Maestra Durán
Spanish 4AP
2015-2016
Course Overview
Advanced Placement Spanish Language & Culture
Syllabus
The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is conducted completely in Spanish. In this course
students develop a strong command of the Spanish language in reading, writing, listening, and
speaking. Upon completion of the course, AP Spanish Language students will be able to:
 Read authentic materials and do applied research of subjects that either directly influence, or are
directly influenced by the cultural factor (to include geography, sociology, anthropology, history,
and other related content areas).
 Express themselves orally by convincing, arguing, inquiring, and describing.
 Understand conversations, lectures, oral presentations, newspapers, letters, instructions,

Internet articles, and short stories.
Express themselves well in a variety of styles, using different strategies for
different audiences.
Spanish 4AP Grade Scale:
Exams: 20%
Literature: 10%
Projects: 10%
Writing: 10%
Vocabulary: 10%
Reading & Comprehension: 10%
Homework: 5%
Presentational Speaking: 10%
Class work: 5%
Participation: 5%
Grammar: 5%
Course objectives:
I. Express ideas accurately and fluently in writing. Improve writing skills through:
1. Essay Writing. Each student writes a formal, well organized analytical or persuasive essay of at
least 200 words, on an appropriate topic, in reaction to a text or information discussed or viewed, which is
evaluated for its content, organization, range and appropriateness of vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy.
2. Other Writing Tasks. There are weekly writing activities related to topics covered, such as: letters,
e-mails, poems, and dialogues, abstract writing, creative writing, or writing reactions to articles and lectures.
II. Synthesize vocabulary and structures to broaden understanding in reading newspapers, magazine
articles, and literary pieces with increasing ease and accuracy. Improve reading skills through:
1. Weekly reading focus and text analysis. Students read and interpret selected samples of authentic
literary prose and poetry (as a vehicle of language study and expansion as well as emerging literary analysis),
current topics (newspaper and magazine articles), and communications (letters and emails).
2. Reading Strategies: The following (and others as appropriate) are employed regularly to help
improve reading skills: thinking maps, effective use of context clues, note-taking, and interactive reading.
3. Research projects. Students use reading strategies and vocabulary knowledge to improve reading
skills when investigating various topics, and ultimately to create and to present a synthesis.
III. Speak with fluency, accuracy in structure and syntax, using a rich vocabulary and appropriate
pronunciation and intonation. Improve speaking skills through:
1. Interpersonal language focus. Respond to conversational prompts, such as interviews, voice mail,
asking directions, advice, storytelling, and giving speeches, using rich vocabulary, accuracy in structure and
syntax, and fluency. There is at least one major assessment per nine-week cycle that includes oral
presentation.
2. Participate daily in class discussions in the target language. Improve vocabulary, fluency,
pronunciation, and intonation through directed or free class discussions.
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IV. Understand the spoken language both formally and informally in conversations or narrations.
Improve listening skills through:
1. Interpreting spoken material. Interpret messages, lectures, and other materials spoken using a
variety of sources. Become familiar with pronunciation, and aural syntax.
2. Listening to narratives and dialogues to make inferences, predictions, and interpret linguistic cues.
V. Expand knowledge and understanding of the practices, perspectives, and products of Spanish and
Hispanic cultures. Enrich knowledge of Hispanic and Spanish cultures through:
1. Discussing literary and cultural topics, current events, and personal experiences.
2. Incorporating culture in other skills learned. Culture is integrated throughout the year, connected
meaningfully to reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
VI. Acquire and enrich vocabulary and grasp structures that enable the student to manipulate a
variety of reading and aural materials. Improve vocabulary through:
1. Reviewing and broadening vocabulary. Students use methods such as reading, investigation, and
listening to a wide range of topics, and apply it in speaking and writing.
2. Using idiomatic expressions, cognates, synonyms and antonyms correctly. Learn and apply in aural
and writing exercises the specific uses of idiomatic expressions, cognates, synonyms, and antonyms.
3. Using transitions. Learn and correctly use transition words and expressions related to written and
spoken Spanish. Use transitions to introduce an idea, add another idea, express a contrasting point of view,
emphasize, give examples, draw a conclusion, etc.
VII. Be able to implement a variety of grammatical structures using proper concordance (subjectverb; subject-adjective; gender-noun agreement, tense agreement, sequence of tenses), correct
mechanics (punctuation, accentuation, syntax, orthography), and superior language control. Improve
knowledge of grammar through:
1. Applying grammatical and syntactic rules, focusing on problematic areas. Generally, the
problematic areas include, but are not limited to tenses and moods (ser v. estar, preterit v. imperfect,
sequence of tenses, commands, complex constructions using the subjunctive, irregular and spelling-change
verbs, perfect tenses), nouns and their modifiers (direct and indirect object pronouns, relative pronouns,
adjective placement) and other verbal and syntactic constructions (passive voice, reflexives, making
comparisons, por v. para, prepositions, transitions, accentuation, etc.).
2. Implementing / synthesizing a variety of grammatical and syntactic structures in speaking and
writing.
VIII. Reading
1. Students are provided opportunities to read and interpret culturally relevant selected samples of authentic
literary prose and poetry (as a vehicle of language study and expansion as well as emerging literary analysis),
current topics (newspaper and magazine articles), and communications (letters and emails). The districtapproved literature text will be the primary vehicle towards achieving the goal of the reading requirement.
Samples of Classroom Activities:
Samples of literary prose and poetry can be found in the district-approved literature text Abriendo paso:
lectura/Gramática (Prentice Hall).
Supplemental material: Álbum (Houghton Mifflin Company) , Spanish Four Years (Amsco School Publications)
IX. Speaking
1. Students regularly practice speaking through conversation and formal oral presentations.
One formal oral presentation (oral formal assessment) is due quarterly. The presentations will be on a
prepared topic that is culturally relevant with contrasting views. The opportunities to practice speaking
through conversation occur on a daily basis in the form of informal discussions on varying topics, storytelling,
simulated situational dialogues, informal oral interviews and responding to prompts.
Samples of Classroom Activities:
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Power Pt presentations, storytelling, simulated telephone conversations, skits, Socratic Seminars, formal &
interpersonal writing.
X. Listening
Through the following listening activities students will interpret spoken material, make inferences,
predictions, and interpret linguistic cues.
Practice listening skills through:
1. Peer interviews—students are paired and are asked to interview each other on a variety of topics
given by the teacher, previously read or studied.
2. Guided listening activities from textbooks and released AP exams—students listen to short dialogues
of about 1-3 minutes in length, long dialogues of about 3-7 minutes in length, short narratives of
about 1-3 minutes, long narratives of about 5-10 minutes in length and respond to both spoken
written questions about the listening assignment.
3. Listening to songs—students listen to the song and analyze for thematic and grammar content
4. Oral presentations—students listen to oral presentations and analyze for grammar and relevance.
5. Authentic online College Board sources—students listen to radio interviews and talks on different
topics.
6. Directed instruction—students are expected to listen attentively, question and respond to
instruction.
XI. Writing
Through the following writing activities students will be able to express themselves appropriately in written
form. Students will increase and refine their written presentational skills in formal and informal contexts.
Students will implement a variety of grammatical structures using proper concordance, correct mechanics,
advanced vocabulary, and superior language control.
Practice writing skills through:
1. Formal compositions—students are regularly asked to address a given prompt with a minimum of
200 words.
2. Journal entries—students are regularly asked to reflect informally on a given
topic.
3. Interviews—students are given/create questions and record answers.
4. Grammatical exercises—students complete grammar activities.
5. Reading comprehension questions—students respond to questions about reading excerpt.
6. Cloze exercises—students will fill in the missing words in a given paragraph.
7. Note taking—students take notes from direct instruction, oral presentations, listening
and
reading activities.
8. Summary, analysis, and synthesis of texts—students demonstrate competency in
interpreting texts by responding in writing.
The following web sites are authentic material sources:
Authentic Reading Resources
www.incas.org/
www.ccu.umich.mx/mmaya/recorrido/antiguos.html
www.indians.org/welker/aztec.htm
www.cibercentro.com/
www.azteca.net/aztec/
www.mexonline.com/precolum.htm
• Thepaperboy.com www.thepaperboy.com
• Prensaescrita.com www.prensaescrita.com/
• Yabla (paid subscription) www.yabla.com
• El Mundo elmundo.es/
Authentic Listening Resources
Nuevos horizontes
www.nuevoshorizontes.org
SCOLA
www.scola.org
Español en vivo
http://delta-systems.com/
Think Spanish
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www.thinkspanish.com
Las voces de las mujeres de Xelajú
http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/voces/
Authentik en español
http://www.authentik.com/
http://delta-systems.com/proddetail.cfm?cat=6&toc=85&stoc=0&pronum=3373
Puerta del Sol
www.puerta-del-sol.com
http://www.champs-elysees.com/products/spanish/default.aspx
BBC en español
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/
Radio Nederland
http://www.informarn.nl/news/international/
Radio Naciones Unidas
http://www.un.org/radio/es/
Elmundo.es
http://www.elmundo.es/
CNN en español
http://www.cnn.com/espanol/
Radio Naciones Unidas www.un.org/radio/es/
Univision
http://www.univision.com/
Podcasts Notes in Spanish
www.notesinspanish.com
Radio Exterior de Espana
http://www.rtve.es/ree/
WFHB: Hola Bloomington
http://news.wfhb.org/
Ecos Magazine
http://www.ecos-online.de/audio/
University of Toronto
http://lab.chass.utoronto.ca/rescentre/spanish/
Voice of America News
http://www.voanews.com/spanish/
Multikultura
http://www.multikultura.org.uk/academy.php/lgfront
ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Podcasting/
• La Nación www.nacion.com/
Resources to Develop Speaking Skills
Spanish Q-Cards (Level 1–Set 1) 40 sheets on card stock
www.madamefifi.com
Over 1000 Conversation Starters
ISBN 0-9667418-1-1
www.madamefifi.com
Let’s Talk Conversational Cards
Scott Foresman
http://www.scottforesmancatalog.com/search_results_ISBN.cfm?site_id=18&sear
chterm=0673215539
Situations and Guided Conversations for Language Proficiency
www.audioforum.com
Everyday Situations in Spanish (Transparencies)
www.teachersdiscovery.com
Español en pareja and Español en pareja Júnior
Langenscheidt; ISBN # 3-468-96704-7
Spanish Oral Communication Activities Book
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