AP® Spanish Language and Culture

• At a minimum, completion of Spanish 3 if the course is equivalent to an intermediate high proficiency level course; completion of Spanish 4 is recommended. Heritage speakers may have followed a different path.
• Grade of a B or better in the most recent Spanish class.
• Grammar and syntax of the language and strong skills in speaking, writing, reading, and understanding Spanish are required.
• In addition to the enrollment fee, this course has an Additional Course Fee of $80.
• The required summer assignment for AP Spanish Language and Culture can be found in our AP Summer Work Directory.

Course Essential Questions:

• How has the role of families evolved in contemporary societies?
• How have developments in science and technology impacted language and the ways we communicate and, ultimately, how we see ourselves?
• How does art both challenge and reflect cultural perspectives?
• What are the social consequences of scientific or technological advancements?
• What influences one’s interpretation and perceptions of the quality of life?
• How do environmental, political, and societal challenges positively and negatively impact communities?

Objectives:

• Comprehend written, audio, audiovisual, and visual text through the ability to describe the literal meaning of the text.
• Make interdisciplinary and cultural connections through data and connections among cultural topics.
• Interpret the content of written or audio text by identifying the point of view, rhetorical structures, tone, or other distinguishing features of a text.
• Determine the meaning of familiar and unfamiliar words through the use of idiomatic and culturally authentic expressions.
• Communicate interpersonally by speaking with others through understanding and applying appropriate communication strategies and varied syntactical expressions in interpersonal speaking.
• Communicate interpersonally by writing to others through understanding and applying appropriate communication strategies and varied syntactical expressions in interpersonal writing.
• Communicate through spoken presentations by using appropriate vocal and visual strategies to communicate an idea for the intended audience in presentational speaking.
• Communicate through written presentations by planning and researching an issue or topic using appropriate writing strategies to communicate with varied syntactical expressions or ideas in presentational writing.

• Access select YouTube videos throughout the course.
• Access to special characters specific to the language, including á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ, ¡, ¿.
• Access to a device with headphone, microphone, and camera.
• Students will be expected to record and upload videos of themselves speaking in target language in order to exhibit proficiency in the speaking domain using a video tool within the course platform.
• This AP course has a required summer assignment. The summer assignment is a review of prerequisite content and critical concepts students must be comfortable with before beginning the course. Students are expected to complete their summer assignment before the course begins and submit their work by the end of Week 1. Students who register on or after September 1 will receive an extension to complete the summer assignment by the end of Week 3.