One part of the AP® Spanish Language and Culture Exam that most students dread is the speaking portions. Because the exam tests a full range of your language skills, you’re not only expected to read, listen and write, but also to speak. Even the best AP® Language students may find these parts of the exam intimidating. In language learning, listening and reading are easier than actually producing the language.
That doesn’t mean you can’t be successful. With some AP® Spanish Speaking practice and strategies in hand, you can prepare to excel on the challenging speaking sections of the exam. We’ve developed 10 strategies focused on speaking skills to help you reach your goal of scoring a 5. We designed these useful strategies based on the skills and learning objectives you need to demonstrate on the exam. This post will be your guide to effective speaking practice and exam strategies.
First, let’s go over what areas of the exam include speaking:
AP® Spanish Speaking on the Exam
The AP® Spanish Language and Culture Exam is organized into two sections which are each divided into two parts. Section I is comprised of multiple-choice questions, so no speaking is necessary there. However, Part B of Section II is focused solely on speaking. There are two different types of speaking in Part B: interpersonal speaking (a conversation) and presentational speaking (the topic is a Cultural Comparison). There are some resources available to help you prepare for each of these speaking requirements.
Regarding interpersonal speaking, the course and exam description outlines the specifics of the exam, including the speaking sections on page 41. You can see a sample of what kind of instructions and prompts you’ll receive during the conversation task on pages 94 through 97. Here you can also see the learning objectives that are tested in this portion of the exam.
As you can see, you only have 20 seconds to respond to each prompt in the conversation. So, you’ll have to be already formulating your response as you hear each question or comment. Thinking on your toes and engaging in a meaningful conversation are the main tasks here. To help you get a greater sense of what to expect on this portion of the exam, you can also go through the questions used on old exams. You can also find sample student responses with AP® grader’s commentary, which is an invaluable resource as you work on AP® Spanish interpersonal speaking.
There seems to be a theme among conversation topics for the past few years. The scenario goes that you are speaking with a classmate who asks you to do them a favor or work with them on something. You are instructed whether to respond positively or negatively, but the rest of the response and elaborations are up to you.
The details of the presentational speaking section can be found on pages 98 and 99 of the course exam and description. As you’ll see, the format of this section is that you’re provided with a topic involving a comparison between your culture and the Spanish-speaking world. You’ll have 4 minutes to prepare and organize your presentation, which isn’t a lot of time. Then, you have 2 minutes to record.
You can also check through old exams to get an idea of what sort of theme you may be given, and also see past student responses and the grader’s comments. It’s important that you organize your thoughts including an introduction and conclusion to get the highest score. Then, all questions in the presentation section focus on comparing your culture (for example, the USA) to the Spanish-speaking world, with a focus on the topic provided.
10 AP® Spanish Speaking Strategies
Now that you have an idea of what each speaking portion of the exam involves, it’s time to look at some strategies that will help you tackle this section with confidence. We’ve included 10 top strategies for AP® Spanish speaking practice to help you get that 5.
While you’re practicing for the AP® Spanish interpersonal speaking and presentational speaking sections, use these ten steps to hone your skills. This will make sure you’re confident and ready when it comes time to record on the exam.
1. Have Conversations
The conversational portion of the exam requires you to react quickly as if you were having a conversation in real life. What’s the best practice then? Real life! Practice speaking with other AP® Spanish students, or find a Skype buddy online. You can either pay to have a conversation with a real native-speaker, or you may be able to trade English practice for Spanish practice. Practicing with real-life conversations will help you improve your speaking skills. You’ll learn to use new vocabulary, hear new idiomatic expressions, and practice exchanging information, opinions, and ideas. The previously mentioned abilities and skills are all included in the learning objectives for AP® Spanish speaking.
2. Recreate the Presentational Speaking Situation
You can recreate the presentational speaking exam situation easily on your own. With a timer in hand, give yourself 4 minutes to outline and plan a presentation. Choose a topic either from an old exam, or make up your own as long as it involves comparing your culture with the Spanish-speaking world. Then, give yourself 2 minutes to present. Putting yourself under this pressure will help you feel more comfortable on exam day.
3. Practice Old Exam Conversations
Take advantage of the resources available to you! Use the old exam prompts, either on your own or with a friend and talk through them.
4. Breathe Culture
Watch Spanish and Latin American news, read it and listen to it on the radio. Follow soccer if you’re a fan or get acquainted with the most popular musicians, artists and actors, and actresses. This will help you stay in tune with the culture in the Spanish-speaking world. You need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the culture of the Spanish-speaking world in the presentational speaking, and you may well need to demonstrate it in the conversation too. Don’t get caught off guard, know all about the Spanish-speaking world.
5. Record Yourself
No excuses on this one. You can easily record yourself speaking on the computer or a phone. Why? It will help you feel comfortable with the idea of recording, but then, you can also play it back. Listen for mistakes and learn from them. Although the AP® graders are forgiving and won’t dock points for minor errors, if you’re not conjugating your verbs or if you’re making too many mistakes, it will affect your grade.
During the exam, you’ll need a few more strategies to assist you to speak as best you can.
6. Know the Instructions by Heart
With old exams available to you; there’s no reason that you should spend your precious time reading over the instructions. Know the instructions by heart, and free up your time for checking over the types of response required of you or to prepare your presentation. The more time you can dedicate to the unique questions and topics on the exam, the better.
7. Make an Outline
For the presentational speaking, make a brief outline with notes and bullet points. Don’t try to write out word for word what you’re going to say; you’ll run out of time! With only 4 minutes to plan and organize, it’s expected that you’ll improvise and speak naturally, without reading from a script. Focus on coming up with good ideas and a structure to what you want to say, and then say it as best you can. Remember, small errors will not be penalized. However, a total lack of structure, not comparing cultures or failing to address the topic will cost you.
8. Take Notes
While listening to your prompt in the conversation portion, make a note of any important words you hear. This will help ensure you answer the question correctly.
9. Slow Down
When you’re nervous, you may feel like you need to speed things up. However, to get the best marks, you need to speak clearly. Although time is limited in both speaking exercises, there is enough time for you to answer completely. If you need to think for a few seconds before diving in, take them. It may contribute to a more coherent, relevant answer that will earn you points.
10. Go Ahead and Correct Yourself
If you hear yourself make a mistake, go ahead and correct it. As you’ll see if you read through some of the AP® grader’s comments on speaking samples, correcting yourself is seen as a positive. So, don’t freak out about hearing yourself make a mistake, say it again correctly and move on.
Conclusion
With plenty of practice and by using the right strategies, even the timidest Spanish speakers can work towards earning a 5. AP® Spanish speaking practice can even be fun if you do it with a friend or buddy up with a native speaker, as we’ve suggested. We hope you feel better prepared for approaching the AP® Spanish-speaking sections of the exam.
Remember, to set yourself up for success, start implementing our suggested practice strategies several months ahead of time. Cramming is not the ideal way to approach the AP® Spanish speaking portions of the exam. Rather, give yourself plenty of time and work slowly but steadily towards your goals.
Also, keep in mind that the test covers lots of material and the speaking portion is just one of the key areas. There’s a whole multiple choice section you’ll also need to get ready for. Consider signing up for AP® Spanish on Albert.io today and gain access to fantastic resources that will help you get ready for this important evaluation.
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