AP Language and Culture Syllabus
Señora García
Adapted from College Board
Course Overview
This course follows the guidelines of the College Board® AP Spanish Language and Culture
course and provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in the modes of
communication from the Intermediate to the Pre-Advanced range as defined in the learning
objectives in the Curriculum Framework. The three modes of communication (Interpretive,
Interpersonal, and Presentational) defined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the
21st Century are foundational to the AP® Spanish Language and Culture course.
The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is conducted exclusively in Spanish. Central to the
course is the overarching principle as stated in the Curriculum Framework:
When communicating, students in the AP Spanish Language and Culture course demonstrate an
understanding of the culture(s), incorporate interdisciplinary topics (connections), make
comparisons between the native language and the target language and between cultures
(comparisons), and use the target language in real- life settings (communities).
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Activities to address Learning Objectives
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La palabra del día—students explore a word a day, analyze its meaning, find
root words, synonyms and antonyms, and make linguistic comparisons.
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La noticia del día—once a week, students take turns giving a short presentation about a
relevant news story, summarize it for the class, and ask questions to create opportunities
for open-ended discussion.
El diario de las noticias—students keep a journal of the daily news presented in class
with new vocabulary and reactions.
Every week, students practice recording a simulated conversation and a cultural
comparison. All samples are assessed using the AP scoring guidelines for this
assignment. Sometimes the teacher scores the work and other times the students and their
classmates score each other. This is an excellent way for students to internalize and
understand the scoring guidelines.
Approximately every three weeks, a formal, well-organized, synthesized, analytical or
persuasive essay on an appropriate topic in reaction to a text or information is discussed
or viewed in class. The essay is evaluated for its content, organization, cultural relevancy,
range and appropriateness of vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy.
Writing journal entries, letters, e-mails, poems, abstract writing, creative writing, or
writing reactions to articles and lectures through an interactive social network and/ or
blog on topics/themes.
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Every 2-3 weeks, a new theme is introduced; however, interconnectedness of themes
is expected and encouraged. Within the basis theme, students work on all aspects of
communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. In lieu of a test for each theme,
students are evaluated based on various assignments graded according to the AP World Language
and Culture Scoring Guidelines available in the AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and
Exam Description.
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Course Planner
The focus in this course is to refine students’ abilities to use interpersonal, presentational and
interpretive modes of communication.
Each theme will include the following:
Introduction to the theme:
As an introduction to the topic, students respond in written form to questions in their journal for
the week. After having read the journal entries, the teacher selects one as an example to share
with the class. This forms the basis for an in-class discussion based on the journal entry.
Vocabulary and Grammar
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Grammatical points are reviewed and practiced weekly based on areas of need from
student production.
Students will work with a list of vocabulary words relative to the topic/theme. They
discuss the meaning of the words, ask questions, ask for clarification if needed, and add
them to the list. The instructor may add words not mentioned in the activity.
Students will use words from the list as they work through the assignments in this unit.
Audio and Audiovisual Interpretive Communication
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With a partner, students discuss the content and share their opinions as to whether they
agree or disagree with songs
Students view and listen to a variety of cultural videos
In a small group, students discuss the content of the video and ask questions that elicit
opinions from others in the group.
Here is a sample of sources used:
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Sample passages from Triángulo Aprovado, TEMAS, released AP Spanish tests, Cumbre
and AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination
Cortometrajes (short films) and other authentic Spanish films o Podcasts
Current events
Authentic songs
Written Interpersonal Communication
Students practice writing in both formal and informal contexts. They need maintain a
journal, in which they are frequently asked to respond to prompts based on reading or
listening. In addition, they are asked to write informally in contexts such as thank you
letters, e-mails, notes to peers or teachers, blogs, requests, etc.
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Print Interpretive Communication
Students search for authentic articles from Spanish-speaking newspapers. Formative
Assessment: Students write a brief summary of the article. Then, in a written
presentation, they compare the information in the article with their own community.
Spoken Interpersonal and Presentational Communication
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In class, each student responds to question in writing. Students are expected to share
their responses via oral presentations to small groups.
At home, students use GoogleVoice to compare a point of view from the video interviews
and their original writing. This work will be scored according to the scoring guidelines
for presentational speaking: Cultural Comparison.
The following is a list of some of the speaking activities we do on a regular basis:
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Situations cards
2-minute charlas (presentations on a variety of informal and formal themes)
Prepared dialogs / conversations based on thematic elements
In-class debates
In-class skits, both prepared and impromptu
Persuasive speeches
Cultural or Historical presentations, including a study of art, literature, history, film, etc.
Socratic method conversations
News programs based on materials read or heard in class
Conversation circles based on reading or listening activities
Contextual situations to review areas from previous years
Print Interpretive Communication
Students are assigned the stories from a variety of Hispanic writers such as Francisco
Jiménez: “Cajas de cartón,” focusing on the essential questions in the unit as a jumping
off point for discussion. Students participate in a variety of activities and assessments,
both formative and summative, related to the story and its connection to the theme.
Examples of activities: directed comprehension questions, illustration of one of the
chapters in the book, oral presentation-PPT highlighting one of the chapters.
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Thematic Organization
Theme 1: Las identidades personales y públicas
Recommended Contexts: Personal Beliefs, Personal Interests, Self-Image, National and Ethnic
Identities Alienation and Assimilation
Essential Questions:
1. How are aspects of identity expressed in various situations?/¿Cómo se expresan los
distintos aspectos de la identidad en diversas situaciones?
2. How do language and culture influence identity?/¿Cómo influyen la lengua y la cultura
en la identidad de una persona?
3. How does one’s identity develop over time?/ ¿Cómo se desarrolla la identidad de una
persona a lo largo del tiempo?
Theme 2: Las familias y las comunidades
Recommended Contexts: Customs and Values, Family Structure, Childhood and
Adolescence, Human Geography
Essential Questions:
1. What constitutes a family in different societies?/¿Cómo se define la familia en
distintas sociedades?
2. How do individuals contribute to the well being of communities?/ ¿Cómo
contribuyen los individuos al bienestar de las comunidades?
3. How do the roles that families and communities assume differ in societies around
the world? /¿Cuáles son las diferencias en los papeles que asumen las
comunidades y las familias en las diferentes sociedades del mundo?
4. How does the notion of the “extended family” differ among cultures?/ ¿Cómo
varía la noción de “familia extendida” entre culturas?
Theme 3: La vida contemporánea
Recommended Contexts: Education and Careers, Travel and Leisure, Lifestyles
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Essential Questions:
1. How is contemporary life influenced by cultural products, practices, and
perspectives? /¿Cómo influyen los productos culturales, las prácticas y las
perspectivas en la vida contemporánea?
2. What are the challenges of contemporary life? /¿Cuáles son los desafíos de la
vida contemporánea?
3. How do societies and individuals define quality of life? ¿Cómo definen las
sociedades y los individuos su propia calidad de vida?
Theme 4: Los desafíos mundiales
Recommended Contexts: Economic Issues, Environmental Issues, Health Care and
Medicine
Essential Questions:
1. What environmental, political, and social issues pose challenges to societies throughout
the world? / ¿Cuáles son los desafíos sociales, politicos y del medio ambiente que
enfrentan las sociedades del mundo?
2. What are the origins of those issues? /¿Cuáles son los orígenes de esos desafíos?
3. What are possible solutions to those challenges? / ¿Cuáles son algunas posibles
soluciones a esos desafíos?
Theme 5: La ciencia y la tecnología
Recommended Contexts: Access to Technology, Effects of Technology on Self and
Society, Science and Ethics
Essential Questions:
1. How do developments in science and technology affect our lives? /¿Qué impacto tiene el
desarollo científico y tecnológico en nuestras vidas?
2. What factors have driven innovation and discovery in the fields of science and
technology? /¿Qué factores han impulsado el desarrollo y la innovación en la ciencia y
tecnología?
3. What role do ethics play in scientific advancement? / ¿Qué papel cumple la ética en los
avances científicos?
Theme 6: La belleza y la estética
Recommended Contexts: Defining Beauty, Defining Creativity, Visual and Performing
Arts
Essential Questions:
1. How are perceptions of beauty and creativity established?/¿Cómo se establecen las
percepciones de la belleza y la creatividad?
2. How do ideals of beauty and aesthetics influence daily life?/¿Cómo influyen los ideales
de la belleza y la estética en la vida cotidiana?
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3. How do the arts both challenge and reflect cultural perspectives?/¿Cómo las artes
desafían y reflejan las perspectivas culturales?
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Course Resources
Poemas y videos:
Palabravirtual.com
Gráficas y estadísticas:
Bancomundial.org
Games:
Spanishprograms.com
Culture:
Pbs.org
veintemundos.com/en/
www.20minutos.es
peopleenespanol.com/pespanol/
zachary-jones.com/
zambombazo
ver-taal.com
practicaespanol.com/
Audio practice:
Audiria.com
Temas de AP:
Unmultimedia.org
Noticias:
Rtve.es
bbcmundo.com
radio.un.org/es/
univision.com
tvazteca.com/
unicef.org/spanish/videoaudio/video_radio.html
cnn.com/espanol
elpais.es
elmundo.es
es.noticias.yahoo.com
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Diccionario: www.rae.es
AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam
Exam Information
The AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam assesses students’ proficiencies in the
Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational modes of communication. The exam is 3
hours long and includes both a 95-minute multiple-choice section and an 85-minute freeresponse section. The multiple-choice section accounts for half of the student’s exam
grade, and the free-response section for the other half.
Section I, the multiple-choice section, primarily assesses Interpretive Communication by
asking students to identify main points, significant details, purpose, and intended
audience of a variety of texts and to make inferences and predictions based on them.
Some questions require students to show understanding of cultural or interdisciplinary
information contained in the text. Each selection is accompanied by a preview that
provides contextual information.
Section I, Part A, consists of a variety of authentic print materials (e.g., journalistic and
literary texts, announcements, advertisements, letters, maps, and tables).
Section I, Part B, consists of a variety of authentic audio materials, including interviews,
podcasts, public service announcements, conversations, and brief presentations. This
section is divided into two subsections. The first subsection includes audio texts that are
paired with print materials; the second consists solely of audio texts. Students will have
time to read the preview and skim the questions before listening to the audio. All audio
texts will be played twice.
Section II, the free-response section, assesses Interpersonal and Presentational
Communication by requiring students to produce written and spoken responses.
In the writing portion, students demonstrate their ability to write in the Interpersonal
Mode by reading and replying to an email message. Then, using the Presentational Mode,
they write a persuasive essay based on three sources that present different viewpoints on
a topic. Students read an article, study a table or graphic, and listen twice to a related
audio. Then they have 40 minutes to write an essay in response to a prompt using the
information from all three sources to present and defend their own viewpoint. Students
have access to the print sources and any notes they may take on the audio during the
entire 40-minute writing period.
The speaking portion assesses speaking in the Interpersonal Mode by asking students to
respond to questions as part of a simulated conversation. Students are provided a preview
of the conversation, including an outline of each exchange. This portion also assesses
speaking in the Presentational Mode by requiring students to make a 2-minute p
resentation in response to a prompt on a cultural topic. In their presentation, students
compare cultural features of their own community to those found in an area of the
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Spanish-speaking world with which they are familiar. Students are encouraged to cite
examples from materials they’ve read, viewed, and listened to, as well as from personal
experiences and observations. © 2013 The College Board
Section
Number of
Questions
Percent of Final
Score
Section I: Multiple Choice
Part
Interpretive Communication: Print Texts
A
Approx. 95 minutes
30 questions
Interpretive Communication: Print and Audio
Texts (combined)
Part
B
Time
Approx. 40 minutes
50%
35 questions
Approx. 55 minutes
Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts
Section II: Free Response
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
© 2013 The College Board.
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