<p>I've read threads on here that have people saying it is super easy, but based on what we have learned in class it appears to be quite difficult. This is my teacher's first year teaching it and she just took the exam to get certified. She's an amazing teacher but she's told us she has next to no clue as to what is going on. My school has been pretty stupid -- for lack of a better word -- lately with the classes. They've started a bunch of new AP classes but the teachers are not certified in them; they're the hard classes such as Calculus AB. But essentially every AP class this year is being taught by a first year, recently certified AP teacher or a teacher who is basing the class of what they remember from college. </p>
<p>In AP Lang there are only 5 people, so it's very easy for one on one time. My teacher is telling us that the essays will require us to utilize a lot of outside knowledge, especially the arguments. Apparently to succeed in this class you have to draw on knowledge from every book you've ever read and use extensive knowledge of history and real world events to prove your argument. </p>
<p>Every day we practice 10 multiple choice questions and then go over why the answers are the way they are. I believe we use 5 Steps to a 5. </p>
<p>We took a diagnosis test and I scored pretty bad. We've had one essay graded by an official reader who gave me a 5/9. The good news is that I thought the essay was the worst one I've ever written, so it might mean I have potential? </p>
<p>If someone who has had experience with the class could help me, mainly with the essays, it would be greatly appreciated! My teacher just says things that make me wonder at times if she's just trying to fabricate it as she goes. But I blame the school, not her. Is it true that I should read things such as Newsweek and The New York Times every week to build up knowledge and use them in arguments? In AP Literature we are supposed to use books we've read, but isn't AP Language more of a nonfictional class? I just need help because I want a 5. AP Literature I'm doing great so far, but AP Language is just worrying me. </p>
<p>I made a 4 on APUSH and I know my free response impacted it heavily. </p>
<p>It was easy. On the exam I scored a 5, on the mock exam, about a month or two into the class I scored a 4. </p>
<p>My teacher was similar–first year teaching she was placed into AP and told us on the first day of school “the AP test is really hard.” We practiced essays often as the final essay for our class book but MC rarely (hated those too). It’s not incredibly difficult as long as you are prepared.</p>
<p>MC: You just have to practice and find what type of skills are best to use. Make sure you know the list of terms used to describe language–they are often brought up as questions like, “which device is NOT used in…” </p>
<p>Essays: There are 3 different types, Synthesis, Persuasive, and Rhetoric.
Synthesis was my favorite, similar to the DBQ’s in history but the prompts and documents are much more fun! Just answer the question with a lot of support from them.
Persuasive is your typical persuasive essay, but make sure to include outside info. This is where books, articles seen online, TV documentaries, etc. come into play. You can use these in your Synthesis essay as well (the only requirement is to use 3 or 4 documents that they give you, i cant remember). The graders need as much support as possible, so you don’t sound like an immature teenager with an arrogant view lol. A lot of what I mentioned was actually from the documents used in Synthesis essays throughout the year we practiced with because they were fresh in my mind from practicing that week.
Rhetorical Analysis is based on analyzing the language of the passage and its purpose. “Close Reading” is what many call it. This one took me the hardest to master, because you have to cover almost everything that makes the passage what it is. Tone, mood, use of syntax, etc. </p>
<p>Honestly, just practice. If I knew how much practicing helped me improve (I also showed my teacher my essays for feedback), I would have started MUCH earlier rather than just 2 months before the exam. You don’t have to read Newsweek every week, but read things you enjoy. My favorite things were TED talks or Huffington Post articles that I came across on my Facebook newsfeed. Look at the news (or at least stay somewhat informed on current events) or you could even remember some facts from history that are easy enough to keep in the back of your mind in case it fits perfectly for a persuasive essay. I got a 4 on the exam, which I blame 100% on the Multiple Choice. Always did terrible on them haha. Hope this helped!</p>
<p>@AcaiFrosh I forgot to mention that at the OFFICIAL AP Training one of the elite readers let it slip that the essays receive scores that reflect the essays. My teacher said she was old and the second she said it that the other readers immediately shot her looks – as if to say “No, you shouldn’t have said that”. So if you scored a 45% on the multiple choice you could expect to receive essay scores of 4-5 and that “every now and then” a student comes along that receives a higher score.
Also, the readers are only allowed to give out a 9 every 2,000 (if I remember correctly, might be 5,000) essays. So it seems like it’s pretty rigged up to me.
Although, it’s nice to know that my teacher is doing a great job at preparing us! I’m honestly not too worried about rhetorical essays because we are constantly reviewing the techniques. It seems like the persuasive is the hardest out of the bunch. But I also do terrible on multiple choice! I averaged 60-70% in APUSH but would get 8’s on my essays.
Practice makes perfect. Thank you!</p>