<p>BIGTWIX:
I'm pretty sure that AP Spanish is equivalent to a third year college level course, not a first year or second year course. </p>
<p>From college board: </p>
<p>"An AP Spanish Language course is comparable to an advanced level (5th- and 6th-semester or the equivalent) college Spanish language course." </p>
<p>Generally Speaking:
I'm nearly fluent in Spanish, even though I'm not a native speaker. I went to an immersion elementary school, with math and science in Spanish. I've also travelled to Spanish-speaking countries. I can certify that classroom Spanish just doesn't compare to being in a Spanish-speaking country and actually talking to people. It also takes effort to become fluent or near fluent. You have to work on actually thinking in the language when you're speaking it. </p>
<p>I think there are ways to get close to an immersion environment in the classroom, especially for Spanish. First, all speaking and writing should be done in the target language. That's essentially a given. Also, native speakers should be a part of the class whenever possible. </p>
<p>Native speakers are a part of our AP Spanish class this year(otherwise, there wouldn't be enough kids). It's been really nice to have them in the class, to listen to and learn from. It's also nice to hear different accents in the Spanish, since the accent can make understanding at high speeds difficult. For example, I can always understand my Peruvian classmate, even when she's really talking quickly. My Mexican classmate I can understand well usually, but when she really gets going I can only get the gist.</p>
<p>then why is it that if u pass the AP test for spanish than u get credit for begginner levels of spanish for college, and that u are then able to take intermediate???</p>
<p>
[quote]
To be fluent, you should never under any circumstance have to think and pause to remember how to say a word, and when speaking it, and thinking thoughts, you should be thinking in that language
[/quote]
If this is the case, then I'm not fluent in English. I have to stop and search for words--common words--on a daily basis. :p</p>
<p>I'm fluent in Spanish--if I've been practicing. Some days I can get going at full conversational speed, and native Spanish speakers have commented that I don't have an (American) accent when I speak. Then other days, I stumble miserably and can't think of words and am not fluent at all. (I have days/moments when I can hardly speak English, either, though, and that it is my native language.)</p>
<p>AP policy varies from college to college. The college board website says that AP Spanish is equivalent to a 5th or 6th semester college course. Colleges aren't obligated to treat it that way, especially since they can't know for sure if it meets their standards for that particular langauge.</p>
<p>at a two-year community college, one semester of a foreign language course is equivalent to two years in high school. So considering that AP would be the 5th term in high school, the 3rd or 4th semester course is usually recommended.</p>
<p>On the other hand, i've heard that 4-year universities would expect you to be ready for the AP standard at the time you enter the course.</p>
<p>my first language was both, japanese and english (yeh i know it's weird...)</p>
<p>but compared to the chinese and korean, it's almost rare to find japanese people who haven't completely assimilated into American society and who are able to write &read in addition to fluently speak the language in the US.</p>
<p>it still wouldn't hurt to notify colleges that i passed the JLPT as a semi-native speaker, right?</p>
<p>AP is not fluency at all. I speak 4 languages fluently and I have mastery over all of them. The APs fluency, in facts, they more basic kindergarten reading/writing. I know 2 from another country, 1 from watching foreign tv (trust me it works!), and 1 being english that I grew up from. I'm learning french (passive in french) now and I think I'm near the 1st grade level, which is probably around ap lol.</p>
<p>To be able to speak 2 languages or more is a gift from the heavens of heathens. Though I know someone who learned 3 languages as a kid but unfortuantly is bad at each one which leaves him in a communication void. :(</p>