* AP Spanish Language & Culture

Description

The three modes of communication—Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational—defined in the World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, are foundational to the AP Spanish Language and Culture course. The AP course provides students with opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency in each of the three modes in the Intermediate to Advanced range, as described in the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners. As such, the course has been designed to provide high school students with a rich and rigorous opportunity to study the language and culture of the Spanish speaking world. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course takes a holistic approach to language proficiency and recognizes the complex interrelatedness of comprehension and comprehensibility, vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. Students should learn language structures in context and use them to convey meaning. In standards-based world language classrooms, the instructional focus is on function and not the examination of irregularity and complex grammatical paradigms about the target language. Language structures should be addressed according to how they serve the communicative task and not as an end goal unto themselves. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course strives to promote both fluency and accuracy in language use and avoid overemphasis on grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. In order to best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course should be taught primarily in the target language.

Students may choose to take the Advanced Placement exam for an additional fee to receive college credit.

Content Area:

World Languages

Grades(s):

9-12

Duration:

Yearlong

Course Number:

1665

Course Type:

Elective

NCAA Approval:

Unit 1 -- Families in Different Societies

Unit 1 explores themes related to families in Spanish-speaking communities that provide a meaningful context for students in which to acquire and develop a variety of language and cultural concepts. While the primary focus will be on the theme of Families and Communities, teachers should interweave the themes of Personal and Public Identities, Contemporary Life, and Global Challenges by incorporating recommended contexts from these themes. For example, students could

explore how families shape values and traditions, as well as personal beliefs and personal interests.
examine the challenges faced by families, such as access to education and jobs.
consider the evolving concept and role of families in contemporary societies.

APS1.pdf

Unit 2 --The Influence of Language and Culture on Identity

Unit 2 looks at how language and culture influence identity in Spanish-speaking societies. This relevant and engaging theme provides a meaningful context in which students can acquire and develop a variety of more nuanced linguistic and cultural concepts as well as vocabulary. While the primary focus will be on the theme of Personal and Public Identities, teachers are encouraged to interweave the themes of Beauty and Aesthetics, Contemporary Life, and Science and Technology. For example, students could

explore how developments in science and technology impact language and the ways we communicate and, ultimately, how we see ourselves.
examine how social media affects personal image and identity.
consider the role of advertising in shaping personal and public identity.
explore how a community’s identity is reflected in its art.

APS2.pdf

Unit 3 -- Influences of Beauty and Art

This unit explores themes related to the influences of beauty and art in Spanish-speaking communities, which provides a meaningful context for students in which to acquire and develop a variety of linguistic and cultural concepts. The primary focus will be on the theme of Beauty and Aesthetics, however, teachers should incorporate the themes of Personal and Public Identities, Contemporary Life, and Families and Communities by integrating recommended contexts from these themes. For example, students could

explore how art influences the quality of life and values in a community.
consider the role/importance of art in Spanish-speaking communities.
discover how the arts capture and reflect the history of a community.
investigate how the concept of beauty is defined within a culture.
explore how art challenges and reflects cultural perspectives.

APS3.pdf

Unit 4 -- How Science and Technology Affect our Lives

Unit 4 explores the effects of science and technology on people’s lives in Spanish-speaking communities. This theme encourages students to work with more complex academic vocabulary and content as they continue to develop linguistic and cultural concepts from previous units. While Science and Technology is the primary thematic focus of the unit, it is possible to integrate the additional themes of Global Challenges, Contemporary Life, and Personal and Public Identities. For example, students could

explore how developments in science can both create and resolve challenges in contemporary society.
investigate how technology creates new ways for us to connect with others and how it impacts and shapes our personal and public identities.
consider ways access to technology affects society and the quality of life.
examine how science and technology affect the values and ethics of a community.

APS4.pdf

Unit 5 -- Factors that Impact the Quality of Life

This unit explores themes related to the quality of life in Spanish-speaking communities, which provides a meaningful context for students in which to work on increasingly nuanced linguistic and cultural concepts as they expand their academic vocabulary. While the unit’s primary thematic focus is Contemporary Life, the themes of Global Challenges, Science and Technology, and Beauty and Aesthetics may also be incorporated. For example, students could

explore how one’s social status influences one’s quality of life.
investigate how cultural perspectives and traditions relate to the quality of life.
consider how access to education, health care, justice, food, and water impact the quality of life.
explore how geography influences the quality of life.

APS5.pdf

Unit 6 -- Environmental, Political, and Societal Challenges

This final unit explores themes related to how complex issues and phenomena affect people’s lives in Spanish-speaking communities. Engaging with the primary theme of Global Challenges encourages students to use more sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structure as they continue to refine their knowledge of linguistic and cultural concepts. The unit also connects to the themes of Contemporary Life, Science and Technology, and Families and Communities. For example, students could

investigate how economic developments and environmental challenges often impact society and politics on a larger scale, which in turn affects individual families and communities.
explore how individuals can positively or negatively influence the world around them.
suggest possible solutions that address contemporary global challenges.

APS6.pdf

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