AP LANGUAGE AND CULTURE AT EVERY LEVEL

Jamie VegaNorcross High School

You will make an oral presentation on a specific topic to your class. You will have 4 minutes to read the presentation topic and prepare your presentation. Then you will have 2 minutes to record your presentation.

In your presentation, compare your own community to an area of the (Spanish/French/German)-speaking world with which you are familiar. You should demonstrate your cultural features of the (Spanish/French/German)-speaking world. You should also organize your presentation clearly.

CULTURAL COMPARISON QUESTION

What is the importance of family for the individuals of your community?

LET’S REFLECT! How easy / hard was that for you? How easy / hard would that be for your

students? Can you modify this to work with lower

levels? Can students in level 1 do a similar activity?

HOW DOES THE EXAM ASSESS CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE? 

The exam assesses cultural knowledge throughout, and not in a separate "culture" section. Students are not asked isolated questions about cultural trivia; rather, they are expected to demonstrate understanding of cultural information presented in print and audio texts. The best way to prepare students for this aspect of the exam is to use a variety of authentic materials during instruction and assessment. This will ensure that you continue to build and evaluate students' understanding of cultural products, practices, and perspectives. 

AP (SPANISH/FRENCH/GERMAN) LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WHAT DOES THE AP LANGUAGE AND CULTURE COURSE LOOK LIKE?

6 THEMES

RECOMMENDED CONTEXTS AND ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• Economic Issues • Environmental Issues

• Philosophical Thought and Religion

• Population and Demographics • Social Welfare

• Social Conscience

• What environmental, political, and social issues

pose challenges tosocieties throughout the

world? • What are the origins of

those issues? • What are possible solutions to those

challenges?

Global Challenges

Science and Technology

• Access to Technology • Effects of Technology on

Self and Society • Health Care and

Medicine • Innovations

• Natural Phenomena • Science and Ethics

• How do developments in science and technology

affect our lives? • What factors have driven innovation and discovery in

the fields of science and technology

• What role does ethics play in scientific advancement?

Contemporary life

• Education and Careers • Entertainment

• Travel and Leisure • Lifestyles

• Relationships • Social Customs and

Values • Volunteerism

• How do societies and individuals define quality

of life? • How is contemporary

life influenced by cultural products, practices, and

perspectives? • What are the challenges of

contemporary life?

• Alienation and Assimilation

• Heroes and Historical Figures

• National and Ethnic Identities

• Personal Beliefs• Personal Interests

• Self-Image

• How are aspects of identity expressed in various situations?

• How do language and culture influence

identity? • How does one’s

identity develop over time?

Personal and Public Identities

• Customs and Values • Education Communities

• Family Structure • Global Citizenship • Human Geography • Social Networking

• What constitutes a family in different societies? • How do individuals

contribute to the well-being of communities?

• How do the roles that families and communities

assume differin societies around the

world?

Families and Communities

• Architecture • Defining Beauty

• Defining Creativity • Fashion and Design

• Language and Literature • Visual and Performing

Arts

• How are perceptions of beauty and creativity

established? • How do ideals of beauty and aesthetics influence

daily life? • How do the arts both challenge and reflect

cultural perspectives?

Beauty and Aesthetics

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TEST?

SECTION I: MULTIPLE CHOICE

Ads

Literature

Articles

Graphs

Articles

Graphs

SECTION II: FREE RESPONSE

INTERPERSONAL WRITING Read and respond to a formal email.

PRESENTATIONAL WRITING Read, analyze a graph, listen Write a persuasive essay

INTERPERSONAL SPEAKING: SIMULATED CONVERSATION

Respond to a recorded conversation 5 times, 20 seconds each

Let’s listen to an example

PRESENTATIONAL SPEAKING: CULTURAL COMPARISON

Just what you did at the beginning of the session!

Students must be well versed in cultural knowledge in all 6 themes and “recommended” contexts in order to be successful.

You will make an oral presentation on a specific topic to your class. You will have 4 minutes to read the presentation topic and prepare your presentation. Then you will have 2 minutes to record your presentation.

In your presentation, compare your own community to an area of the (Spanish/French/German)-speaking world with which you are familiar. You should demonstrate your cultural features of the (Spanish/French/German)-speaking world. You should also organize your presentation clearly.

PRESENTATIONAL SPEAKING: CULTURAL COMPARISON

HOW CAN I PRACTICE THESE ACTIVITIES IN LOWER LEVELS?

EXAMPLE FOR EDUCATION UNIT

You tube video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZFr6DkBScU

Student task during video:

Compare / contrast organizer: T-chart Top hat Venn Diagram Y-organizer

Un i ted Sta tes

Lat in Amer i ca

ESCUELAS EN PAÍSES

LATINOAMERICANOS.

¿Cómo llegan ustedes a la escuela?

Costa Rica

MÉXICO

PANAMÁ

LA REBÚBLICA DOMINICANA

La guagua

EL HORARIO DE BRAYAN: UN ESTUDIANTE DE COSTA RICAFEBRERO-NOVIEMBRE lunes:7:00-9:10 física 9:10-9:50 orientación10:30-11:30 cívica11:30-12:10 el almuerzo12:10-1:30 francés1:40-2:30 matemáticas2:20-3:40 español martes:7:00-7:40 estudios sociales7:40-8:30 música8:40-9:10 artes plásticas9:10-9:50 biología10:10-11:30 química  

miércoles: 7:00-9:10 psicología9:10-9:50 religión10:10-11:30 educación física11:30-12:10 el almuerzo12:10-12:50 guía12:50-2:20 estudios sociales

jueves: 7:00-8:20 estudios sociales8:30-9:50 biología10:10-11:30 matemáticas11:30-12:10 el almuerzo12:10-3:40 dibujo técnico (la arquitectura) viernes:7:00-9:10 francés9:10-9:50 química10:10-11:30 matemáticas11:30-12:10 el almuerzo12:10-2:20 español

Turn to a partner and summarize the main similarities and differences of schools in the US and Latin American countries.

Just tell them how to say “different than” and “similar to.”

WHAT PARTS OF THE AP TEST DID I PRACTICE WITH MY STUDENTS?

Conversational speaking Cultural comparison Listening comprehension Writing Visual interpretation

EL FÚTBOL Y EL FÚTBOL

AMERICANO

Ask the following questions, one at a time. First, give the students 15 seconds to answer in TL with a partner and then quickly verify answer with the whole class.

How many people are on a team in soccer? Football?

How many periods are in a soccer game? Football? How many minutes total are in a soccer game?

Football? What happens if there is a tie in soccer? Football? Which sport do you prefer to watch on TV? Why? Have you ever seen a live soccer game? Football

game? If so, where, when and who played?

LA COPA MUNDIAL• Overview of the world

cup• More questions:• Who watched the

world cup?• What can we compare

the World Cup of soccer with in football?

El fútbol americano:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmhi4IHSVVw

Resumen de la Copa Mundial 2010:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYjF0ad-E

Los locutores:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MXOYC-EkFs&feature=related

Los aficionados:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip0tb5hQqE4

SONGS!!! Waka wakahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm5KDssdr90

Wave your flaghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXUr4rh2LRE

COMIC FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

READING TEST: LEVEL II

DO THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING??

Multiple choice, free response

Basic comprehension questions, type of reading, intent, audience, visual interpretation questions.

LOS REYES MAGOS Compare with Christmas Read a letter from one of the 3 kings Write a letter to the 3 kings (or 1 and

use the Ud. form!)

GUATEMALA

TIKAL

LAKE ATITLÁNVOLCÁN ATITLÁN, VOLCÁN SAN PEDRO Y VOLCÁN TOLIMÁN

ANTIGUA – UNA CIUDAD COLONIAL

LOS BUSES EN ANTIGUA

Look at song “fuiste tú” WS in packet http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9cCPQVPv8o

AUTHENIC, AUTHENTIC, AUTHENTIC!!!!!

You can use the SAME authentic resources for a level 1 class that you would for a level 4 class and just ask different questions / provide different scaffolding. (ie, lower levels = factual questions directly from resource / upper level = interpretation, intent, more in depth comprehension)

OTHER IDEAS 90% target language (Comprehensible input!!!) Pair share (spontaneous speaking) Personal Questions and Answers Classroom “chat.” (What did you do over the

weekend? What are you going to do…?) Compare / contrast culture Find authentic graphs / create graphs with your class Cloze activities with songs, followed with

comprehension questions Write formal letters as a formative or summative

assessment Commercials / videos from you tube (have them pick

out cultural elements or words they understand) Authentic readings with multiple choice questions Expression of the day/week/month

REFLECT: What do I ALREADY do in my classroom that helps build the skills needed for the listening and reading section of the AP test?

What do I already do that I could MODIFY to better prepare the students?

What can I ADD?