AP English Language and Composition Q&A
Q. A student who ______would enjoy AP English Language and Composition.
A. Is ready for the reading and writing skills taught in introductory college courses in composition in competitive colleges and who would like to take more advanced courses when they arrive at college
Would like to learn skills that are broadly applicable to not only the humanities, but to the social sciences as well. If you’re interested in political science, sociology, or economics, the skills you learn in AP Language will be directly applicable to your college coursework
Follows the news, reads lots of blogs or magazines, and enjoys non-fiction books
Q. This class would be a good fit for students who would like to…
A. Improve the reading and writing skills that students need for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement.
Learn to create and sustain original arguments based on information synthesized from readings, research, and/or personal observation and experience.
Become more curious, critical, and responsive readers of diverse texts, and become flexible, reflective writers of texts addressed to diverse audiences for diverse purposes.
Q. What will students read in AP English Language and Composition?
A. We will read various formal and informal genres, some fiction (a few of the same titles read in American Literature), but mainly nonfiction (e.g., memos, letters, advertisements, political satires, personal narratives, scientific arguments, cultural critiques, research reports), from Plato to political speeches, TV commercials, and Internet memes today.
Q. What’s the difference between AP Literature and Composition and AP Language and Composition?
A. Both AP English classes are English courses and thus will mainly consist of reading and writing assignments. Both emphasize writing clear, analytical essays supported by convincing evidence. Since both classes are meant to teach the same skills as an introductory college English class, the emphasis is on analyzing and writing about texts, rather than just reading, summarizing, and creating your own work. Both AP English classes will be fairly challenging, as will the AP English exams at the end of the year. We wouldn’t recommend taking too many AP courses in the same year.
AP English Language teaches you to deconstruct arguments and rhetorical strategies in mostly non-fiction works. You will also do lots of writing, learning to maximize your argument and/or effectiveness across different forms, from persuasive essays to memoir writing. AP Language is also a good choice if you are interested in natural science or engineering, since learning to break down arguments and read non-fiction texts will likely be more helpful in your chosen field than analyzing poetry and literature. In any field, having strong writing skills is very helpful. AP Language is a great way to build those skills if you’re not a fan of poetry and literature.
AP English Literature teaches you to read and analyze works of literature and poetry with different lenses. You will work to discover a text's theme or intent through use of literary devices, syntax, point of view, form, and structure. You will read a range of literary criticism and will apply such critical lenses to your own writing. A research paper and presentation allow students to fully engage with the sort of academic scholarship that students will be expected to do at the college level in the humanities. AP Literature is generally a more reading-intensive course.
Q. Why take an AP English class?
A. Taking AP courses helps students stand out in the college admissions process. AP courses signal to admissions officers that students have undertaken the most rigorous classes their high school has to offer. They see that they’ve challenged themselves with college-level course work and expectations, and have refined their skills to meet these expectations.
Taking AP courses can help students earn college credits and save money. Currently more than 90 percent of colleges and universities across the country offer college credit, advanced placement, or both, for qualifying AP Exam scores.
Taking AP courses can help students skip introductory courses. Students who earn a qualifying score on the AP exam can gain advanced placement out of introductory courses in their major and/or skip general education requirements unrelated to their major. With this additional time on their class schedules, they can pursue a second major or minor, take exciting electives, or follow additional interests in new ways.
AP Language and Composition can help students strengthen the effectiveness of their writing through close reading and frequent practice at applying rhetorical strategies, analyzing information from source texts, and writing arguments – all skills necessary for success in college, regardless of the student’s major.
AP Language and Composition can help students become critical readers of nonfiction works, including expository, argumentative, analytical, and personal texts from various authors and time periods – the kind of reading that students do in college, regardless of major.