<p>For those who got a 4 or a 5 on the AP Spanish Language exam:
which prep books helped you the most???
how did you prepare for it???</p>
<p>i am also eager to know this
i brought barron's AP spanish but just haven't felt like looking through it; it does offer listening practice</p>
<p>I got a 4, probably because our teacher got pregnant and was replaced as semester with someone with no teaching license who couldn't speak English. I think I actually un-learned Spanish from her. :( Anyway, I used Princeton Review and "AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language Examination" by Jose M. Diaz. Truth be told, it's difficult to prepare specifically for the test, since so much of it is contingent on just knowing Spanish.</p>
<p>I had an amazing teacher. She gave us all practice tests...one person got a 4, a few got 3s, I got a 2...so that was really motivating. I ended up getting a 5 on the actual thing. </p>
<p>I used AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language Examination and I've suggested it before, but people always tell me that it's too old. It doesn't matter as long as you have a key...it's a great book to study from. We also used "La Lengua Que Heredamos". We read a lot of short stories (many by Gabriel Garcia Marquez). </p>
<p>It was all the teacher. She reviewed Level One, Two & Three things with us to make sure that we didn't forget any of it..and taught us a lot of vocabulary. We watched movies, listened to tapes, and use the Barron's AP book. It all helped a lot. The foreign language and history departments in my school are the only ones who are ever successful at helping their students get many 5s on the APs, so I guess it's mostly the teacher. I was really lucky...</p>
<p>i had a horrible horrible teacher for spanish iv and ap spanish (same teacher). i used barron's, read "CNN en Espanol" (which is now, unfortunately, offline) and listened to spanish radio and television on occasion and (surprisingly) got a 5. it's not because of previous teachers, either, because i only had spanish i before spanish iv. you just have to be committed to learning the language (i thought it was really fun) and you'll find yourself seeking out opportunities to practice. that's the best preparation: lots and lots of practice in whatever way you can get it.</p>
<p>THis test isn't like a math exam! You either KNOW SPANISH or you DON'T!!</p>
<p>I have been watching some pretty interesting novellas. </p>
<p>I haven't taken any exams yet. I'm just saying... try to speak spanish as much as you can.</p>
<p>While I agree with previous poster, it's true you have to "know" Spanish, to an extent you have to practice how the test is given. </p>
<p>I went to a school where AP Spanish is not always taken as a class (my school is an IB school, hence everyone takes IB Spanish). The hardest aspect that I had to study was the section of the test on speaking. Of course you have to have a command of Spanish, but the AP test speaking section is so tightly timed it's a pain if you haven't practiced. I thought the Barron's Book was best because of the cd, and IMO the practice tests are harder than the real thing. </p>
<p>IB has more of a focus on writing, so my class gave me a lot of practice with that, so I suggest practicing writing essays in Spanish as well.</p>