AP English Language & Composition Reviews for Class Taught by Bethany Gilmour
AP English Language & Composition Reviews for Class Taught by Bethany Gilmour
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From a Former Student posted by Melissa Ciandella on June 15 2008 at 15:43:39
I would definitely recommend this class to anyone who is planning to take the English Language and Composition exam, or just wants to improve their reading/writing skills. I found the class assignments to be both challenging and thought-provoking throughout the year. The emphasis on detail especially helped me to improve my writing, since I've always tended to be more of a 'big picture' person. Some of my favorite assignments this year were the 'discussion questions', in which we were expected to write about something that we had learned or read that week. We could then read our classmates' posts, and talk about our differing views. This interactive type of thinking definitely helped each of us get much farther than we would have on our own! There were also many timed essays and multiple choice passages to work on, in preparation for the actual AP test. These realistic practice questions proved invaluable in getting ready for the real test, and removed much of the typical test-day stress.
After taking this course, I feel confident about my performance on the AP exam, and feel that I was very well-prepared. One piece of advice to prospective students, however; don't procrastinate! I tended to put much of my work off until the last minute, due to an overloaded schedule, and so missed out on many of the benefits of the assignments. You will get SO much more out of this course if you give yourself enough time to thoughtfully work on all of the assignments. With that said, I'm confident that this course will increase your interest in critical reading and writing, as it did mine, and will prepare you well for the AP exam.
APEL posted by Andrew Pershe on May 22 2008 at 23:36:17
Dear Prospective Student
This is a great class that will prepare you well for the AP Test. As long as you stay on task and do your best the entire year, you'll feel very ready for the test. I think I put somewhere around 10 hours on the class a week, although it is quite easy to spend even more. I think that the best assignments were the longer essays. The op-ed and research paper were really fun and helped me learn a lot about the topic. The discussion questions are also really valuable and the DQSRs helped us to start up discussions.
If you're willing to work hard and you enjoy English...this is the class for you.
AP ENGLANG posted by Christine Pang on May 19 2008 at 10:22:30
I really enjoyed Bethany's AP EngLang course. When it came to the exam day, I felt very prepared walking in and confident walking out.
The assignments that I felt were most tedious turned into the most valuable assignments in preparation for the exam. The weekly timed essays and the MC (multiple choice) quizzes helped me and made me confident of my pacing throughout the entire exam.
I would recommend this course for students who enjoy reading and would like to learn to understand the little details and tools a writer uses. At first, I wasn't the biggest fan of looking at these details and other devices, but as the year went on, I found myself looking at other writings (outside this course), enjoying them more because I understood their writing and purpose in a different and deeper way.
posted by Madeline Gillen on May 13 2008 at 14:14:58
Dear prospective student, I would like to highly recommend this course to you, while cautioning you to not underestimate the workload! The assigned work was significant throughout the entire year, and in my opinion extra work was required to feel prepared for the AP exam. Although this course did not enhance my interest in the subject, I believe it did help me learn the subject. I found the DQs and DQSRs very valuable, chiefly because of the intelligence of my fellow students. I found my communications with them to be very interesting and valuable. Bethany is a great teacher and I think that as long as you apply yourself and work hard, you can do well on the AP Exam after taking this course!
Diligence is Key posted by Kathryn Kroeker on May 07 2008 at 12:26:32
Dear Prospective Student,
If you're considering this course, prepare yourself to work hard! I don't wish to scare you off by any means- this is an extremely rewarding course, and I highly recommend participating in it- but this course requires constant self-discipline and diligence.
An increased ability to think, write and communicate have given me a new respect for and genuine enjoyment of writing. I think that the work required for this class is well worth the wide-reaching results I've noticed throughout the year. Again, I would highly recommend this course to any student with a strong work ethic and the desire to improve in writing, critical thinking and communication skills.
I would leave you with one last bit of personal advice. You may experience a sort of "crash" period during the year, where you feel extremely stressed, discouraged and burnt out. I went through such a period, but I promise that if you keep pushing yourself, you will get through it with even greater intellectual strength as a result.
I sincerely hope that you will consider taking this course. It was a life-changing experience for me. Good luck, and have fun!
Excellent class posted by Ian Sturdy on May 06 2008 at 23:41:33
This was probably my best literature/language class in highschool. I most appreciated the focus on language and argumentation, rather than the symbolic analysis I have come to associate with literature.
Although I have yet to take the AP exam, the course has well prepared me for the practice tests I have done, despite the fact that I have historically struggled with literature and language tests. I liked the focus on the AP exam throughout the year, mixing practice problem sets and timed essays with the regular coursework throughout the year, giving a much more extensive training without the end of year burnout I have seen in some AP courses. At the same time, the regular coursework was good throughout, and I particularly enjoyed the essays (and Ms. Gilmour gives very good feedback on essays).
While demanding commitment, the course was not excessively difficult. Time spent was reasonable, at around 2 hours per day (and a bit more when writing a major assignment). Ms. Gilmour was very prompt responding to questions, and assignments were never to my recollection late in being posted.
Thus, I would recommend the course to anyone interested in the mechanics of writing, particularly persuasive writing, who is willing to put in the substantial but never excessive effort required.
AP English Language and Composition posted by Eric Van Egmond on May 03 2008 at 13:29:39
I think this course definitely helped me prepare for the AP English Language exam. It helped me understand what the test is looking for in its Timed Essays and how to analyze the reading passages for the Multiple Choice sections. This class also helped me learn a lot of the vocabulary that the test will use. On average I spent about 12 hours a week on this class. It started out taking more time than that, but as I got used to the assignments, the amount of time I spent decreased a little. However, on the weeks when we had a major assignment due (such as the 7-10 page research paper), I did have to spend an extra 4-5 hours on this class. I enjoyed working with my classmates through discussion questions and peer reviewing each other's work. I think any student that is willing to work hard and accept critique from both the teacher and other students will do well in this course. I would recommend this course for any student preparing for the AP English Language exam.
AP English Language Review posted by Claire Horner-Richardson on April 30 2008 at 24:35:12
Dear Hopeful Student,
I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who has an interest in writing and is ready to work hard on it. Before I began this course I already had an interest in creative writing. I loved to write but I struggled with it and often wasn’t very happy with my own writing. I also had a limited vocabulary and outside of creative wiring I was unsure of how to construct an effective piece of writing. I began to learn how to analyze and critique other’s writing and then my own. When dealing with creative writing I learned how to take the interest and exuberance I found in it and hone it into not just thoughts on paper, but well-constructed, comprehensive writing. And when dealing with academic writing I was previously hopeless, but because of this course I am much more comfortable sitting down to write an essay or a discussion through writing.
I think this course was a wonderful preparation for the AP English exam. I haven’t yet taken it, but it’s coming up in two weeks and I’m not nervous about it. I know what will be asked of me and I am ready for it. Generally I spent about two hours a day on work for this course, whether it was working on a paper, reading a discussion book, writing an essay or defining vocabulary words. One of my favorite assignments was one Bethany gave us toward the end of the year in preparation for the AP exam. She had us defining literary terms, coming up with examples and mnemonics for them, and this was a big help for me because that was an area I was especially weak in and it was a creative way for us to learn them.
This course opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of writing. I began reading books and essays under a different light—suddenly seeing and understanding some of the devices that define good writing. It was great to then look for this in my writing and the writing of my classmates. Communication with the other students was great; it was a wonderful chance to bounce my ideas and thoughts off other minds that were ready to give me constructive feedback. It was a nice opportunity to connect with others with both similar and different interests to mine and have a chance to discuss with them.
If you’re interested and writing on a deeper level this is a great course to take! Bethany is a good instructor--always challenging you to go further and ask deeper question give a more thorough explanation. You must be willing to work hard on this, to put in a lot of time and effort and to produce hard earned accomplishments. But if this is where your interests are it is well worth it!
God bless, Claire
Work hard! posted by Katie Tomlinson on April 30 2008 at 17:17:11
I would highly recommend this class, but only if you are used to intense focus and dedication. :) I spent a total of 3-4 hours a day on it, but as the year went on, I learned how to better manage my time. But forget about slacking off, ya'll. It's easy to fall behind and then you hafta double-up on stuff. Not fun.
Still, it's great to see how your writing evolves through semesters. I particularly enjoyed the chances Ms. Gilmour (or Mrs. Williamson, in a few weeks :)gave us to revise our work. That's when you really see a difference in your skills. It's awesome, and it made me love English even more then before!
Review of AP English Language and Composition class with Bethany Gilmour posted by Rosemarie Greenawalt on April 30 2008 at 10:03:58
Dear Prospective Student,
Choosing whether to take an AP class can be difficult. I hope I can help you a little. Some of my favorite aspects of this class were the creative/narrative assignments and class discussions during our weekly questions pertaining to our current reading or on various issues and topics. I definitely enjoyed some of the interaction with the other students and found some of their input valuable. A number of the materials and discussion questions were interesting. I know I have definitely developed in my writing and analyzing skills this year.
I never actually took the AP exam but instead took the CLEP English Composition exam in December. I felt quite prepared for that test and would not have been able to pass it without the help of this course. On average I spent roughly 20 hours a week on this class, more if there was a major assignment due.
Although going into this class I was thinking of perhaps a future major in English, I now know that I will not want to pursue that option. Last summer as I was looking into different options I was not sure what to do or if I would be ready for an AP class. I would say that it is do-able and if you have the desire to try and are willing to work hard then you should go ahead. However, I do want to stress that this class is quite challenging and requires major commitment if you choose to take it on. Also, if you are easily stressed you might want to look for other AP options. If you desire a clearly objective course or one in which Christian discussion is welcomed you might also want to choose a different one.
I think I learned significantly from this class and believe that others could as well. Much of the material in the curriculum I found interesting and helpful. The instructor strived to help her students and develop them where they were, despite her demandingly over-full schedule. I found the teacher extremely flexible with helping us work around other commitments and programs.
Sincerely,
Rosemarie Greenawalt
Great Course -- Loved the teacher, the classmates, and the assignments! posted by Kimberly Olson on April 29 2008 at 15:09:57
Dear potential student,
My name is Kimberly Olson and I took the AP English Language course taught by Bethany Gilmour this year. I expected this class to be an engaging, thought-provoking class which would improve my writing style and would prepare me for the AP Exam in May. I have been very satisfied with this class. There has been wonderful communication with the other members of the class and with Bethany. She was on top of grading, answering questions, and responding to emails, which I appreciated greatly. But what I appreciate even more than her promptness is her positive, kind attitude.
Although this class is a proper high school class and does require a good amount of work, it is not a mind-boggling amount. I feel that this class provides a balanced combination of test prep, reading, style analysis, writing, and peer review. We wrote several short discussion questions every week to promote critical thinking and discussions. We also wrote several longer papers (the longest of which was a 7-10 page research paper). I have particularly benefited from the peer review portions of this class. When other members of the class peer reviewed my work, I was able to see mistakes in my writing style and, consequently, to improve it. I also benefited from peer reviewing other classmates work. I was forced to read their work critically, to analyze their style, to take note of their grammatical usage, and to critique their works. Also, the reading material was diverse and enjoyable, ranging from autobiographies to speeches to essays to narratives.
This class has met and exceeded my expectations. I am extremely comfortable with my teacher, Bethany Gilmour, and with my other classmates. I feel well-prepared for the AP Exam, which I will be taking in two weeks, and I know that not only has my writing style improved, but, more importantly, my ability to analyze and to think critically has skyrocketed. I can now recognize numerous rhetorical devices and styles which I was previously unable to identify. I would highly recommend this class to any motivated high school student with medium to upper level writing skills.
Sincerely, Kimberly Olson
An Educating Experience posted by Molly Dean on May 17 2007 at 17:31:41
I felt very well prepared for the AP exam after taking this course. Bethany Gilmour had us do numerous multiple choice sets and timed essays, as well as a few full three-hour practice exams. These helped me become familiar and comfortable with the exam format. I believe that I worked about an hour per day or two hours every other day on the assignments. The work load was very well balanced. It was heavy enough to make me work hard yet it was never overwhelming.
I believe that the most valuable assignments for me were the weekly discussions, which were excellent preparation for analysing the reading passages on the exam as well as for learning how to support and defend your ideas, and the vocabulary that we learned each week.
I think that a student who is intereted in improving his or her writing and reading comprehension would do well in, and benefit from, this course. The course teaches you how to make your writing clearer and also how to expand on your ideas instead of simply summarizing.
To the Prospective Student posted by Megan Dutill on May 16 2007 at 18:25:25
Dear Hopeful Student,
Last year, I was debating what course to take for my first AP course. I finally settled on this course (known affectionately as Eng Lang), and I could not have picked a better one. It is a very good introductory course, and even though I was the only sophomore, I felt I could handle the course load. So, if you are considering it, let me tell you exactly what you are in for:
I spent about six to eight hours a week when I didn't have a major paper due, and more when I did. We started out the year by writing a narrative/descriptive paper which was lots of fun, and wrote four more papers over the course of the semester. The second semester shifted to a more direct preparation for the exam, with more timed essays and multiple choice review. I just took the exam this morning, and I definitely felt prepared. I knew all my vocab, and I was familiar and comfortable with the exam itself, after extensive class practicing and two practice exams.
I think one of my favorite assignments was when we discussed a multiple choice passage in "huddles" - each group had three or four students, and the leaders in each group conferred with each other and then sent a class answer key to the teacher. This showed me how to think more clearly and carefully in my answer choices, and also taught me how to defend them. It was lots of fun besides! We had a lot of social interaction in this class, which I loved. Most of it was through assignments - discussion questions, responses, and peer reviews of each other's papers. (another very valuable assignment!)
Overall, this was a wonderful course that enhanced my appreciation for English and writing; we read and discussed several texts - lots of essays and some choice books such as "An American Childhood", and I learned so much about writing over the year.
The teacher, Ms. Gilmour, is a wonderful teacher that brings an enthusiasm into her teaching and is always available to the student, getting back promptly with any sort of question we have, and helping us think things through. She has very valuable insight and comments on your papers, and she always balances it well with lots of encouragement on what you did well.
I would definitely recommend this course to any student who loves English and wants to improve their writing. Good luck! ~Megan Dutill
Review of AP English Language and Composition posted by Jacquelyn Peck on May 16 2007 at 16:20:15
Before I started this course, I already had a love for creative writing and English in general, but once I reached the end of it, my interest greatly increased. I feel like I still have much to learn, but this course has taught me a lot about English and what goes into it to produce good writing.
I felt like this course prepared me extremely well for the final exam. Each week, we were usually given one timed essay to complete and one or two multiple choice sets, both of which are on the exam. Because of this continual practicing, I felt comfortable with the exam and what would be on it.
The workload for this course was what is to be expected of an AP class – about 5 to 6 hours a week on regular homework. On heavier weeks, it could take up to 8 or 9 hours, but that was when we had extra reading and a big essay or paper to write. The work also got easier as the year went on. All of the assignments became routine, and it was easier to understand what was expected.
Even though you cannot have the quality class discussions that you could have if you were taking this course in a real classroom, I still felt like all of the students in the class did a great job interacting and discussing questions or ideas. I enjoyed communicating with the other students, because they always had insightful comments, encouragements, or challenges about what I wrote. This made me really analyze my writing and figure out where I needed to improve, which was very valuable to me.
If you enjoy English and are willing to work hard, then you should definitely take this course. Even if you do not enjoy writing as much, this would be a great way to improve and learn more about writing. You will gain great skills in analyzing and understanding texts, and writing a paper or an essay will no longer be daunting to you, if you struggled with it before. I would most definitely recommend this class – Ms. Bethany does such a great job as a teacher and balances constructive criticisms with encouragement, and treats everything very thoroughly. Overall, I feel like I’m coming away from this class with a better understanding of how to write.
My Experience with AP English Language posted by Rebecca Duberstein on May 15 2007 at 20:44:48
Dear Prospective English student,
I highly recommend this course to you. I found that, not only did this course strengthen my writing skills, it made me a much for analytical reader. Throughout the year, I learned to recognize persuasive techniques in the writing of others and use them in my own. I know that this course has enabled me to more effectively exchange ideas and recognize arguments.
I generally spent about four to six hours a week on this course when I didn't have a major paper due. We were assigned about eight major papers this year and this added about two hours to my regular workload. The process of grading these papers was especially valuable. First drafts were submitted to a group of the other students for review. Editing other students' papers was an excellent learning experience. It gave me a chance to learn both from what they did well and from the areas they needed to improve.
If I had to pick the most helpful assignment this year, I would relunctantly pick the weekly essay tests. I say reluctantly because I don't like essay tests at all. At the beginning of this course, I couldn't write them very well either. However, starting at the beginning of the second semester, we wrote an essay test almost every week and submitted it to the same grading group that reviewed our longer assignments. The practice and the constructive criticism have made essay tests much less dreadful. I feel much more prepared to face the four essays on the AP exam.
Every week, the class would respond to discussion questions on the WWW Board. Bethany usually required two responses and then two reactions to the responses of other students. This was an very helpful learning experience. First, it gave us the opportunity to interact with authors who used a variety of techniques and discussed many different subjects. It also gave us the chance to engage with the ideas of the other students in our online class. This interaction really made the class a lot more personal.
One of the best parts about taking this AP English Language class is that you will have the opportunity to study under Bethany Gilmour. Bethany is very enthusiastic about English, which makes the course seem so much more fun and so much more relevant. Bethany has also been very responsive and is quick to communicate over the English WWWBoard or via email. Bethany did a wonderful job this past year. I am so thrilled that she has decided to teach again this coming year.
I hope it is possible for you take this course. I'm sure you will benefit from it as much as I have!
God bless,
Rebecca
Bethany Gilmour's AP English Language and Composition posted by Emma Taylor on May 15 2007 at 14:23:57
As somebody who has always been good at English, what I was expecting from this class was a way to become more disciplined and knowledgeable in my writing, learning more about the English language as a result. Ms. Gilmour absolutely delivers this, teaching us everything from MLA essay guidelines to vocabulary and rhetoric. It really feels like a college English course, as we wrote and revised a series of full-length papers over the course of the year--including a bona fide research paper! Towards the end of the year, the focus begins to shift to timed essays and multiple choice questions, getting us truly comfortable with the material on the exam as well as what we'll use to express that understanding.
When I entered this class I was going to major in musical theatre in college, but this class has been instrumental in my consideration of choosing to be an English or creative writing major instead. Be prepared to write constantly, but also be prepared to learn that it's not a big deal--that writing an analysis can begin to be fun instead of stressful, and that even if you don't perform to your expectations today, there will certainly be more to write tomorrow. Ms. Gilmour is an exceedingly fair grader, delivering excellent criticism and never failing to point out where something could have been better. At the same time, she's very supportive, always finding something nice to say and always available for questions.
A lot of interaction with other students is required in this class, something I have never been very fond of, but reviewing other students' papers and refuting their arguments in discussion questions refined my opinions as well as my way of communicating them. Having to think through your statements in this way makes it so you can't get away with as much, both to other people and to yourself. I feel prepared for the AP exam, but I also feel prepared for any English course or debating I will have to do in the future. This is a very valuable course, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking beyond the AP exam--as well, obviously, as people who just want the college credit. :)
On PA's Online AP E-Lang Course posted by Judith Shang on May 14 2007 at 21:06:14
Writing well is such a difficult accomplishment for me. Though I still struggle, this rigorous course gave me strong grounds to focus my ideas and refine the technical aspects of my writing. Sentence structure, good vocabulary, omission of needless words and balance of sentence lengths are all essential in writing a clean, intelligent and direct essay/paper. Of course, the class learned how to analyze given material. Every assignment included student responses where peers could evaluate one another.
The course load itself may be intense at particular points. But generally, the homework assignments were consistent throughout the year. How much time? Approximately four to six hours weekly for regular discussion questions (DQ's), student response discussion questions (SRDQ's), timed essay questions and peer reviews of those essays sufficed. At the beginning of the course, the class would complete exercises pertaining to different rhetorical devices and post definitions (both personal and given by a source) of a wide range of vocabulary. In between, there were special assignments, all longer papers (which of course, took more time than the weekly load): causal analysis, visual analysis, narrative, exploratory and argumentative. There also included two practice exams and occasional portions of multiple choice questions (MC's). All this writing and analysis was great practice for me. Though repetitive, that was the best way for me to learn and refine my skills. Additionally, the instructor kept the load balanced. If there is a paper due, she will eliminate something else so students may spend more time on it.
Heavily involved on the posting website, the instructor was also easily contacted by email. All updates she provided on the main webpage were as accurate and timely as possible. If something needed to be addressed, she did so immediately. Her critiques were encouraging, honest and usually stimulated further analysis.
I have greater respect for authors now. Until this course, it did not occur to me that compiling several hundred pages of reading could account for so much time and intensive work. Even a decent essay takes a lot of diligence. I definitely have a lot more to learn. However, this class gave me a huge push towards sharpening my writing skills. The assignments I valued most were the SRDQ's. Those peer reviews (and ones the teacher gave) provided fresh eyes to critique my work. The interactions were friendly and honest.
After all this, I hope potential students reading this realize that I undoubtedly recommend this course. Whether individuals already receive high scores in writing or have a rough time penning down coherent thoughts, this E-Lang course serves a good challenge. Both incredibly smart and fair, Ms. Bethany builds confidence in each student by emphasizing the areas in which they performed well while encouraging them to dig a little deeper.