Preparing for the AP Spanish Language Exam Content and tips for success

Exam Format Section I: Multiple Choice + Listening 20 % 30-35 questions – 30-35 min. Dialogues, short and long narratives + Reading 30% 30-35 questions – 40-50 min. Fiction and non fiction, articles, short essays Identify and summarize points Make inferences and predictions Recognize cultural elements

Multiple choice section General facts and tips Each question leads directly to the correct choice Incorrect choices may be plausible, but not possible There are 4 choices for each question A right answer receives 1 point A blank answer receives a 0 A wrong answer receives a 0 When not sure of the right answer, eliminate as many choices as possible, then take an educated guess. - Do NOT leave questions unanswered.

Tips for the listening section (20%) Find your best listening mode Open/closed eyes, scan choices, note taking For practice, listen to authentic sources e.g., Radio Naciones Unidas, BBC Mundo For practice, break down selections in segments Come up with a question for each segment Jot down key concepts when appropriate Names of people, places and dates should be noted Take notes on longer narratives Separate main ideas from details Don’t worry about isolated words you can’t understand

Tips for the reading section – Passages (30%) Apply all test-taking techniques as you would for other standardized tests Passage title may give clues to the rest You can move within the section, you can read and answer in any order It is a “timed game,” you may tackle first passages that you find easier Pay attention to factual info: who, what, where, when, why, how Look for main and secondary ideas, inferences One question may deal with the insertion of a sentence somewhere in the passage Practice timed reading comprehension with a classmate

Free-response Section: Part A – Writing Writing tasks Interpersonal writing (10%) email message, postcard, note, journal entry Write for 10 minutes Presentational writing (20%) Integration of reading, listening and writing Read TWO documents Listen to ONE related source / recording Respond to a written prompt – WRITE for 40 minutes

Tips for interpersonal writing Follow instructions carefully, so you address every aspect of the prompt This is informal, but not to the extent of using q for que, or lol ! Use appropriate register, e.g. familiar form if addressing a friend or classmate Make sure you have control over all elementary structures, gender and number Practice by writing in the different informal venues and settings Ask your teacher for the corresponding “rubrics,” they will help you improve your writing

Tips for presentational writing This is similar to a document-based question (DBQ) For the reading and listening aspects of the task, follow previous recommendations You have to use the THREE sources in your answer Synthesis of sources, comparison and/or contrast, should be included in your essay Have a thesis statement based on the ideas contained in the sources and support your thesis making references to the sources Have a concluding paragraph Again, apply whatever you have learned about essay writing or DBQs when preparing for other standardized tests Ask your teacher for the question’s “rubrics” Use appropriate transition words, and make sure you have control over all basic grammar and vocabulary Learn to time yourself by practicing in test-taking situations

Free-response section: Part B - Speaking Interpersonal speaking Simulated conversation (10%) 5 or 6 response prompts, 20 seconds each Presentational speaking (10%) Integrated skills: One audio source, one written document One prompt, 2 minutes to respond

Tips for interpersonal speaking – Simulated Conversation Follow instructions carefully, so you address every aspect of the prompt Use appropriate register, e.g. familiar form if addressing a friend or classmate Make sure you have control over all elementary structures, subject-verb agreement, etc. Your speech should be natural, with varied vocabulary; use idioms only if appropriate Practice speaking in a testing situation similar to the “real thing,” recording and evaluating your responses Speak for the whole 20 seconds allowed for each response, correcting yourself if necessary Fill pauses with words like “bueno… pues… a ver… entonces…” Ask your teacher for the corresponding “rubrics;” they will help you improve your informal speaking skills

Tips for presentational speaking – Formal Oral Presentation For the reading and listening aspects of the task, follow previous recommendations You have to use both the written and audio source in your answer Use info from sources to present a synthesis and express an opinion Thesis, support from sources, and conclusion, all in the TWO MINUTES you have to speak, is no easy task. Practice! Listen to sample responses available to your teacher, so together with the “rubrics” you can better learn what is expected Don’t know a word? Go around it and keep going Speak while thinking in Spanish, do not translate from English Use appropriate transition words, and make sure you have control over all basic grammar and vocabulary Speak for the full time allowed and correct yourself if necessary Learn to time yourself by practicing in test-taking situations

Concluding Comments In order to succeed, you have to listen to Spanish, read Spanish, write Spanish, speak Spanish. No other way. Make sure that you have practiced the exam “logistics” enough so that on exam day you can focus on preparing your answers rather than on listening to instructions. Technical problems should be addressed during the exam administration. For example, ask for a replay of any portion of listening inaudible due to malfunction or unexpected interruptions. ETS, the test maker, is very understanding of these situations. It is a long test. Make sure you know what you can bring and not to bring, the break provided, etc. The idea is to minimize extemporaneous issues and concentrate on acing the test! BUENA SUERTE