Big question for juniors: Which AP English class should I take?

The Saratoga Falcon conducted an interview with AP Literature teacher Jason Friend, AP Language teacher Cathy head, and Nina Nelson, one of several seniors taking both classes this year, regarding the differences between AP Lit and AP Lang.

Q: What is taught in AP Literature (Lit)/AP Language and Composition (Lang) that is not offered in the other class?

Head: “We read stories, poetry, drama and novels; they read essays. We also read pieces from the ‘evolving canon,’ not dead, white, European men. Our focus in Lit is college-level literature analysis, in both class discussions and essays.”

Friend: “Lang focuses on nonfiction (with an emphasis on philosophy) and concentrates on persuasive writing and nonfiction analysis.”

Q: What is the hardest part about Lit and Lang?

Head: “My students report that in terms of homework, the ‘hardest’ part is practice writes. They write 14 a year, and each takes from 45 minutes to an hour. In less concrete terms, they say the most demanding part of the course is the need to do the reading consistently and think about it.”

Friend: “The readings in Lang can be very dense and difficult — you need to have a high reading level and be willing to be an active reader to get the most out of them.”

Q: How is Lit/Lang different from English 11 Honors? How is it similar?

Head: “Students do not have vocabulary or grammar exercises, and the reading is not scaffolded for you; there are no study guides. We read, discuss and write about literature with greater independence and in more depth than English 11H. Also, because of stress concerns, I cut the amount of homework roughly in half this year, so there is significantly less homework in Lit than there was in English 11 Honors.”

Friend: “There tend to be [fewer] small assignments, but there are almost no free ‘buffer points’ to bolster one’s grade.”

Nelson: “Both classes require a level of thinking and depth that no other classes at Saratoga will do. You can't fake your way around it, and no one is going to hold your hand. If you are a student who likes to use Sparknotes, you’re not going to survive either class.”

Q: How hard is it to take both classes?

Nelson: “Honestly, people have this impression that they are insanely challenging classes. They're hard — you need to think, you need to want to do the work — but more than anything, you need to love reading and love discussing. Taking both was the best decision I made even though so many people warned me against it. They are both incredible classes and [have] definitely prepared me for school life outside of the Saratoga bubble.”