May 2017
Dear AP Language and Composition Students,
Welcome to the Advanced Placement: Language and Composition program! This is a one-year course in
American literature and informational texts presented chronologically. A major emphasis is the evaluation of
student response to literature and informational text as shown in classroom discussion, written composition, and
oral presentation. AP Language is a rigorous course offering college level preparation for students interested in
a challenging curriculum. Hopefully, the summer reading program will begin a rewarding study of American
literature, informational text, and culture while providing a head start on some of the work for the course.
PART I: Literary, Rhetorical, and Research Terminology
The following are literary, rhetorical, and research terms you will be expected to incorporate into your lexicon
in the AP English Program. If there are any words on this list you do not know, look them up and find a good
definition that you understand and can apply. Upon your return in August, you may be given an examination
to ensure your understanding of this terminology and your ability to use these techniques as tools for
effective analysis. Be prepared!
Abstract Language
Ad Hominem
Allegory
Alliteration
Allusion
Ambiguity
Analogy
Anaphora
Anecdote
Annotation
Antecedent
Antithesis
Aphorism
Apostrophe
Assonance
Asyndeton
Balance
Begging the Question
Cacophony
Causal Relationships
Chiasmus
Citation / Documentation
Clause
Colloquialism
Common Knowledge
Conceit
Concrete Language
Connotation
Consonance
Cumulative Sentence
Deduction
Denotation
Diction
Didactic
Either-Or Reasoning
Ellipsis
Elliptical Sentence
Emotional Appeal/Pathos
Equivocation
Ethical Appeal/Ethos
Euphemism
Euphony
Exposition
False Analogy
Figurative Language
Generalization
Homily
Hyperbole
Imagery
Induction
Invective
Inverted sentence
Irony:
Verbal
Dramatic
Situational
Litotes
Logic
Logical Appeal/Logos
Logical Fallacy
Metaphor
Metonymy
Mood
Narrative
Non-Sequitur
Onomatopoeia
Oversimplification
Oxymoron
Parable
Paradox
Parallelism
Parody
Pathos
Periodic (Loose) Sentence
Persona
Personification
Persuasion
Point of View:
First Person
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient
Polysyndeton
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter
Hoc
Red Herring
Refutation
Repetition
Rhetoric
Rhetorical Modes:
Exposition
Argumentation
Description
Narration
Rhetorical Question
Satire
Sarcasm
Sentence structure:
Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound-Complex
Simile
Straw Man
Style
Syllogism
Symbolism
Synecdoche
Syntax
Theme
Thesis
Tone
Transition(s)
Tricolon
Understatement
Voice:
Active voice
Passive voice
PART II: Reading Assignments
To begin your exploration of American literature, you are required to read two informational texts over the
summer. Please pick up the following books at a local bookstore or library: The Overachievers by Alexandra
Robbins and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It is expected that you will read these pieces thoroughly over the
course of the summer, taking in the information presented with a critical literary eye. When you have finished
your reading, you are required to accomplish the following tasks:
1) The Overachievers:
a. Craft cohesive, thoughtful, and concise responses to each of the students profiled in the text: Taylor,
AP Frank, The Stealth Overachiever, Sam, C.J., Julie, Audrey, Pete, and Ryland. Your responses
should not only share your personal reactions to each student, but also demonstrate an understanding
of the purpose behind each student’s inclusion in this work, and the rhetorical and/or literary
techniques that help form the reader’s opinion of each student.
b. Compose an insightful, well-crafted 1-2 page personal essay that responds to the following question:
With which of the students in The Overachievers do you most identify? Why? Justify your
response using evidence from the text and anecdotes from your life experiences.
2) Outliers:
In the Epilogue to Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell relates his theory on success to his own personal situation,
applying his ideas to his grandmother, mother, and himself. Throughout the text, in fact, Gladwell
demonstrates how his thoughts on success can apply to many different individuals. Compose a wellwritten, cohesive essay in which you assess how Gladwell’s theory of success applies to your life
accomplishments thus far. Be certain to analyze the several different factors in your life that have created
opportunities for achievement. Your response should be approximately 1-2 pages in length.
Please make certain all written assignments are computer generated and formatted using MLA guidelines. All
assignments must be prepared prior to returning to school in August, as they will be used during class
discussions and/or collected at the teacher’s discretion.
PART III: Assessment
Your reading and understanding will be assessed immediately upon returning to school in August. These
assessments may take the form of class discussion, objective examination, and essay composition. Please be
aware that there is no substitute for your reading of these books. Do NOT rely on Cliffs’ Notes, Spark Notes,
Shmoop, or any other supplementary source as the basis of this assignment! It is essential to have read the
pieces in order to do well on the assessments; the questions you have been assigned to respond to should help
you “navigate the books.”
In addition, reading in an AP course builds upon the reading done in previous English courses. If you have
somehow missed reading the major works usually taught in Grades 9 and 10, don't let the summer pass without
reading them.
Bless Me, Ultima
The Odyssey and/or The Iliad
A Tale of Two Cities
All the Light We Cannot See
Great Expectations
Night
Have a safe summer – Happy Reading!
Sincerely,
Corona del Sol AP Language and Composition Teachers
To Kill a Mockingbird
MacBeth
Brave New World
Romeo and Juliet
Jane Eyre
Frankenstein