AP Chinese Language and Culture

Learn all about the course and exam.

About the Course

Develop your Mandarin Chinese language skills and learn about Chinese culture. You’ll practice communicating in Chinese and you’ll engage with real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books.

Skills You'll Learn

  • Understanding Chinese when you hear it and read it

  • Holding conversations in real-life situations

  • Writing stories, letters, emails, essays, and other texts

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

A fourth-semester (or the equivalent) intermediate-level college course in Mandarin Chinese language

Recommended Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites, but students are typically in their fourth year of high-school-level study. In the case of native or heritage speakers, there may be a different pathway of study leading to this course.

Exam Dates

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

You’ll learn Chinese language skills in the context of studying family life and values in Chinese-speaking communities and explore contemporary beliefs and challenges that families face.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

  • Understanding audio recordings (for example, a transportation announcement)
  • Reading posters, public signs, and other texts
  • Taking part in discussions
  • Writing emails and notes
  • Narrating stories based on a sequence of pictures
  • Creating a short written and oral presentation

You’ll build your vocabulary and learn about how language and culture shape and reflect evolving ideas about identity in Chinese-speaking communities.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

  • Understanding audio recordings (for example, a radio report)
  • Reading journalistic articles and other texts
  • Writing and responding to emails
  • Holding conversations, including starting and ending them appropriately
  • Narrating stories based on a sequence of pictures
  • Giving a short oral presentation to explain ideas and opinions

You’ll explore how ideas of beauty and art influence and reflect culture in Chinese-speaking communities.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

  • Understanding audio recordings (for example, a school conversation)
  • Reading emails, notes, and other texts
  • Engaging in conversations and narratives based on pictures
  • Understanding what a speaker or writer means and responding in a culturally appropriate manner
  • Exchanging information, ideas, and opinions in discussions and written exchanges
  • Identifying, comparing, and explaining how features of cultures in Chinese-speaking communities relate to ideas about beauty and aesthetics

You’ll examine how developments in science and technology affect and shape daily life in Chinese-speaking communities. You’ll use your growing language skills to help you interpret unfamiliar words and read and write more complicated texts.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

  • Understanding audio recordings (for example, a voice message)
  • Reading pen pal letters and other texts
  • Exchanging information in conversations and written exchanges
  • Writing emails, letters, and narratives using either simplified or traditional characters and with appropriate formality
  • Creating written presentations with an introduction, development of topic, and conclusion

You’ll learn more about contemporary life in Chinese-speaking communities and how social status, cultural perspectives, and access to jobs and resources can make an impact on the quality of life.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

  • Understanding audio recordings (for example, responses and replies to a statement or question)
  • Reading short stories and other texts
  • Applying what you’ve learned from working with real-life Chinese-language materials as you prepare for speaking and writing tasks
  • Writing an email response using either simplified or traditional characters and with appropriate formality and format
  • Using strategies in conversation such as paraphrasing and asking for clarification
  • Discussing different cultural perspectives and using cultural information to prepare and deliver an organized cultural presentation

You’ll explore how complex global issues affect people’s lives in Chinese-speaking communities and engage in deeper discussions to suggest possible solutions.

While engaging in activities related to these topics, you’ll practice skills such as:

  • Understanding audio recordings (for example, an advertisement)
  • Reading brochures, advertisements, and other texts
  • Carrying out conversations and interviews
  • Getting information from sources to prepare and deliver an organized cultural presentation
  • Giving and explaining your viewpoint with supporting details and elaboration
  • Writing an email response providing suggestions with justifications
  • Narrating stories based on a sequence of pictures

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Course Resources

See Where AP Can Take You

AP Chinese Language and Culture can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors

Explore Your Future
Career Areas 48
Majors 12

Additional Information

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