The AP® Spanish Language and Culture Exam tests a full range of your language skills in addition to your understanding of the culture. The broad scope of the exam means that you must have full command of the Spanish language in both its written and spoken forms. Don’t count on getting away with reading through a script while listening. On some parts of the exam, you’ll be stuck with just your ears to help you. If you hear Spanish and it makes your eyes glaze over or you lose track of the conversation and wonder what it was you’ve heard, you’ll need to work on your listening skills. This will ensure you can handle the listening sections of the exam. Even the best AP® Spanish Language students may need some extra help in this area, especially when exam nerves are high.
But, fear not. We’re here to help you! We’ve prepared 10 strategies focused on listening skills to help you work towards that 5. These helpful strategies focus on boosting the skills needed to excel on the exam. After reading this post, with a little practice, you should feel more than ready to tackle the intensive listening sections of the exam.
First, let’s go over what areas of the exam include listening:
AP® Spanish Listening on the Exam
The AP® Spanish Language and Culture Exam has two sections which are each divided into two parts. In Section I, the multiple-choice section, Part B includes 35 questions focused on interpretive communication of print and audio texts. Then, in Section II, the free-response section, an audio source is provided for the persuasive essay, and there is also a conversation where listening is necessary.
However, the section requiring the most of your AP® Spanish listening skills is Section I, Part B. This section includes two parts: one where readings and audios are combined, and you answer multiple choice questions about them, and the second part includes only audio sources. You can review sample questions accompanied by the relevant learning objectives in the course and exam description starting on page 61.
At the start of each new audio source, you’ll have a little time to look over the questions. Then, you’ll get to hear each audio source twice, with one minute in between playings to allow you to begin answering questions.
In this section of the exam, the objectives from the course description related to AP® Spanish audio interpretive communication are put to the test. You can see these on page 16. The primary objective is, “the student synthesizes information from a variety of authentic audio… resources”. As you’ll see in the samples, actual audio sources from real-life situations have been chosen such as interviews with UN officials, radio reports, and interviews, etc.
The multiple choice questions will cover a range of objectives from checking basic comprehension to evaluating your vocabulary, determining how well you understand the cultural context and testing your ability to understand audio sources covering a range of disciplines. Some questions may be similar to these:
En la fuente auditiva, Sylvia dijo “a mal tiempo, buena cara.” A qué se refería?
- A que se divirtió en la fiesta
- A su actitud positiva frente al desempleo
- Al examen de matemáticas mañana
- Al costo de vida en la región
The answer here would be “b”. The expression “a mal tiempo, buena cara” means that you stay positive when facing difficulties, making “b” the best option.
Most questions will focus on your comprehension of the audio source, but may also ask you to draw conclusions from the information provided. For example, one question on page 72 of the course and exam description provided by the CollegeBoard says:
De acuerdo a la conversación ¿qué se puede deducir del sistema universitario en Chile?
Although it’s not explicitly stated in the conversation, the listener should determine that the answer is “c) el proceso de ingreso tiene en cuenta las calificaciones de los exámenes”. In the dialogue, the friends discuss their experience with University, including taking admissions exams and their high school grades. The other choices can be ruled out based on the discussion.
10 AP® Spanish Listening Strategies
Now that you know what you’re up against, it’s time to learn some strategies to help you tackle this section with confidence. Here are our top strategies that will help you earn all the points you need to get that 5.
For the best AP® Spanish audio practice before the exam, make sure you use these tips. Each one will help you develop the necessary skills to achieve the highest rating on the learning standards in the listening section.
1. Listen to Authentic Sources
A local Spanish radio station, movies, tv shows, the news, podcasts, etc. The good thing is in today’s world it’s easy to access authentic Spanish language media. Doing this will prepare you for achieving all of the relevant learning objectives including comprehension, being able to identify distinguishing features of the source (intended audience, purpose), understanding cultural context, and more.
2. Use Practice Exams
Old exams and the sample questions provided in the course outline are your best friends for practicing AP® Spanish audio questions. Look through them to get a sense of the types of questions you’ll face on the exam. Then, of course, practice them! As you listen to your authentic sources, try to think of what an AP® test developer would ask you and think of your answers. You may find more practice questions on Albert, or using a review book.
3. Learn those Idioms
Do an online search or ask your Spanish teacher of a list of common Spanish idiomatic expressions. You never know when these might come up on the exam. One learning objective specifically mentions vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, so it’s essential that you can interpret these.
4. Get Variety in Topics
When you’re choosing authentic sources, make sure you also look for academic content that covers a variety of disciplines. On the AP® exam, anything from marine biology to economics can show up in you Spanish audios. Related to the learning objective “the student demonstrates knowledge and understanding of content across disciplines,” this strategy will help make sure you’re familiar with the vocabulary used in a variety of topics. Try finding a nature program in Spanish, also listen to the news and go ahead and watch a soap opera in Spanish too!
5. Explore Countries
Spanish is spoken in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. You may see sources from countries in any of these regions on the exam. Be prepared to hear different accents and be knowledgeable about the differing cultures in Spanish-speaking countries. As you plan your AP® Spanish listening practice, it’s best if you can include a variety of practice sources spanning the regions where Spanish is spoken. This will help you meet learning objectives that mention “target cultures”.
During the exam, you’ll need a few more strategies to assist you as you listen.
6. Know the Instructions by Heart
There’s no reason that the instructions should be new to you. If you know them by heart, you won’t waste your precious time trying to figure out what comes next. Use the resources available to you now! The course and exam description and past exams are perfect for learning the instructions.
7. Scan Questions Well
Scan the questions in the time provided before listening to the audio source and look for keywords. Jot them down. This way, your brain, and ears will be prepared to notice when these topics are discussed in the audio, and you’ll be able to answer quickly.
8. Take Notes
As long as this doesn’t distract you, make a few notes during the audio listening. Write down main ideas and any important names, events or dates that are mentioned.
9. Pick up on Idiomatic Expressions
If there’s an idiomatic expression in the audio, you can bet there’ll be a question on it. Listen carefully for any of these sayings and remember the context in which it’s mentioned so that you can answer accurately.
10. Relax! Get the Overall Idea
Try not to stress if you don’t understand a few words. Keep up with the recording and don’t let your brain stay stuck in what’s already been said. Use the context to help you understand any words you don’t understand and move on.
Remember, you get to listen twice. If there’s anything you missed the first time, just try to listen to closer the next time around.
Conclusion
As you can see, with some preparation and strategies in hand, you’ll be able to tackle the AP® Spanish audio sections of the exam with ease. Most of all, get as much exposure to audio Spanish as possible to make sure you’re comfortable with hearing the language. Then, during the exam, use our strategies such as skimming through the questions and taking notes so that you’re ready to answer. We hope you’ve found our advice helpful!
Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the exam by starting several months ahead of time. The test covers a lot of material, and the listening portion is just one of the key areas. If you want to prepare yourself fully for the exam, sign up for AP® Spanish on Albert.io today! You’ll gain access to fantastic resources that will help you get ready for this important evaluation.
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