AP World Languages

The AP Spanish course is meant to be as challenging as a third‑year college class that introduces students to Hispanic literature. In this course, students read stories and texts written long before the 1900s. By doing this, they get to see many different styles of writing and learn how Spanish storytelling has changed over hundreds of years—from early writers like Don Juan Manuel all the way to modern authors.

The required reading list includes important works from seven centuries of Hispanic literature. These texts were chosen because they have influenced literature and art around the world. One of the oldest works students read is a story from the 1300s called “Lo que sucedió a un mozo que casó con una mujer muy fuerte y muy brava.” It comes from Don Juan Manuel’s book El Conde Lucanor. Many experts believe this book is the earliest piece of European fiction written in everyday language, and they consider Don Juan Manuel to be Spain’s first major storyteller and one of the founders of Spanish prose.