In AP English Language and Composition, students learn to understand and analyze complex styles of writing by reading works from a variety of authors. Not only do they explore the richness of language, including syntax, imitation, word choice, and tone in other writers, but they also learn to incorporate these skills into their own writing. Students learn the basics of research writing, including the use of documentation and citations. They write in a variety of different modes: expository, analytical, personal narrative, research, synthesis, and so on. They also learn about their own composition style and process, starting with exploration, planning, and writing, and continuing through editing, peer review, rewriting, polishing, and applying what they learn to a breadth of academic, personal, and professional contexts. The equivalent of an introductory college-level survey class, this course prepares students for the AP Exam and for further study in communications, creative writing, journalism, literature, and composition. The content aligns to the scope and sequence specified by the College Board and to widely used textbooks. Students may take the first semester of the course without taking the second semester but may not take semester 2 without taking semester 1.
