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The AP Spanish Language and Culture exam is changing—and if you teach AP, you may feel like you need to change everything in your course too.
But take a breath. You do not have to start from zero.
In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and incredible educator Bethanie Carlson Drew, who is beginning her 33rd year in the classroom. Bethanie helps us look at the new AP Spanish Language exam format with clarity and intention.
As Bethanie reminds us, approximately 80% of what we already do in a strong AP language class has not changed. Students still need to develop language proficiency, cultural competence, and the confidence to communicate.
Instead of rebuilding her entire course, Bethanie is asking three questions:
What should I keep? What should I increase? And what can I finally drop?
✨ In this episode, we discuss:
- How Bethanie uses 60–90-second mini-presentations to gradually prepare students for the new three-minute Project Presentation
- Why students need explicit support to ask follow-up questions—not only answer them
- How one image and only three words on a slide help students develop real presentational skills
- Why Bethanie is keeping reading, music, and culturally rich input at the center of her course
- Simple ways to increase oral sharing without adding more long, formal presentations
- How to explore products, practices, and perspectives throughout the year by asking, “Why is this important?”
- Why culture cannot be reduced to one isolated unit
- How Bethanie is simplifying the AP project materials into a manageable student notebook
- What she is dropping now that the simulated conversation and stand-alone cultural comparison are no longer part of the exam
- Why the beginning of the year should focus on classroom culture, confidence, and connection—not panic
Even if you do not teach AP Spanish, this conversation is full of practical ideas for any language classroom. It is a powerful reminder that the activity is not the purpose—the activity serves the purpose.
📚 Resources Mentioned
👉 Read the complete blog post and show notes here.
👉 Explore Bethanie’s blog, Aventuras Nuevas.
👉 Review the AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam Description.
📲 Connect with Claudia
Follow me on Instagram: @claudiamelliott
Learn more about Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy: growingwithproficiency.com/academy
Listen, take a breath, and remember: you do not need to throw away everything that already works.
Keep what supports acquisition. Increase meaningful communication. Drop what no longer serves your students.
