VHS Course Catalog

AP® Spanish Language Section DAG

Prerequisites
Spanish I-IV or the equivalent with at least a B average in your previous Spanish class. In this fifth year Spanish course, it is assumed that students have already learned the grammar and syntax of the language and have acquired strong skills in speaking, writing, reading, and understanding Spanish. The college-level curriculum for this course is designed to reinforce and sharpen these skills with the goal of achieving mastery in the skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing as defined by the AP Spanish Language Course Description. Students will be working at a rigorous pace to cover the material and prepare for the Advanced Placement Examination in May. This course will meet the needs of highly motivated students who have a strong interest and ability in the Spanish language.

Students will need access to Power Point, Quick Time, and Real Player. This course requires students to have access to a computer with headphone, microphone, and software to record voice and save in WAV format. Instructions are provided for Sound Recorder, used in the D2L course. Other software may be substituted, as long as it has the ability to record up to 2 minutes of voice in the WAV format.

Description

AP® Spanish Language is intended for highly motivated students who wish to develop proficiency and integrate their language skills, providing frequent opportunities for students to use authentic materials and sources. Not only will they be prepared for the Spanish AP exam in May, but they will also gain an insight into the cultural aspects of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. Students will be exposed to many different forms of written and spoken Spanish through the study of poems, short stories, newspaper articles, along with radio and television broadcasts.

The course will:
* Encourage a thematic approach to teaching.
Students participate in activities that integrate language, literature, and culture; make connections to other disciplines; and compare aspects of the target culture with other cultures.

* Articulate clear learning objectives.
Clearly articulated learning objectives provide information on the knowledge and skills students should demonstrate to succeed on the exam.

* Reflect college-level expectations.
The College Board collaborates with language educators from leading colleges, universities, and secondary schools to ensure that the course reflects rigorous college standards.

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement VHS courses are expected to take the AP exam, and are required to report their AP examination scores to VHS . Upon receipt of the student's exam score, each score will be recorded by VHS and assigned an anonymous tracking number to ensure student anonymity and confidentiality. By enrolling in an AP VHS class, the student authorizes their school site coordinator and school administration to report AP examination scores to VHS. Exam results will not affect the student's VHS grade or future enrollment in VHS courses.

This course has recommended summer reading. Students are encouraged to complete and submit the summer assignment for extra credit. The summer assignments will help students prepare for the course as well as the AP exam. All summer work for AP Spanish can be found here: [AP Summer Work]

Course Objectives
The course objectives are to develop the following competencies:
Achieve a level of proficiency in the language that permits comprehension of formal and informal spoken Spanish;
Acompose expository passages;
Express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency; and
Acquire vocabulary and a grasp of structure to allow the accurate reading of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as of modern literature in Spanish.