Top 5 Things AP Language Students Should Know to Survive

1. Vocabulary=Friend.
The backbone to every AP Lang assignment is the vocabulary.  Essentially, if you don't know the vocab, you don't know the course.  How might a student write an essay on rhetorical strategies in a text if the only rhetoric he or she is familiar with is Grade 9 vocab!?  Most students going into AP Lang have probably been using the same overstatement, irony, metaphor, and personification for years; but this microscopic, rudimentary list is hardly enough to get by.

No matter the assignment, whether it be an essay or quiz, thorough understanding of all AP Lang vocabulary (yes, all 8000 words or so...) only strengthens a student in the end.  In my own AP Lang class, we were given the Bible of all rhetoric and argumentation vocabulary.   Seven pages, front and back, of the most seemingly obscure, yet extremely essential vocabulary terms that will carry me through the 8 arduous months of school before the AP Exam in May.  Already I have survived numerous vocabulary quizzes that would drive me to insanity if not for this lifeline of a packet.  No assignment can be completed without knowledge of all vocabulary pertaining to logical fallacies, rhetorical strategies, appeals, syntax, diction, and more.
    
Work to learn the vocabulary, and the vocabulary will work to help you.

And no, the easiest path is not always the best path.

2. Annotate, Annotate, Annotate!
Annotate.  Annotate Everything.  Annotate an essay prompt.  Annotate an excerpt of text.  Annotate your first and second essay drafts.  Annotate Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass or any other AP Lang texts.  Annotations are the key to understanding what exactly is going on in a document.  If you're able to identify where all of the fabulous vocabulary terms are in a text, mark it!  This will shorten the analysis process by being able to look at the document as a whole and seeing where connections between rhetoric devices might lie.  Plus, during a face-paced, grueling timed writing, it saves you TIME to be able to find all of the rhetorical devices you annotated upon first reading the document.

P.S. Color coding is fun. And it helps. (:

3. Always B.S.!
Be Specific!  Be it rhetorical analysis, argumentation or synthesis, being specific is the key to having a thorough and persuasive essay.  Imagine if all AP Lang students wrote about was how Frederick Douglass had "really good" imagery when describing the intolerable conditions of slavery?  What kind of imagery was it?  Did he include any important details?  Did his syntax differentiate as his diction and emotions shifted too?  Be specific in explaining everything! Always!

"The author (WHO?) uses diction (WHAT KIND?) to emphasize his opinions (WHAT OPINIONS?) about nature."

No, this is not considered a specific thesis statement.  Be Specific. Be Specific. Be Specific.  

If you don't B.S., your essay will be as bland as a slice of bread.  Now we don't want that now, do we?

Yes for B.S.! (Banana Split)

4. Don't be afraid to speak up!

Yes, speaking in front of a large group of people can sometimes bring about clammy palms, shivers, anxiety, severe shyness, and inescapable distress.  But do not fear!  Contributing to class discussions can do nothing but help you in the short and long term.  Whether it be in depth socratic seminars or simple clarification discussions in class, pouring your share of insight only adds to a pool of knowledge and success in AP Lang. 

   

Particularly during socratic seminars, it is imperative to throw down all of your best analysis and show the world (or just your classmates) the incredible skills you've developed. 

Just follow the Isley Brothers...

5. Answer the Question.
Answer the question for your essay.  Seems fairly simple, right?  Wrong.  The clock may be ticking away at the AP Exam, and two minutes have already passed during a short break between the first two essays, allowing for a new sense of panic to set in.  The most immediate concern is to begin writing, but premature composition can lead to complete misinterpretation.
    
Take my class' most recent in-class Rhetorical Analysis essay for example:

"The passage below is an excerpt from 'On the Want of Money,' an essay written by 19th century author William Hazlitt.  Read the passage carefully.  Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Hazlitt uses to develop his position about money."    (2006 AP English Language and Composition Free-Response Question 2)

In the blink of an eye, my mind dictated to me that this essay must be discussing the state of an individual who constantly has money and desires more.  However in my horribly rash leap to a conclusion, I failed to noticed that to be "in want" of something is to be lacking it.  In my mind, Hazlitt described the horrifying effects of having a great deal of money, while in actuality he was arguing that life is miserable if you have no money.  Although my understanding of using vocabulary and analysis may have been sufficient, my misinterpretation of the prompt ultimately landed me with a less than satisfactory grade.




























Of course, there isn't enough time during the exam to spend 15-20 minutes planning each of your essays; but be sure to have a complete understanding of what the question is asking before you write even a word.  Answer the prompt throughout the essay, and combined with strong analysis, say hello to a high scoring essay.

There are plenty of occasions where you will not want to misunderstand the speaker's meaning...