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AP Italian: A New Era
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by Ida Giampietro Wilder
Greece Athena High School
Rochester, New York
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| | A Milestone in the History of Italian Language Study
Evviva! (Hurray!) Finally, after many years and much time, effort, and planning, Italian language teachers have an AP course and exam! So now how do we promote this course and convince our colleagues, parents, and students that this is a worthwhile venture?
I believe that it is all in the way we market our product. Excitement about the course, a positive attitude, and an understanding of the benefits of an AP course are indispensable. Those who believe in the program must convince all involved that this is a monumental milestone in the history of Italian culture and language education.
Several years ago, when I began my association with this project, I remember asking Italian language teachers at state and local meetings to give me some rationale to present to the College Board as to why we should create an Italian AP course. I received quite an impressive list of reasons, which I collated and submitted to Chris Kleinhenz, then the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI) president. Here are some of the thoughts Italian language teachers shared with me:
The Italian language and Italian culture have influenced many aspects of life: art, music, architecture, fashion, etc. An AP Exam would reinforce the importance of the language.
Students of Italian should have the same opportunities to earn college credit, win scholarships, or provide evidence of achievement when applying to colleges.
The AP Program would command respect from the community; it is a prestigious examination.
An AP Exam would provide a goal for those students who begin to study Italian in the middle school. It would keep the program strong and meaningful.
It would offer an opportunity to deeply study Italian language and literature, something that may not be explored in some schools at the present time.
Many school districts are currently developing criteria for expanding foreign language programs to achieve higher standards. By developing an AP course in Italian, schools could adapt an existing curriculum for an upper-level course without incurring a great financial burden.
Share these thoughts with colleagues and administrators who may be resistant to the idea of offering an AP Italian course.
Convincing Parents and Students
Since AP is such an established and respected program, many parents and students already know the benefits of taking an AP course but they are worth repeating. One of my vice principals, Angela Fuller, summarized the benefits well at a recent faculty meeting: "Even if a student scores only a one or two on an AP Exam, it's better that he took the course than if he had not attempted it at all. It will make the student that much more prepared for college; it will give him confidence; and the college will recognize the fact that the student challenged himself."
The following are just a few simple ways to help encourage enrollment in your AP Italian course:
- Ask middle school teachers to start talking about the course with parents and students.
- Talk about the program at open house, curriculum nights, and parent-teacher conferences.
- After clearing it with the school administration, send a letter home informing parents of eleventh-grade students of the new opportunity (see below).
- Send a copy of the letter to all middle and high school guidance counselors, the school superintendent and assistants, district office supervisors, and AP Coordinators.
- Write a short article in the principal's bulletin about the new Italian AP course.
- Talk to your classes about AP Italian in a positive way.
Fortunately, my district decided last year that all level-5 language courses would be AP courses. In my efforts to boost enrollment in my AP Italian course, I will first concentrate on my current junior-year students, and then I will send a similar letter to the parents of the rest of the students. A sample promotional letter to parents/guardians of potential students follows:
Dear parents/guardians,
It is my pleasure to announce that the College Board is developing an AP Italian Language and Culture course and exam. This course will be available to students nationwide for the 2005-2006 school year. Italian is the first new language offering to be added to the College Board's AP portfolio since the inception of the program in 1955. The purpose of the AP course is to promote the expanded teaching and learning of the Italian language and to increase awareness of the Italian language and culture in U.S. high schools, colleges, and universities.
The AP Program attracts motivated students, and as it is widely known, AP students are well prepared for success in college. The College Board finds that students who receive AP credit in high school typically continue to take additional courses in college in that same discipline. Students who are successful on the AP exam often receive college credit or advanced standing for a fraction of the cost of a college course. Furthermore, college admission officers look favorably on any student who completes rigorous courses like AP.
The examination itself will have five sections: reading, writing, listening, speaking, and culture. The students will strengthen and expand their knowledge in all these areas throughout the year to be successful in the course. I believe this new course will strengthen the position of Italian as a world language. I hope that you will encourage your son or daughter to take advantage of this great opportunity and to be among the first students of AP Italian Language and Culture. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(name of Italian language teacher)
As Tom Matts from the College Board said, "Rome was not built in one day; neither is an AP course." It may take a bit of effort to promote the AP Program since it is so "foreign" to Italian teachers. But let us remember the last words in Turandot: "Vinceró, vinceró, voncero." I wish you much success in promoting the AP Italian Language and Culture course. A new adventure and a new era has begun.
Ida Giampietro Wilder has been teaching Italian for 27 years in Rochester, New York. She served as a consultant and item writer for the NY State Education Department for many years, as the co-chair for the ACTFLT National Standards for Italian, was a member of the AP Italian Task Force, and is a current member of the AP Italian Development Committee. She has also presented numerous workshops throughout the country on teaching strategies, organized yearly trips or exchanges to Italy for the last 25 years, and organized "Italianissimo" for 10 years (a cultural workshop attended yearly by 300 students). She wrote "Italian -- A Living Language Not Afraid to Change" for the NYSAFT bulletin and is the co-author of Seguimi, a communicative workbook.
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