AP 2013 Reading Professional Night
AP Spanish Language and Culture
Maritza Sloan, Plano West Senior High School, Texas
What is new in the
AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam?
 Students will be provided contexts for doing exam tasks. They will
not be asked questions that are de-contextualized.
• Advance Organizers will provide information before students
begin working on a task.
• Preview Time will allow for students to read and preview
questions before audio sources play.
• Audio Sources will be played twice. Students will be given 1
minute to answer questions before the audio plays a second time,
at which time they will receive 15 additional seconds per
question.
 In spoken and written responses, accuracy of content will be
important, as well as linguistic accuracy.
• In most of their spoken and written responses, students will be
required to demonstrate understanding of some type of input.
Features of the revised AP® Exam
Students work with a greater variety of authentic materials, both
print and audio, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity
of the Spanish-speaking world.
 Literary and journalistic texts but also announcements,
advertisements, letters, maps, tables, etc.
 Scripted dialogues but also radio interviews, podcasts, public service
announcements, brief presentations, etc.
 Criteria for selection are comprehensibility (accent, pace, minimal
background noise/overlap) and relevance to a course theme and to
a topic that could interest students.
 Materials will be reasonably chosen, but will reflects a range of
cultural perspectives and linguistic features.
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AP Exam Format – Multiple Choice
Section
Number of
Questions
Percent
of Final
Score
Section I: Multiple Choice, Interpretive Communication
Part
A
Part
B
Print Texts
Print and Audio Texts
(combined)
Audio Texts
Approx. 95
minutes
Approx. 40
minutes
30 questions
50%
35 questions
Time
Approx. 55
minutes
AP Exam Format – Free Response
Section
Number of
Questions
Percent
of Final
Score
Section II: Free Response, Interpersonal and
Presentational Communication
Time
Approx. 85
minutes
Interpersonal Writing:
Email Reply
1 prompt
12.5%
15 minutes
Presentational Writing:
Persuasive Essay
1 prompt
12.5%
Approx.
55 minutes
Interpersonal Speaking:
Conversation
5 prompts
12.5%
20 seconds for
each response
Presentational Speaking:
Cultural Comparison
1 prompt
12.5%
2 minutes to
respond
Advance Organizers
SAMPLE: Print Source
Introducción
Tema curricular: Los desafíos mundiales
Este texto trata del envejecimiento de la población europea.
El artículo original fue publicado el 25 de febrero de 2008 en
Inglaterra por el periodista Inder Bugarin.
Advance Organizers
SAMPLE: Audio Source
Introducción
Tema curricular: La ciencia y la tecnología
Esta grabación trata del Primer Simposio de Bioluminiscencia en
Vieques. El reportaje fue publicado el 20 de enero de 2011 en
Puerto Rico por el programa Sea Grant. Son entrevistadas Lirio
Márquez, la coordinadora del simposio, la senadora Norma
Burgos, la senadora Marita Santiago y Ruperto Chaparro, el
director de Sea Grant. La grabación dura aproximadamente tres
minutos.
Aligning Assessment to Curriculum
Key Revisions to the AP Exam
New types of Multiple Choice items
• For texts that are interpersonal in nature (letters, interviews, promotional pieces):
What would an appropriate reply to X be? How does what X says/writes relate to
what something Y has said/written? (agreement, contradiction, support,
elaboration)
• For texts that are presentational in nature (brief lectures/presentations, print
narratives): How does the speaker/author organize the text? What would be an
appropriate summary statement of the text?
• For combined sets: How does information in the print text relate to information in
the audio text? (general/specific, point/counterpoint)
Aligning Assessment to Curriculum
Key Revisions to the AP Exam
Multiple Choice items
—
—
—
—
—
—
Mix of factual and interpretive questions
Vocabulary in context
Purpose of the text, point of view of speaker/writer
Audience of the text
Inferences and conclusions
Questions of “cultural” or “interdisciplinary” nature that ask students to show
understanding of information contained in the text
Understanding the
new Free Response
Section
AP Exam Format – Free Response
Section
Number of
Questions
Percent
of Final
Score
Section II: Free Response, Interpersonal and
Presentational Communication
Time
Approx. 85
minutes
Interpersonal Writing:
Email Reply
1 prompt
12.5%
15 minutes
Presentational Writing:
Persuasive Essay
1 prompt
12.5%
Approx.
55 minutes
Interpersonal Speaking:
Conversation
5 prompts
12.5%
20 seconds for
each response
Presentational Speaking:
Cultural Comparison
1 prompt
12.5%
2 minutes to
respond
Targeted Learning Objectives for Written
Presentational Communication
 The student engages in the written exchange of





information, opinions, and ideas in a variety of time
frames in formal situations.
The student writes formal correspondence in a variety of
media using appropriate formats and conventions.
The student elicits information and clarifies meaning by
using a variety of strategies.
The student initiates and sustains interaction during
written interpersonal communication in a variety of
media.
The student understands a variety of vocabulary,
including idiomatic and culturally appropriate
expressions.
The student uses a variety of vocabulary, including
idiomatic and culturally appropriate expressions on a
variety of topics.
Free-Response Item 1
E-mail Reply (Interpersonal Writing)
Directions (in English and Spanish, printed side-by-side):
You will write a reply to an e-mail message. You have 15 minutes to read
the message and write your reply.
Your reply should include a greeting and a closing, as well as respond to
all the questions and requests in the message. In your reply, you should
also ask for more details about something mentioned in the message.
Stimulus:
A formal e-mail message (i.e., from a business, organization, university)
presented as an e-mail message window; contains a greeting and a
closing; contains a request for clarification, elaboration or explanation by
the student; contains two questions that cannot be answered yes/no.
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Targeted Learning Objectives for
Written Interpersonal Communication
 The student plans and produces written presentational






communications.
The student produces persuasive essays.
The student demonstrates comprehension of content
from authentic written and print resources.
The student demonstrates comprehension of content
from authentic visual resources.
The student demonstrates comprehension of content
from authentic audio resources.
The student demonstrates an understanding of the
features of target culture communities (e.g., geographic,
historical, artistic, social, or political).
The student uses reference tools, acknowledges sources,
and cites them appropriately.
Free-Response Item 2
Persuasive Essay (Presentational Writing)
Directions (in English and Spanish, printed side-by-side):
You will write a persuasive essay to submit to a Spanish-language writing
contest. The essay topic is based on three accompanying sources, which
present different viewpoints on the topic and include both print and audio
material. First, you will have 6 minutes to read the essay topic and the
printed material. Afterward, you will hear the audio material twice; you
should take notes while you listen. Then you will have 40 minutes to
prepare and write your essay.
In your persuasive essay, present the sources’ different viewpoints on the
topic and also clearly indicate your own viewpoint and thoroughly defend
it. Use information from all of the sources to support your essay. As you
refer to the sources, identify them appropriately. Also, organize your essay
into clear paragraphs.
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Free-Response Item 2 (cont’d)
Persuasive Essay (Presentational Writing)
Stimuli:
(1) A print source (journalistic article or literary text) that presents a clear
opinion on the topic; opinion is different from that of the audio source
(authentic source, may be excerpted)
(2) A map with text, a chart or a table that presents information on the
topic—this source doesn’t have to present an opinion (authentic source)
(3) An audio source (interview, report or announcement) that presents a
clear opinion on the topic that is different from the opinion in the print
source (authentic source, may be excerpted)
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Targeted Learning Objectives for
Spoken Interpersonal Communication
 The student engages in the oral exchange of information,





opinions, and ideas in a variety of time frames in informal
situations.
The student elicits information and clarifies meaning by using
a variety of strategies.
The student states and supports opinions in oral interactions.
The student initiates and sustains interaction through the use
of various verbal and nonverbal strategies.
The student understands a variety of vocabulary, including
idiomatic and culturally appropriate expressions.
The student uses a variety of vocabulary, including idiomatic
and culturally appropriate expressions on a variety of topics.
Free-Response Item 3
Conversation (Interpersonal Speaking)
Directions (in English followed by Spanish):
You will participate in a conversation. First, you will have 1 minute to read
a preview of the conversation, including an outline of each turn in the
conversation. Afterward, the conversation will begin, following the outline.
Each time it is your turn to speak, you will have 20 seconds to record your
response.
You should participate in the conversation as fully and appropriately as
possible.
Stimulus:
Outline of a conversation in Spanish that contains a description of each of
five utterances from the interlocutor (the recording) and each of five
utterances from the student; descriptions in the outline focus on
communicative functions (e.g., tell your friend what happened, make a
suggestion, offer a solution, excuse yourself and say goodbye).
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Targeted Learning Objectives for Spoken
Presentational Communication
 The student plans, produces, and presents
spoken presentational communications.
 The student expounds on familiar topics and
those requiring research.
 The student demonstrates an understanding of
the features of target culture communities (e.g.,
geographic, historical, artistic, social, and/or
political).
Free-Response Item 4
Cultural Comparison (Presentational Speaking)
Directions (in English followed by Spanish):
You will make an oral presentation to your class on a specific topic. You will
have 4 minutes to read the topic and prepare your presentation. Then you will
have 2 minutes to record your presentation.
In your presentation, compare your own community to an area of the Spanishspeaking world with which you are familiar. You should demonstrate your
understanding of cultural features of the Spanish-speaking world. You should
also organize your presentation clearly.
Stimulus:
There is no stimulus, only a prompt. The goals of this task are for the students
to speak first about themselves and their communities (using description or
explanation) and then speak of an area of the Spanish-speaking world about
which they’ve learned something or have some personal experience (using
comparison). Students are encouraged to cite examples from materials they’ve
read, viewed and listened to; personal experiences; and observations.
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Putting It All
Together:
Lesson Samples