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Japanese AP

WaTlvrWaTlvr Registered User Posts: 2 New Member
edited November 2010 in AP Tests Preparation
Hello,
I'm entering my high school jr year.

My mom think i should take Japanese AP. I'm Japanese and speak Japanese at home. My school does not offer Japanese AP. I think the college will not be impressed with AP Japanese because I'm Japanese. But my mom says they will be impressed because I'm also taking IB Spanish. I used to go to Japanese Saturday school and just graduated middle school in march.


My question is if I should take the exam. (If the college will be interested) And if so, what do I need to know for the exam, and because my school do not offer the course, how to take the exam.
Post edited by WaTlvr on
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Replies to: Japanese AP

  • eg1eg1 Registered User Posts: 647 Member
    I think it would be more impressive to take the Spanish AP. I wouldn't be very impressed with a native speaker taking a language AP, but I don't know how colleges view it.
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  • jerrry4445jerrry4445 Registered User Posts: 2,741 Senior Member
    For AP Japanese, you have to learn a total of 410 kanjis, a variety of grammar uses to make sentences, verb conjugation (informal, formal, nai-form, ta-form, te-form, etc), and of course vocabulary. Too bad ap japanese doesn't have an official vocabulary list.

    http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_japanese_coursedesc.pdf
    (course description)

    http://www.cheng-tsui.com/files/AP%20Kanji%20List%2012307.pdf
    (kanji list)

    Amazon.com: Yookoso! Continuing with Contemporary Japanese Student Edition with Online Learning Center Bind-In Card (9780072974966): Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku: Books
    (textbook my school uses for ap japanese)

    another textbook i would recommend would be using the Adventures in Japanese series since the author rewrote them to prepare students for AP exam, but they're a total of five books( if u include further adventures in Japanese, AP-specific Japanese book), so it'll take a long time. However, since you took Japanese for a few years, you might as well use Yookoso.
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  • rk33rk33 Registered User Posts: 494 Member
    Are you from Japan? I only ask because your English doesn't seem fluid. It seems more like someone who understands the language well but obviously doesn't speak it as a first language.

    If you already speak Japanese and have no need for a class I would definitely sign up for the test. Think about it, how could showing mastery of another language hurt?
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  • lemonelemone - Posts: 976 Member
    Rk33 his english is fine......
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  • Knock0utKnock0ut Registered User Posts: 3 New Member
    rk33, are you FLUENT in English?
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  • psych_psych_ Registered User Posts: 1,576 Senior Member
    Granted, my experience is dated (going on 5 years), but at least back then, Youkoso was an AWFUL textbook, IMO. I'm not sure why anyone would use it, let alone for AP. Genki is okay, as is Kimono (weird name, though), but I'm surprised to hear that you guys use textbooks for AP Japanese to begin with--in advanced Japanese (what is now AP Japanese), my teacher just created her own materials for us to use--I think most textbooks were just a bit kanji and reading comprehension "lite" for her tastes.

    OP, you'll probably do very well on the test with very minimal study, but I think many adcoms may give it lesser weight due to your heritage speaker status. However, other than potentially hurting the curve for non-native/non-heritage speakers, I can't see it doing any harm for you, specifically, and it could help.
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  • apn00bapn00b Registered User Posts: 710 Member
    I recommend that you take it; there is no harm in doing so. It shows that you know a third language.

    @psych The foreign language curves are determined by non-natives only; his performance would have no bearing whatsoever on the curve.
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  • NO295208NO295208 Registered User Posts: 195 Junior Member
    @jerrry4445
    That pdf is really helpful. I am planning to take the AP Japanse test next year (2012 administration).
    Do you mind sharing other helpful material?
    Thanks!

    My 1st post as NO295208!
    I used to be active but has been a lurker for some time.
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  • psych_psych_ Registered User Posts: 1,576 Senior Member
    Glad to hear they changed the curving procedures! Do they take people who speak the language at home (heritage speakers) out of the curve as well?
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  • apn00bapn00b Registered User Posts: 710 Member
    That's how it was always curved. Yes, those people are removed as well. When you take the test, you fill in a bubble if you have regular contact, lived in a country that speaks the language for a certain amount of time, etc. Basically everyone who already knows the language is not part of the curve.
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  • psych_psych_ Registered User Posts: 1,576 Senior Member
    Actually, AFAIK, that method of curving is relatively new to AP language exams. IIRC, when I was in HS (graduated in 2006), everyone was curved together, which ended up discouraging a lot of non-native/non-heritage speakers from taking the exams. Of course, AP Japanese started in 2007, so it may have always had that curving method.
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  • apn00bapn00b Registered User Posts: 710 Member
    ^I think we're talking about different things here. Non-native speakers only set the curve, but the same curve is used for all test takers. I think this is what you mean by "everyone was curved together."
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