AP Spanish Language & Culture Exam: How to Tackle the Free Response Questions When Time Is Running Out even Behind The Screen – Part I

By Bertha Delgadillo and Claudia Elliott

Ready or not here we go.  Our students will be taking the full AP Language and Culture Exam next month.  We only have a few weeks left, but these weeks are very important.  We need to be intentional so our students have the best possible chance.  How? In these two-part blog posts,  we will share with you our 5 top strategies to tackle the free-response questions when time is running out even if you’re behind the screen. 

The challenges of this year are real and big, but we still have a few weeks before our students sit in front of a full AP exam.  During this time, we would like to focus on the free-response questions.  We feel our students can show their proficiency much better in this second part of the exam. 

In this Part I, we will share with you our first two strategies.  In Part II, we will share our last three strategies. 

In addition to these strategies, I use these scaffolds to support my students in the four, free response questions of the AP Exam. If you want this in your inbox, click HERE.

Now, let’s start with our strategies. 

I. Provide or Create Model Texts.

One of the most common questions our students ask us when they have to write the formal email, or the essay, and even the cultural comparison or the simulated conversion is “How do I start?” We may think our students already know how to write a formal response or a thesis, or how to elaborate or to compare, but the reality is that a lot of them don’t even know how to do it in their first language. 

We surely can explain in detail to them how to complete all these tasks, but at the end is so much more efficient and effective to show them.  You will get these “AHA” expressions from them more often when you show them how a great formal response or thesis looks like.  Providing model texts to your students will not only give them the vision of what elements they need to include in all these tasks but also make the tasks doable and accessible. 

Model texts

What is a model text? It’s a text that exhibits all the elements of successful writing or speaking in a given context.  Where can you find them? Our #1 place to find these model texts is on the AP Exam College Board site.  Every year the College Board puts together samples of the different responses by score.  Those samples are gold, and you can use them with your classes at any time.  Click here to find the samples for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam.

Can you prepare your own model texts or use samples from your students? Of course you can.  Using samples from your students is also very powerful to create connections with them.  Using their work as part of your curriculum is a great practice. 

Dissect the Model Text 

Once you have identified your model text, have your students identify the important elements and desirable language of that specific text.  Those elements and language are the ones you’re looking for in an exemplary text.   

For example, in the argumentative essay, ask your students to identify the thesis, supportive arguments, use of the different sources and language that make that text successful.  We also like to ask students to identify impressive language features.  

Behind the screen, we would like to use a tool that allows the entire class to see students’ dissection.  Tools like Nearpod, PearDeck, GoFormative, or Jamboard are great.

Focus On Simple Features

When your students dissect the model text, there will be tons of great features and elements you may want to highlight and go deeper.  However, we only have a few weeks before the exam. You know your students best.  You know where they are and what they need.  Focus on features that will create the biggest impact on their performance.

This year we have a lot of students who are only in the intermediate low level.  Should we focus on advanced structures? No really.  We want to focus on simple structures.  Structures that they’ve already acquired.  We can show them how they can use those simple structures and simple language to complete the tasks.  Making these tasks accessible and doable to them is huge at this point.  Asking to identify features in the model text will help them visualize what they need to do.

 

II. Chunk Tasks Using Graphic Organizers

The four response tasks of the AP exam require students to complete several steps.  They need to read, understand, identify, analyze, and then complete the task itself.  Chunking those steps will help them complete the tasks easier and will keep the level of engagement high and level of frustration lower. 

These are different ideas on how to do that with each task:

Email Reply:

• Have students read the email and identify the following elements:
  • Who is sending the email
  • Why
  • What the role of the student is
  • What the email is asking
• Have students brainstorm possible answers to the questions and possible questions as a class
• Have students complete the task and provide scaffolds. Click here to receive some of the scaffolds in your inbox. 

Argumentative Essay:

• Have students read the question or prompt, and write a simple response assuming a position 
• Then students can read the sources in pairs or groups.  Provide a graphic organizer so they can write at least one argument in favor or against from the sources they can use.  
• Have the students write the essay one paragraph at a time with specific instruction per paragraph.  Provide scaffolds to help them start each paragraph.  You can use the language identified by students when they were dissecting the model text as part of your scaffolds. 

Cultural Comparison:

• Have students read the prompt in pairs.
• Provide a Venn Diagram or 3 Column Organizer so students can brainstorm similarities and differences related to the topic. 
• Provide scaffolds and have students do an outline in writing of the cultural comparison before they record.

Simulated Conversation:

• Have students identify the situation: Who they’re talking to, why they’re talking, who they’re, and it’s a formal or informal situation. 
• Give students the script and let them identify what they need to do each time they respond.  Have them brainstorm possible sentence starters or expressions to respond.
• Play the audio or provide the script.  Stop the audio and as a class brainstorm possible answers following the script too. 
• Finally, pair up students with different levels of proficiency.  Let the most proficient students go first to complete the task so the second student will have one more opportunity to get more ideas. 

This was a lot but hopefully, you either validated the strategies you’re already using in class or you added even more tools to use in your class during these last weeks.  

Don’t forget, I use these scaffolds to support my students in the free response questions of the AP Exam. If you want this in your inbox, click HERE.

In the second part of this series, we’ll share with you our last three strategies to help your students have their best chance at their AP Language & Culture Exam. 

Would you like to learn more about strategies for advanced courses? Make sure to check out the course that Bertha Delgadillo and I created. Find out more HERE.