Taking AP English language course

<p>Well. I saw some (really) helpful comments about what AP Language is about (literary terms, ...) here. But may I get some responses from guys who've taken the course at school? How is it like to get credit in the course? I know the answers would vary among different schools and teachers... but generallys speaking answers would also be so kind of you guys. </p>

<p>I think I'm more a math and science person. My guidance counseller wasn't any help in this problem - when I asked about the course, he just said 'well, AP English is harder than just English course.' (I was like 'well... that's it?' and he answered 'yeap, that's it.' );;</p>

<ul>
<li>could you recommend any thing that I can do to reduce next year's (AP Lang course) workloads?</li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<p>I am currently enrolled in a dual AP English Lang/Lit course at my high school. Basically the course covers the material on both exams in a year long course (86 minute a day). It is extremely rigorous in the sense, that there are response paper every week. Furthermore, we read a tremendous amount of literature (which you will not really have to worry about) and we have to analyze the rhetorical strategies and attempt to produce compositions that mimick the author's style (much harder than it sounds). We have pop tests where we must produce a series of essays during the time period. Also, there is a large amount of outside work including a year-long AP English thesis of a minimum of fifty pages (that's usually the bare minimum) and analysis of media. Furthermore, because our school is pubic the AP integrates with a state curriculum and we have intensive grammar and vocabulary reviews. There are usually 100 words every two weeks that we are responsible for, and grammar rules and examples. Overall, my AP english teacher is very difficult, but I learn a lot as I trust you will too. The course is very writing and reading intensive, don't be surprised if you have a five page paper very week. This might not sound so bad but on top of your other courses and the high expections of producing a collegiate level paper, you will be quickly overwhelmed if you do not allocate a large amount of time to the course. Hope this helps, PM me if you need more specifics or have more questions. Also to reduce next year's load, know the rhetorical strategies and how to apply them, etc. This will come in handy, also read tremendous amounts of primary source text from different subjects so that you can handle the intensive reading (if necessary in your school.)</p>

<p>Yoshi, </p>

<p>I would love to be in your class. My AP English Lang class is miserable. The teacher is not so great. We watch movies instead of reading (the horror!) and write essays on those. She still hasn't told the class what's on the exam, so thank god I'm proactive and found out on my own. When we turn in essays, we get no feedback. She thinks it's good that she doesn't mark them up. She wants to be "nice". Fantastic for her, but I want to pass the exam. </p>

<p>One of my friends turned in a paper to her in Spanish, and got full credit. She didn't notice. </p>

<p>Yeeeah.</p>

<p>Yoshi729//
Thank you very much for you kind and detailed answer. It's really helpful!
That was more than I expected.
Again thanks. :)</p>

<p>Elorax//
Yeeah. :D</p>

<p>I think Yoshi's class is more intense than most others, because it combines the two courses. However, Ap Lang was about five times harder than my current AP lit class, but I am extremely thankful for it.</p>

<p>We read three novels the summer before, and around six during the course, including an author of our choice. Like Yoshi said, it is a very writing intensive course. If anything, Lit involves more reading than lang. In my lit class, we've read about 12 novels and plays and 5 the summer before, and have analyzed them more thoroughly than in the lang. class. </p>

<p>In the beginning of my lang course, we began writing rather lightly with an outside essay every week or so. Then, we began to write in-class essays that really prepare you for the timed essays during the exam. We wrote about two a week, along with outside essays, reading, vocab, grammar, and such. A lot of what we learned was rhetoric and style analysis. It was one of my harder classes, pulled a B each semester, but I got a 5 on the exam...very unexpected. </p>

<p>I learned more in that class than in any other I have ever taken. This year, my english teacher is a joke, and I feel that my writing skills have gradually worsened. So, enjoy your AP Lang. experience!</p>