That time of year has finally come: the season of AP exams. If you decided to take a foreign language this year, chances are you’re hoping to gain college credit. Time to make that effort spent participating in your Spanish class worth it! Before you begin to study, you may be looking for some guidance on how to prepare for this particular exam. Luckily, my own experience in taking two foreign languages can help you. To help you lessen the stress, here are a few ways to prepare for the AP Language & Culture Exam. 1) Use Your Index Cards
Believe or not, this is actually a game changer. It could seem like an outdated concept, but a few tips can aid in your study prep more than you think. Index cards can help organize your vocabulary while simultaneously help with memorization. The act of handwriting notes and other class related material improves your memory. According to the Journal of Educational Study, those who took handwritten notes scored significantly better on tests than those who took notes on their laptop. Incorporate your index cards to include key grammar rules, verb conjugations, and/or commonly used vocabulary. 2) Schedule A Reasonable Time To Study Organization is an important factor when it comes to high test scores. Besides keeping your notes and study material in order, managing your time is crucial. As someone who was taking multiple exams, I always made sure to dedicate specific time frames for my subjects. This means, when I wanted to study for AP Italian, I designated an hour each day leading to the exam. No more, no less, but kept it consistent. Set a time that you feel suites your needs. Assign more time if you need it, and less if you don’t. 3) Brush Up On Cultural References Remember; this is called the AP Language and Culture Exam. During class, you learned cultural components such as food, lifestyle, music, art, etc. The exam will test you on these topics in a multiple choice section, auditory exercise, or through essay format. You can easily brush up on cultural references through watching videos in said language, listen to music, etc. Review your notes that also indicate historical figures; the exam loves to reference famous musicians and artists! 4) Use Netflix To Practice Auditory Comprehension Need a break from writing and referencing your study guide? Watching Netflix can be a form of studying (in moderation). There are tons of shows and movies that are spoken entirely in Spanish, French, Mandarin, and other languages you are currently studying. As you are watching Netflix, the act of listening to the language and reading English subtitles is a form of studying! You are practicing auditory comprehension. If you wanted to watch your favorite American tv series, you can set the subtitles in another language to aid in reading comprehension. Other mediums such as music or tuning into foreign radio stations, can also assist in your studying too. 5) Familiarize Yourself More With Grammar When you take the test, expect to see many questions related to grammar. Whether that is in the form of multiple choice or applying it in essay form. Your test prep should include the following key categories of grammar ; memorizing the gender of nouns, verb tenses (present, past, and future), pluralization, verb conjugation, contractions, and questions. If you master all of these concepts, you will be answer to almost every question correctly. You don’t have to be an expert; but be familiar with these significant grammar points. 6) Memorize Categories of Vocabulary You probably studied vocabulary in sections or been tested by categories. The AP exam will pick vocabulary in any topic range. This could be food, family, education, politics, and other areas you have covered. However, do not stress over memorizing every single word. Do your best in acquiring a healthy amount of words in each topic. Utilize those flashcards and split them into categories you learned in school. Or look at images that have the word included; this will help you associate the two together. 7) Take Advantage of Online Tools Apps that promote language learning are your best friends. The most popular that will ring a bell to you is Duolingo. This can be a fun studying aid, and can provide a more fun relief to your usual routine. The app has exercises that include listening, speaking, and reading comprehension. Quizlet, is another app that acts, in the best way I can describe, virtual “index cards.” It features hundreds of vocabulary terms, also split into specific categories commonly taught in your language curriculum. Pretty neat! 8) Review Your Past Exams Put those tests you took during the year into use. Your teacher most definitely included questions and exercises that will be in your exam. He/she might have even took a few questions from past AP tests… and I am speaking from personal experience. This will also be a good way to see where you tested well and poorly in. Perhaps there was a section in grammar you need to go over more. It is a good assessment to see how well you did in various topics throughout the year. 9) Make A List of Your Strengths & Weaknesses The upside to all of your college test prep is figuring our where your strengths and weaknesses lye. Especially in language, there are areas where we feel more comfortable than the other. Create a list or schedule that caters to what you should focus on. If you need help with vocabulary, set aside time to make index cards and review your reading comprehension. If it’s grammar, review exercises you have done in class or find worksheets online. Still not sure how to go about it? Tribeca Language offers both class and private lessons that will help aide in your study process! The preparation for the AP Language & Culture Exam can seem overwhelming. Nevertheless, there are always tips and tricks to make the process a lot easier. We hope that this advice can help you navigate in your study prep journey. Although, if you seek additional guidance, we offer both private lessons and class instruction in 14 different languages! Best of luck! Students still have time to register for AP Language Tests and put their knowledge of a foreign language to good use. AP Language Tests are available in 7 different language and will start taking place in May. As of now, all exams will take place in schools. See AP exam schedule below:
AP Chinese Language and Culture - May 14th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (In school) - Computer- based May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (In school) - Computer- based June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (In school) - Computer- based AP French Language and Culture May 10th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) AP German Language and Culture May 4th, 2021 - 12pm Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Italian Language and Culture May 14th, 2021 - 8am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 8am Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Japanese Language and Culture May 5th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (In school) - Computer- based May 21st, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (In school) - Computer- based June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (In school) - Computer- based AP Latin May 21st, 2021 - 8am Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Spanish Language and Culture May 11th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Spanish Literature and Culture May 7th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) For more info and details, visit The College Board website. Is your child in the middle of taking SAT and AP exams? The process can be exhausting, especially when teens are trying to figure out what college level courses to take. Although advanced science and math exams will be encouraged, encourage your child to take language. Your child will most likely be required to take a language as a high school requirement. If he/she already has high grades in her language course, taking an AP language exam is a great way to earn extra college credits. The journey to getting into college may not be easy, but there are other reasons why taking a language entrance exam is beneficial. Increased Chance to College Acceptance
You might also think having a high GPA and taking AP classes is how you get into most colleges. However, you will be surprised to know that a lot of universities are actually interested in high schoolers who know a foreign language. If your child has hopes to go into a top university such as Princeton, he/she should definitely take a language placement test. Research has shown that Ivy League Colleges accept more applications that involve knowing or studying a foreign language. Many colleges are starting to see that students who know a second language have more opportunities after they graduate. Guaranteed College Credit There are other perks that taking a language placement exam can also offer. If students are looking to earn a Liberal Arts degree, there is a minimum requirement to take a full year of language. If a student scores over 200 there he/she already gains enough credit to meet the language requirement. But what if your child would like to continue learning the language she gained credit for? There are opportunities for students who decide to minor in a language, especially if it is a popular spoken language such as Spanish or Chinese. (It can open many doors in careers like business, tourism, and education.) Higher SAT Scores You may think learning a language can be a distraction for a high schooler’s other studies. Perhaps you might say that the extra studying for SAT's and AP’s is already enough. However, did you know learning a language improves your child’s test scores? According to College Board, students who studied a foreign language scored better than peers who did not study a foreign language. Students who also studied a foreign language for all four years of high school scored higher than those who studied for two years. Studies have also shown that high schoolers who learned a second language showed improvement in both English and Math scores. Who knew prepping for a language AP exam can help your child’s other classes. Finer Language Skills Assessment Are you curious how fluent your child is in the language they are taking? The language placement and AP exam are great ways to figure out a student’s fluency in foreign language. Both exams are divided into four sections: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The test results that a student will receive reveals how well they scored in each section. Naturally, there will be areas one will score better on. This will be beneficial to point out what areas your child needs to work on. Whether it has to do more with grammar or conversation practice, a student can see which steps to take to become fluent. Greater Career Opportunities Did you know that those who know a second language have more job opportunities? According to careerprofiles.info, being fluent in a second language has advantages in many career fields such as marketing, administration, banking, education, law, government, etc. Recent research also suggests that there will be an increase of about 42% in demand for those who are able to translate and interpret in the job force. Still not convinced? Those who list a second language on their job resumes are likely to be hired than their counterpart who does not. The reason being that there is simply a demand in the job market for those who speak more than one language. There is even a 10-15% higher pay raise in those who are bilingual, according to BRIC Language System. Better Grammar Foundation As stated previously, the AP, SAT and Regents language both test a student knowledge on his/her grammar skills. You may think that learning to understand and/or speak the language holds the most importance. However, college courses in language heavily focuses on grammar structure. Especially as a student advances to higher course levels, much of it will be writing and reading. High schoolers who already introduced to learning about grammar foundation have a great chance to strengthen these skills in college. Studies have shown that studying the structure being grammar and vocabulary help gain better cognitive skills. In other words, students who studied a second language scored higher in math, reading comprehension, and vocabulary than those who did not. Easy Option for Native Speakers Lastly, if your child is already bilingual, taking a language placement exam is an easy and guaranteed way to gain credit. You may not have thought of this, but there are already tons of requirement classes a student will need to take in college. Why not let one of them be a language he/she already knows for an easy A? It’s an even better option for those who grew up in a bilingual home but never fully grasped the second language. Your child will already have an understanding at home and excel the foreign language in class. Or perhaps your child will begin learning at school and continue his/her language skills by practicing at home. This can also establish better skills grammatically (as mentioned before) and guarantee your child will be fluent. Although studying for these college exams can be scary, there are many benefits in taking them. This is a chance for students to be able to discover their talent and/or passion for learning languages. There will be advantages in college but also in their job search well after. So if your child has a knack for language, encourage them to take a placement or AP language exam! You never know where it could take them. AP Tests are available: AP Chinese Language and Culture - May 14th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) - Computer- based May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) - Computer- based June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) - Computer- based AP French Language and Culture May 10th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) AP German Language and Culture May 4th, 2021 - 12pm Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Italian Language and Culture May 14th, 2021 - 8am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 8am Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Japanese Language and Culture May 5th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) - Computer- based May 21st, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) - Computer- based June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) - Computer- based AP Latin May 21st, 2021 - 8am Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Spanish Language and Culture May 11th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) AP Spanish Literature and Culture May 7th, 2021 - 8 am Local Time (Paper, In school) May 21st, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) June 4th, 2021 - 12 pm Local Time (Paper, In school) |
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AuthorAlessandra Lanno considers herself both an avid reader and writer. Born and raised in Archives
June 2021
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