AP English Language and Composition

As a junior or senior year English course, AP Language and Composition focuses primarily on American non-fiction texts. The course undertakes a rigorous study of rhetoric and argumentation, mirroring the content and level of assignments found in introductory college-level composition courses. Students respond directly to a wide variety of American readings from the early years of democracy to contemporary life: letters, speeches, essays, novels, short fiction, articles, and image-based texts. In addition to the chief emphasis on non-fiction and political rhetoric, other anchor texts for the course include Fast Food Nation, Just Mercy, and The Things They Carried. The course addresses the essential questions of the American experience: What is the American Dream of success, and have all groups had an equal opportunity to pursue it? What are the philosophical underpinnings of American social and political thought, and how do Americans approach and respond to conflict in these realms? In the fall, students delve into the elements of rhetoric that authors use to influence their audiences: the classical rhetorical appeals, tropes, schemes, tone, syntax, diction, imagery, and symbolism. Spring work includes mastering the formal elements of argumentation and the researched synthesis argument essay on an issue of controversy in American society. Students use these understandings and close reading habits to improve their own writing through emulation and adaptation. The end goal is for students to use the lens of rhetoric to comprehend and evaluate any text by analyzing language with critical precision. The College Board notes that the course “cultivates the reading and writing skills that students need for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement.”

View the College Board AP English Language and Composition Course Description