dragonscale333

I'm curious about how native speakers did on the test compared to non-native speakers. From experience, their vocabularies are much larger, and they can read and speak faster. However, they might have some trouble with grammar, since they grew up with casual Spanish (just like native English speakers don't always use correct grammar).

I am a non-native speaker, and I find learning Spanish grammar MUCH easier than learning English grammar. It is a completely different system, and there is nothing that you have to change, since I never had any previous knowledge to begin with. I ended up with a 5 on the exam, though the listening and speaking parts absolutely sucked for me.

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

atrophicwhisper

Just so you can see the test performance difference between native and nonnative speakers:

http://professionals.collegeboard.co...ation-2008.pdf

Page 39 (42 of the entire PDF file)

arachnophobia12

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 2

(I agree-listening and speaking were definitely the least "fun" parts of the exam. I'm just glad-and extremely surprised-that I got a 5.)

BeKindRewind

What prep books did you guys use?

JoeTrumpet

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 2

I'm a native speaker and had absolutely no problems with grammar; however, I've never had problems with grammar in any language, really. I know many native speakers who detested figuring out where to put accent marks more than anything else . I didn't have that problem. I hated the listening section, though: that would've been difficult for me regardless of the language. Trying to completely remove my faint Cuban accent and use a more "general" Latin American Spanish accent would be the only other real concern I had with the exam.

turnupth3sun

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 3

...No explanation for this grade. I have no clue how.

Teh0therside

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 4

GuitarRckr

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 5

I was so happy with this, being a non-native speaker (and when 3/4 of the people with 4's/5's are native, literally). We practiced a lot for the test's format, which helped. Now AP Spanish Literature...that'll be interesting...:-P

sciencenerd

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4: 1
5: 5

Yay! I'm soooo happy I got a 4. I thought I'd get a 3 at the best.

tjan91

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2:
3:
4: 1
5: 6

I do not know how that happened, but im happy it did

DavieWeinberg

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2: 1
3:
4: 1
5: 6

Okay, this makes absolutely no sense!!!! I was probably the best Spanish student in my class for every year I have taken it for the past 6 years. The listening and speaking parts weren't the greatest, but not horrible. The writing was really good in general, and the reading I thought went pretty well. I simply don't understand how I could have gotten a 2. I'm planning on having them rescore my multiple choice answer sheet. I guess that just includes the listening and reading... who knows. Any thoughts?

coconnor

Native:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: 1

Non-Native
1:
2: 1
3: 1
4: 1
5: 6

markilya

So I calculated using the AP 2007 Data that only non-natives getting 5's make up only 3% of test takers.

arachnophobia12

^Wow, I find that kind of surprising.

ansar

Many native speakers take the test thinking it'll be a breeze.

Also, most of us them think that they can get away with many things (like not putting accent marks). I'm a native speaker, but I know the grammar and the test seems pretty easy :P.