Assignment templates

Ready-to-use language assignment templates

Every language teacher accumulates a stash of assignments that work. This is the version we've distilled from working with tutors and school teachers across Japanese, Chinese, and CEFR-tracked languages. Each template describes the objective, the content type, the duration, and the exact submission signal — so you can adapt them into your own course in ten minutes.

Key takeaways

  • ·Every assignment specifies what completion looks like
  • ·Reading + listening assignments beat grammar drills for retention
  • ·Bundling five short assignments beats one long one for motivation
  • ·Every template maps to a JLPT, HSK, or CEFR level

Reading — 'Article + 5 words'

Objective: Learners read a real target-language article and save five words they didn't know.

  • Level: JLPT N3+, HSK 3+, CEFR B1+.
  • Duration: 20–30 minutes.
  • Content: One article from your class reading list at appropriate level.
  • Submission signal: Learner submits the five saved words with the sentence they appeared in. In InputDojo this is automatic — every lookup logs the sentence.
  • In-class follow-up: Pair learners. Each partner teaches the other their five words with the source sentence. 10-minute activity, high-density review.

Listening — 'Video summary'

Objective: Learners watch a short target-language video and produce a 3–5 sentence summary.

  • Level: JLPT N4+, HSK 2+, CEFR A2+.
  • Duration: 15–25 minutes (10-minute video + 10-minute summary).
  • Content: A subtitled YouTube video on a topic your class cares about.
  • Submission signal: Written or recorded summary submitted before next class.
  • In-class follow-up: Learners exchange summaries, then watch a 60-second re-cap in class to check comprehension.

Vocabulary — 'Weekly SRS batch'

Objective: Learners review the new vocabulary from the week's content using spaced repetition.

  • Level: All.
  • Duration: 5–10 minutes daily, 5 days per week.
  • Content: Auto-built from the week's reading and listening assignments.
  • Submission signal: Streak of daily SRS sessions visible on the class dashboard.
  • In-class follow-up: Weekly 5-minute round-robin: teacher calls a word, learner uses it in a sentence.

Speaking — 'Two-minute audio message'

Objective: Learners record a two-minute audio message on a set prompt in the target language.

  • Level: JLPT N4+, HSK 3+, CEFR A2+.
  • Duration: 15–20 minutes (rehearsal + recording).
  • Content: Weekly prompt tied to the class topic ("Describe last weekend," "Explain a food you love").
  • Submission signal: Audio file submitted.
  • In-class follow-up: Teacher plays 3–4 messages anonymously and the class provides one strength and one improvement per message.

Writing — 'Micro-essay'

Objective: Learners produce a short piece of writing (50–200 words depending on level).

  • Level: JLPT N3+, HSK 3+, CEFR B1+.
  • Duration: 30–45 minutes.
  • Content: Prompt tied to the week's reading — "Do you agree with the author?" or "Compare this to your own experience."
  • Submission signal: Text submission.
  • In-class follow-up: Peer review using the writing rubric (see rubrics resource). Two peers give one-sentence feedback per criterion.

Project — 'Podcast episode' (4-week arc)

Objective: Small groups produce a 3–5 minute podcast episode in the target language on a topic of their choice.

  • Level: JLPT N2+, HSK 5+, CEFR B2+.
  • Duration: 4 weeks, ~2 hours per week per learner.
  • Content: Learners choose topic, research from target-language sources, script, record.
  • Submission signal: Final audio + script + source list.
  • In-class follow-up: Listening party in week 5; use the project rubric for grading.

Questions teachers ask

Can I adapt these to my textbook curriculum?

Yes — every template is content-agnostic. Swap in your own text or video and the structure holds.

How do I track submissions?

If you use InputDojo, all submissions and completion signals appear in your course dashboard. Otherwise, a shared drive folder per learner works.

How long should assignment feedback take me?

The rubric-based templates above are designed for feedback in 3–5 minutes per submission. Peer review handles the rest.

More resources

Lesson plan templates

Free language-class lesson-plan templates (JLPT, HSK & CEFR)

Assessment rubrics

Speaking, writing & project rubrics for language teachers

Comprehensible-input reading lists

Curated reading & listening lists for every language level

Run this in a live classroom

InputDojo turns these resources into an operating teacher workspace — assign real content, track completion, grade with these rubrics.