For those of you who have/are/will be taking AP French Language

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
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<p>I'm a sophomore, going to be a junior next year, planning on self-studying AP French Language next year, and looking at what I should do over the summer. I've taken French I, II, and III in prior years, and am self-studying French IV over the summer so I can go into French V next year in school. My school is not offering AP French next year, and so I cannot go into that class, forcing me to go into French V next year.</p>

<p>I would like to know what kind of homework those of you did in the summer and during the school year. What textbooks did you use, what kind of books did you read, whether you wrote any essays during the year and what you wrote about, things like that. My teacher is probably going to let me use Tresors du Temps to study for the test, but any other suggestions would be nice. I basically plan to study for AP French Language while the rest of the class studies French V, so I would like to know how to best prepare for the exam. Did you read any books in AP French Language that were meant to prepare you for AP French Literature but also helped prepare you for the Language exam? What kind of review books did you use in class or out of school? Basically, what should I do during the year to prepare for the exam in May?</p>

<p>In our school district, we use Bon Voyage! Level 1 for French I, Level 2 for French II and III, and we do the first four chapters from Level 3 in French IV, along with some reading, writing, and a lot of time speaking. We're planning on reading Le Petit Prince in French V (since most of us who are going to be in that class have skipped French IV and are going to take French V,) and the district makes us read L'etranger for the summer homework for AP French, though that might just be to refresh our knowledge of French over the summer through reading material. Seeing as how I pan on skipping French IV over the summer, and going to French V, I am going to be missing out on some speaking practice and listening comprehension, but my time in French V should make up for the time missed. Besides, I feel that I am good enough a listener that I should be fine in French V.</p>

<p>Oh, and before Musikalgeak posts about his/her website and links on that site, I've already looked at that site, and it seems to only have links for AP French Literature, not AP French Language. A little problem that you could fix, no?</p>

<p>Any help with materials to use for AP French Language would be greatly appreciated.</p>

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<p>AP French in my school is a joke, so you have to be VERY self-motivated. I skipped French III and took the AP test this year, as a junior. I think I probably got a 3. No one in my school has taken the AP French test in a LONG LONG time. Anyway- my best advice for you would be to start practicing listening, writing, and speaking early. The readings aren't bad at all. Listening, once you get the hang of it, is also easy. Speaking and writing, though, are murderous. I used the REA AP French book, and I think it prepared me as well as a book could. If I were you, I would ask your French teacher to give you extra writing assignments to get you used to it. Also ask her to help you with your accent.</p>

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<p>I would definitely do the examples from past exams they have up on the CollegeBoard site (I don't know how much is there on the student site, but you can always join AP Central)...namely for the fill-in-the-blank sections. They tend to ask the same things over and over, particularly in the one-word (as opposed to verbs) part---a lot of qui/que/dont, among other things. Also useful for the verbs, but not quite as much so.</p>

<p>For the reading, I would have to recommend--just read French! Same with listening. Some of the listening can be tough, because the passages, as I recall, they only read one time, so you really have to be paying close attention, and don't let your mind wander at all. </p>

<p>I kind of bombed the speaking...so I won't give you any advice on that. I'm just hoping it doesn't bring down my score...gah.
They give weird topics on the essays, sometimes...mine I thought was pretty good, but I don't know of any specific advice I can give.</p>