AP Spanish Language/Literature

If you have taken all of the prerequisites and are considering advancing to AP Spanish Language, I would urge you to go for it: it is an amazing experience to grow your language skills and become significantly closer to fluency. As described by College Board, students taking AP Spanish Language can “cultivate their understanding of Spanish language and culture by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication in real-life situations as they explore concepts related to family and communities, personal and public identities, beauty and aesthetics, science and technology, contemporary life, and global challenges”. Unlike other Spanish classes offered at RB, AP Spanish Lang does not cover any specific grammar concepts or vocabulary terms, instead exploring various topics about the human experience through the lens of Spanish-speaking countries. The workload of the course is very similar to Honors Spanish IV, and I have heard that it is also comparable to that of courses offered to heritage students. Mr. Tinoco takes great effort to make the course accessible to all students, native speakers or not, meaning the class is rather catered to your individual needs as a learner. A large portion of class time is spent preparing for the AP test with various activities and helpful practice opportunities, but it does not feel like the class is limited to what will be on the exam. Students will greatly benefit from this preparation because AP Spanish Language also offers students another opportunity to obtain the Seal of Biliteracy, a national recognition of fluency in a second language. Students who score a 4 or 5 on the AP exam in May can still obtain the seal even if they do not pass the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) when it is offered at RB. After a student takes AP Spanish Language, they then have the option to progress on to AP Spanish Literature. AP Spanish Lit is the highest level Spanish class available to students at RB, and it is usually only taken by native-speaking seniors, though some non-native-speaking seniors who have excelled in Spanish throughout their academic careers elect to skip AP Lang and take the course. Because of the nature of literature as a subject, AP Spanish Lit is a challenging course that requires significant effort from students in reading and analysis. Overall, students who enjoy the Spanish language and are looking for a challenge should definitely enroll in an AP Spanish course at RB.