<p>I found not very many useful information on AP Language and composition on CC. I have no idea why that is.
I am having trouble understanding concepts and actually the purpose of this class. My teacher is new at this and he doesn’t have the greatest teaching style.
Could anyone give me some good information on this course and what I need to know?
Right now all we’re doing is socrates, plato, and aristotle. There’s seems to be no structure at all.
Are there books I should definitely read?</p>
<p>I recommend you read “How to Read Literature like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster. It teaches you some invaluable tips to analyze written works, something the AP English exam requires, particularly in its analytical essay portion. I’m taking the class now and the book has helped a lot. </p>
<p>Also, I’m pretty sure if you look on College Board’s website and click on their AP English test, they should have a list there of about 100 suggested novels, of which any would be a great choice.</p>
<p>The key to succeeding on either English AP is to read a lot. Preferably, you would have started this at the age of five (or whenever you learned to read). However, it’s never too late. I never took the course because my school doesn’t offer it, but if you just read a lot and think about what you’re reading, that should help. Go for nonfiction since it’s Language.</p>
<p>We never actually read any novels in our lang class. Our only readings were essays and speeches (and we had to analyze them, sometimes for rhetorical devices and other times for comprehension). Besides reading/analyzing essays, the only other thing we did was write essays and take practice tests.</p>
<p>Read with purpose…Answer two questions every time you read ANYTHING…What is his purpose? How did he get there? If you can answer those two questions you can answer any question they give you as far as analysis (both M/C questions and essays), and look at the logic Plato et al espouse. Sounds like your teacher is using a classical rhetorical approach. If you can follow those guys logic, you can read pretty much anyone else.</p>
<p>Although most teachers don’t take that approach anymore, you really can learn a lot from those thinkers.</p>
<p>Snappy,
I’m in AP Lit right now and we’re reading How To Read Literature Like a Professor. I think the book has a LOT more to do with AP Lit (12th Grade) than AP Lang. But, you could still read it because it might still be able to help in certain areas.</p>
<p>I would reccommend that you buy an AP Language study handbook. It will have everything you need to know about the AP test.</p>
<p>Have you guys started Style Analysis, Persuasive Essays, or Synthesis essays yet? If you haven’t started on any of those, then you should really talk to your teacher and let him/her know that she needs to start preparing you for the AP test really soon.</p>
<p>Yeah, the essay portion is divided up into three sections Argumentation, Synthesis, and Rhetoric. Our teacher is working on one of each of these per quarter and do impromtu’s every other friday. If your teacher isn’t doing this, you should find some practice prompts (they are online) and try doing them at home (make sure you only give yourself 40/45 minutes per essay so you can practice with right time). We also do multiple choice in our class to prepare for that section. A practice book should help you practice both of these. See if you can find another English teacher, who isn’t so new to all, to read it over for you and give you a practice grade. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>There are 3 types of essays that will be on the AP test.
Rhetorical Analysis - describing the use of syntactical devices.
Argument
Synthesis - Basically an extension of the argument. You are provided 6 or 7 sources and you qualify, defend, or challenge the topic and use the sources to back up your argument.
As far as the books you are reading, the only books in Language that will be of use are the books that are not a story. Psychology based books can be useful for evidence for argument or synthesis or understanding of “why” for rhetorical analysis.</p>
<p>The other part of the AP test is multiple choice. They give you a passage and you answer questions about it. They’re difficult, but practice tests will help.</p>