CLB 7: 458–502)
- EE: __ /20 (target CLB 7: 7–9)
- EO: __ /20 (target CLB 7: 7–9)
**What worked**
- ____________
**What didn't**
- ____________
**Weakest section**
- ____________
**Next week's primary focus**
- ____________Milestone checkpoints
Tick each as it lands. If a milestone slips by more than 5 days, the plan needs adjusting (more hours/day or downgrade to CLB 5 target).
Phase 1 (Days 1–25)
- Day 7: French phonology — nasals, R, liaison drilled. Can read aloud unfamiliar text and be understood.
- Day 14: 500+ active words. Present tense (-er/-ir/-re + 6 irregulars) automatic.
- Day 21: 900 active words. Can introduce self, describe routine, ask basic questions.
- Day 25: 1100 active words. Negation/questions/pronouns solid. Passé composé + imparfait recognized.
Phase 2 (Days 26–75)
- Day 35: 1500 active words. Hold 10-min conversation with tutor on familiar topics. Passé composé produced.
- Day 42: 1800 active words. PC/imparfait distinction working in writing with <5 errors per paragraph.
- Day 49: 2000 active words. Futur + conditionnel produced. Subjonctif recognized.
- Day 55: First diagnostic mock TCF (untimed). All 4 sections attempted. Weakest section identified.
- Day 63: All 6 main tenses produced in writing. Object pronouns (le/la/lui/leur/en/y) used correctly.
- Day 70: 2300 active words. Italki sessions at 4–5×/week. 20-min B1 conversation unassisted.
- Day 75: 2500 active words. Can complete all 3 EE tasks within 60 min using the scaffolds, with 4+ connecteurs in EE-3.
Phase 3 (Days 76–105)
- Day 76: Baseline full timed mock TCF (#1). Scores recorded.
- Day 80: EE-1, EE-2, EE-3 scaffolds automatic — can produce all three within 60 min total without notes.
- Day 85: EO-1 — 5 well-formed questions in 3 min using vous + conditional politesse, no hesitation.
- Day 86: Mock #3 — improvement on weakest section from baseline.
- Day 90: EO-2 4-beat scenario automatic. Can adapt to at least 2 examiner objections without breaking flow.
- Day 95: EO-3 5-minute opinion delivery automatic. EE-3 produced with 6+ connecteurs naturally.
- Day 96: Mock #5 — target score on 3 of 4 sections.
- Day 100: Listening drills at 1.5× still ≥ 70% accuracy.
- Day 101: Mock #6 — final Phase-3 diagnostic.
- Day 105: Phase 3 close. At or above target on 3 of 4 sections in mocks.
Phase 4 (Days 106–120)
- Day 106: Mock #7 (full simulated conditions).
- Day 110: Last day for new Anki vocab. Review-only from here.
- Day 111: Mock #8 — final full mock.
- Day 112: All 4 scaffolds re-read; error log reviewed.
- Day 113–114: 48-hour taper. No mocks. Sleep, walk, light listening.
- Day 115: Test day (~2026-09-19).
- Day 116–120: Buffer for slippage, sickness, retake decision.
Red flags — call them out early
| Red flag | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Anki retention below 80% for 3+ days | Adding new cards faster than retaining | Pause new cards for 3 days; review-only until retention recovers |
| Skipping speaking for 4+ days | Speaking confidence collapses fast | Force a tutor session in the next 24 hrs even if unprepared |
| Same distractor trap caught you 3+ times in mocks | Pattern blindness in that trap | Drill only that trap type for 2 days |
| Total daily time below 60 min for 3+ days | Plan is failing | Re-plan: cut scope to CLB 5, or restructure schedule |
| You feel you “understand everything” but mock score is flat | Passive comprehension ≠ test performance | Shift 80% of time to output (writing + speaking) for 5 days |
| Pronunciation feedback from tutor “is fine” but you can’t reproduce sounds in isolation | Speaking is dependent on memorized chunks | Go back to phonology drills 15 min/day, isolated sounds |
Cumulative tracker (fill in weekly)
| Week | Total hrs | Active words | Anki retention | Most recent mock (CE/CO/EE/EO) | Notes |
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