AP+Language+Skills

Three major areas addressed on the AP test for us are rhetorical analysis, argument, and synthesis.
 * AP Lang Skills-  **

** Rhetorical Analysis ** •Learn how several factors all work together to shape a text and to influence its meaning: the author’s // rhetorical situation // (what’s causing him/her to write), // audience //, // purpose //, // persona //, and // design //. Students learn a whole bunch of elements of design to look for in texts (patterns in diction, sentence structure and punctuation, literary elements, visual elements, organization, methods of development used to shape the text, appeals to logos, ethos, pathos, use of logical fallacies, use of various types of examples, anecdotes, etc.) They learn to read not just for WHAT is said but for HOW and WHY things are said as they are.

•Learn to write about the strategies above in a rhetorical analysis. This requires // close reading //, // quoting from the text // and // explaining the significance // of the methods used in the quotes (not just the meaning of the quotes), learning // MLA citation practices //. •For timed rhetorical analysis questions, focus a lot on // answering the question // (ATQ) in a thesis, // managing time // so that the essay can cover the full passage, // developing // analysis beyond a restatement of the quote and beyond just a sentence in length, understanding // analysis vs. summary vs. evaluation //, // articulating how the strategies used in the text relate to the text’s overall meaning //.

• // practice making connections between texts //, since most academic writing involves using concepts from other texts in developing an argument. This helps with the process of writing synthesis essays later in the year. One aspect of this process that is hard for students, beyond just the organization of it, is learning to provide adequate context for ideas or texts being introduced in the essay. ** Argument ** •Read a range of styles of argument (from scholarly articles to op-ed articles to commercials to speeches) to // understand and evaluate the underlying logic //, use of // logical fallacies //, use of // appeals to logos, ethos, pathos //, etc. •Learn to write arguments that are sufficiently supported without using problematic logic (logical fallacies). •The open argument question on the AP test typically has some sort of philosophical passage or statement that students need to // defend //, // challenge //, or // qualify //, so they learn how to make each of those moves in a more sophisticated way than they have in prior years. Their major struggles in this type of question are to // make a clear position //, to // support it with their own concrete examples // (rather than only general/hypothetical ones, not that those can’t also come in handy), and to // avoid inappropriate tone // when disagreeing with someone (avoiding outright attacks on someone else’s view – maintaining a positive ethos).  ** Synthesis ** •Learn to // use multiple sources to support their OWN argument // rather than relying on sources to make the argument for them. •Learn to // combine sources as multiple pieces of evidence of the same point // (rather than making one paragraph about one source and the next paragraph about a different source – what I call making a “patchwork quilt” paper). Learn to // go beyond merely “comparing and contrasting” ideas and to organize in a way that makes connections between ideas rather than separating ideas. // •Learn to // differentiate their own view from others’ perspectives // and to // make a contribution to the discussion through writing //. (It’s important for them to learn to see academic writing as a form of conversation rather than a random, isolated essay that goes to a teacher’s desk…even though that’s what happens to a lot of it.) •I use every major paper to practice synthesis and argument skills. One personal research paper typically asks students to combine their own experience with ideas from course texts to produce an argument on some philosophical topic that the whole class has explored (What’s the relationship between language, power, and identity? or What’s the role of argument in our society? Etc.) The longer research paper at the end of the year for the past few years has had kids reading editorial articles on a topic, analyzing how people in that debate argue (rhetorical analysis) and creating and articulating their own position within the debate (argument and synthesis), often with other “legitimate” sources rather than merely biased op-ed articles.