The academic success of the AP Spanish IV has resonated through the halls of Emerson, attracting a new wave of dedicated students looking to master a second language. The goal of this class is to become more confident and skilled in the Spanish language, preparing students for not only college but also traveling, communication and life overall.
Starting this year, Mariagesse Morales is teaching AP Spanish IV with complete confidence for all her students every school year. Morales has been teaching Spanish ever since her early years of college when her professor gave her the idea of being a part of an education program.
“I think my love for education started before I even went to college. I just had always denied it,” Morales said. “But once I got into college, I started student teaching and some internships here and there, then I was like ‘wow that was really fun.’”
AP Spanish IV has six themes to cover: Identity, culture, beauty, global challenges, science and contemporary life. These themes provide students with the cultural and contextual evidence needed for their important assignments toward the end of the year.
“I think my biggest piece of advice is to talk. … The only way that they’re going to get better is by actually practicing and improving it,” Morales said. “If they’re not sure where to start, it means practicing either with family, friends, teachers or just by listening.”
Just like any other AP course students have the chance to take, AP Spanish IV has an exam at the end of the school year. The AP Spanish IV exam is a College Board exam that assesses the students’ proficiency in the course of Spanish language and culture. The exam includes multiple-choice questions and free response questions for interpretive communication, writing and speaking. This exam lasts three hours and requires students to apply their skills of understanding and interacting with the Spanish world.
“Obviously, within the course, through preparing them to take the AP exam, it is a lot more rigorous,” Morales said. “I would say slightly in terms of the content, but in the skill level, it requires you to have a conversation with me and [write] a persuasive essay, which could be challenging.”
The skills gained in AP Spanish IV, from cultural fluency to enhanced critical thinking, are tools that will serve students well beyond high school. The continued growth of this course within the school is a direct reflection of the increasing success and dedication of its students. AP Spanish IV will offer students a truly unique and rewarding opportunity to move beyond the basics.
