AP Spanish Language and Culture Summer Assignment 2016-2017
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¿¡Por qué tengo que trabajar durante el verano!?
You are being asked to do Summer Work to familiarize you with the expectations and format of the AP Spanish
exam while maintaining your Spanish over the summer. The work you will be doing will keep your listening,
speaking, reading, and writing skills active and encourage you to develop good habits for improving these skills
in Spanish. It will also help you discover and put into use technology as a resource for connecting to real-life
Spanish. Please follow all directions when completing activities. Be sure to hand write your work neatly so
that I can give you some constructive feedback. Email each assignment to me as you complete it. Please do not
wait until the last minute to complete the work as it will be overwhelming. It is best to complete it in smaller
sections. All work should be completed and emailed to me by August 1st at 11:59 p.m. Your work will be
graded. Any work not submitted by the due date will result in a grade of “0.” The grading scale will be posted
on my Schoolwires page http://www.gulfportschools.org/Domain/802
The Assignments
Speaking:
Es necesario grabar tu respuesta. Manda la grabación a tu profesora. Puedes buscar enlaces en la red para
encontrar programas y lecturas sobre dicho tema o usar uno de la lista facilitada. Incluye una bibliografía
general. Envía la grabación a [email protected]
1. Watch a broadcast or video en español. Taking notes is a good idea.
2. Research, in Spanish, some information that corresponds to the topic. You may find an article on one of the
Internet sites listed under resources or from a traditional printed source such as a newspaper or magazine.
3. Reflect and then compare the video source with your written source.
4. Make a 100-120 second recording in Spanish telling about what you saw and read. Integrate information
from both sources in your recording.
Here are some good sources online for video en español:
www.bbcmundo.com (look for the tab on the left for Videos)
www.clarin.com (look for Informes Multimedia)
www.20minutos.com (look for tab for Videos in the navigation bar at the top)
www.elpais.com (look for tab for Videos in the navigation bar at the top)
www.univision.com (look up top for the link to “Videos”)
Writing:
1. You will complete writing activities from the AP Temas Workbook. Read the notes included in the
workbook before completing the assignments.
2. Escríbele una carta a un amigo en que le cuentes lo que hiciste el fin de semana pasado. Presta atención,
especialmente al uso del pretérito y del imperfecto. Escribe entre ocho y diez oraciones. Esté seguro de
usar expresiones apropiadas y correctas. Incluye el saludo y la despedida. Escribe tu carta en un correo
electronico y envialo a [email protected]
Write a note to a friend telling him what you did last weekend. Pay attention to the use of the preterit and
imperfect. Write eight to ten sentences. Be sure to use appropriate expressions, courtesy, and letter format.
Include the appropriate greetings and farewells. Send it by email to [email protected]
AP Spanish Language and Culture Summer Assignment 2016-2017
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3. You will complete a total of six Conjuguemos assignments. The instructions and activities can be found on
www.conjuguemos.com. If you were a student of mine last semester, you can use the same username and
password. If you were not, email me and I will set up your account and email the information to you. The
vocabulary lists will be available to you on my Quizlet website. Use this to listen to and practice saying the
vocabulary words. If you do not have access, search for my class and then request being added.
Reading Comprehension & Writing:
This should be the last activity you submit to me. Find an online newspaper article in Spanish that describes a
significant event of the summer. Read the article thoroughly, and then write a one-page, double-spaced essay
that includes at least three, logical and coherent arguments explaining the significance of this event. Be sure to
include:



El nombre del evento:
El artículo: (incluye el título y la direcciónelectrónica)
Los argumentos
Tips for Success on the AP Spanish Exam
It is important to know what you are up against by familiarizing yourself with the AP Spanish Language Exam
format. The exam requires critical, integrated expression in Spanish. One teacher describes the exam as: “…a
3-4 hour skill-based exam testing your abilities and proficiency in Spanish. It is not a knowledge-based exam
like most other AP exams. You are “on stage” in Spanish for over 3 hours integrating all four of your skills in
listening, speaking, reading, and writing.”
In order to be well prepared by next May, you will need to have self-discipline and dedication as this class will
be treated and taught as if it were a college course. You should take the time during the summer to prepare
yourself for this class.
Other things you can do in the summer to prepare:
1. Watch movies in Spanish. Netflix has many movies and series available to watch in Spanish. You can
use English subtitles. This will help you to develop strong listening and reading skills. The Liberator (a
movie about the great military leader Simon Bolivar), Instructions not Included, Buen Día Ramon,
Pulling Strings, and El Cielo en Tu Mirada are all good movies. Velvet and El Gran Hotel are two series
from Spain.
2. Pick up a Spanish language newspaper or magazine when you see one. You can often find People en
Español or Selecciones (the Spanish version of Reader’s Digest). Also, notice Spanish on packaging and
signs in the stores you frequent. See if you can guess what they mean or look them up when you get
home. Notice the Spanish that is already all around you!
3. Visit and read online Spanish language newspapers such as bbcmundo.com, elpais.com, 20minutos.es,
or clarin.com. Read about things that interest you.
4. Watch Univisión or other Spanish programming on TV. News programs like “Primer Impacto” or
“Noticiero” are especially useful. Soccer fans can watch and listen to games on many of the Spanish
AP Spanish Language and Culture Summer Assignment 2016-2017
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channels. Don’t worry if you don’t understand every word. You will improve the more you expose
yourself to the target language.
5. Listen to Spanish music on the Internet or listen to podcasts in Spanish. Download the free app for En
Vivo Radio to listen to Spanish music. Go to www.notesinspanish.com for entertainment and discussion
of current topics.
6. Seek out “live” experiences with Spanish in your community. Keep your eyes open for cultural events or
local service organizations that appeal to Spanish speakers and get involved. You may also have coworkers or customers that speak Spanish. Take advantage of them and practice!
You will need to purchase:
A good Spanish-English Dictionary
Barron’s AP Spanish Language and Culture (w/ CD Rom).