Daniel Paolicchi - AP Spanish Language and Culture (Barrons)

AP

Spanish Language
and Culture

WITH 2 PRACTICE TESTS

TENTH EDITION

Daniel Paolicchi, M.A.

Spanish Teacher

Montgomery Bell Academy

Nashville, Tennessee

Alice G. Springer, Ph.D.

Spanish Teacher

Montgomery Bell Academy

Nashville, Tennessee

AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Acknowledgments

For my fellow language teachers and all students of Spanish.

Copyright 2020, 2017, 2014, 2011, 2008 by Kaplan, Inc., d/b/a Barrons Educational Series

Previous editions Copyright 2003, 1998, 1994 by Kaplan, Inc.,

d/b/a Barrons Educational Series

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The AP Spanish Language and Culture exam is a rigorous test of your ability to interpret and communicate in Spanish. It challenges you in a holistic way to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in your listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities. The exam is designed around six interrelated themes that will test your capacity to analyze and talk about a variety of issues, including practices, products, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking communities and how these compare to those of your own culture, as well as about topics that relate to other disciplines, such as science, business, art, technology, social issues, and so on.

An AP course is designed to be the equivalent of a third-year college course. At that level you should be able to understand a native speaker who speaks at a normal speed, to comprehend and analyze print materials intended for native speakers, and to be able to communicate with ease, both orally and in writing, on a variety of topics. You should be able to recognize appropriate social customs reflected in the language, in areas such as register, and also be able to notice references to traditions, customs, and values particular to Spanish-speaking societies.

Overall, the exam calls for much more sophisticated control of the language and of culture than previous exams, so it is best to prepare thoroughly. Success on the exam lies not in how much you know about the language, but rather in your ability to use the language to effectively interpret written and oral texts and to communicate at a high level on a number of different topics. This book is designed to do just that. It will prepare you for the exam by helping you develop strategies to build both your communicative and interpretive abilities. Plenty of practice exercises are included so you can gauge your readiness and prepare accordingly. The materials selected for this book include the types of selections you are likely to find on the exam, but they are, by no means, a definitive listing. You need to learn as much as you can about Spanish-speaking history, art, literature, business practices, music, humor, customs, traditions, folklore, and other social and cultural topics, and you will need to incorporate that knowledge into your responses on all parts of the exam.

Below you will find general information regarding the structure of the exam and a brief description of each section. For more detailed information and strategies for success in each section, please refer to the section at the beginning of the chapter dedicated to that particular task.

The examination is divided into the following two sections: Interpretive Communication (Multiple-Choice) and Free Response.

Section I is worth 50% of the total score on the examination, and is divided into three parts: Print Texts, Print and Audio Texts (combined), and Audio Texts. All questions in this section are multiple-choice, with both questions and answers printed in the text booklet. At the beginning of each printed and audio source you will be given information about that source so that you can have a contextual base before you begin your task. Section I of the examination is machine-scored, so be sure to bring several sharpened No. 2 pencils to fill out your answer sheet.

Section II is divided into four communicative tasks: Email Reply, Argumentative Essay, Conversation, and Cultural Comparison. Each task is worth 12.5% of the total score. For the written samples, a test booklet will be provided and you must use a blue or black pen on this portion of the examination. You will be asked to submit your recordings in a digital audio file format.

Part A of Section II is the writing section, which comprises the Email Reply (Task 1) and Argumentative Essay (Task 2). For Task 1, Email Reply, your objective is to respond to a formal email that is printed in your test booklet. You will have 15 minutes to read and respond to the email. For Task 2, Argumentative Essay, you are to write an essay in which you respond to a question printed in your test booklet. In addition to the question you are to answer, you will be provided with two print texts and one audio source that present different points of view on the topic. A key component of this task is to gather information from all three texts and use it to support your own point of view on the topic.