Simple Studies - AP Chinese Course Guide

How to Use This Study Guide

The AP Chinese Language and Culture exam tests your ability to listen, read, write and speak
Chinese. This study guide is organized by the sections of the traditional exam (not in 2020). I
provide helpful tips on how to study Chinese and succeed in each section. At the end, I provide a
general list of grammar tips and culture notes, which may be helpful for speaking and other
sections of the exam. Of course, this list is not comprehensive, nor is it in any particular order. In
preparing for the AP exam, you should aim to dig deeper and learn more about these and other
topics.

How to Study for the AP Chinese Exam

● Do target, simulated practice. Time yourself and condition your practice in as close to
testing conditions as possible. Avoid using outside resources, and go back to improve
your responses after time is up. The best practice is the College Board past FRQs, but a
prep book is good for any additional practice.
● Get feedback on your practice. Because so much of this exam is subjective and relies
on your ability to produce language, it is very important to get feedback from someone
who is familiar with the language and the exam. Have a teacher, tutor, friend,
upperclassman, or parent read over or listen to your work and help correct and improve it.
● Find out why you are making mistakes. Especially for the listening and reading
sections, it is important to know what mistakes you tend to make and why you make
them. For example, if you can’t answer reading questions well because you can’t read
many characters, you should review vocabulary before doing more reading practice.
● Watch the College Board’s review videos. These videos will offer helpful tips and
instruction for the units of the AP exam. Be aware that these videos were designed for the
2020 exam, which only tested speaking.
● Immerse yourself in Chinese language and culture. Watch your favorite movies, speak
Chinese at restaurants, go to Chinatown, listen to Chinese songs or podcasts, and read
Chinese books. Use apps to practice typing and communicating in Chinese. The more
opportunities you give yourself to practice, the quicker you will learn.
● Show what you know on the exam. Speak and write as much and as well as you can to
show all your language abilities. Try to incorporate sentence patterns and idioms to show
your fluency.
How to Learn Vocabulary
The AP Chinese exam does not have a given list of vocabulary, but you must be comfortable
enough with Chinese to understand and communicate in it. As you learn useful vocabulary, find
a way to organize and document it. This could be through paper flashcards, Quizlet, a
spreadsheet, notebook, or document. Be sure to record the word in Chinese, its English meaning,
its Pinyin if needed, its part of speech, and any special usage. Review this source often, and use it
as your personalized dictionary. The more you use vocabulary in your daily life, the quicker you
will commit it to memory.

Listening
● Take notes! Be prepared to write as much as you can down. No detail is too small. Use
the language you are most comfortable in. If you can’t understand a section, jot Pinyin
key words down that may help you with the questions.
● Practice listening to the audio without the questions in front of you. On the AP exam,
you will see the questions after you listen to the audio. Practice taking notes on
everything as you listen so that you can answer the questions from what you wrote down,
not the audio itself.

Reading
● Use context clues. You will likely not understand every word you read, so you must use
what you do understand to guess the meaning of the passage. Pull out words you know,
and think of their meaning in relation to the larger passage.
● Flag and skip hard questions. To make sure you get the points for all the questions you
know, move on from hard questions or passages. Return to them at the end when you
have time to think about your responses.

Writing
● Do all your AP writing practice on a computer. The AP exam is administered online,
so it is important that you are used to typing Chinese with a standard keyboard. Figure
out if you will use Pinyin or Bopomofo input, and get comfortable typing quickly.
● Practice rewording words and phrases you do not know. On the AP exam, you will
not have quick access to a dictionary. To practice before the exam, write your timed
response once with no outside resources. Use your vocabulary to find new ways to
describe things you don’t know. Then, go back with a dictionary, and find the appropriate
vocabulary.
● Create an email template that works for you. To get as much written, create a practical
email template, including a heading, greeting, closing, etc. For example, begin your email
 by greeting the sender and thanking them for writing to you, and end your email by
saying that you hope your advice helps.
● Answer all questions asked. Read the prompt completely so that you can find and
understand all the questions asked. If you do not understand a question, use context, and
write about the characters you do understand.
● Write as much as you can. Include and describe as many details as possible, once you
have your general ideas down.
● Begin the story narration by writing a short summary of each picture. This helps you
make sure you understand the entire story and gives you basic plot points.
● Give each picture in the story narration approximately equal writing. Make sure you
address each picture. Plan your time so that you do not cut the final picture short.

Speaking
● Talk as much as possible. To show off your speaking skills, fill up as much time as
possible speaking. Include your own experience, likes/dislikes, opinions, or stories
related to the question. For example, if you were presenting on the Chinese Zodiac, you
could share your zodiac and how accurate the predicted personality traits are for you. If
you do not understand the question but can pull out a few words, talk about the words
you know.
● Create a template for the culture presentation. Pick an introduction, transitions, and a
closing that work for many presentations. For example, begin your presentation by
greeting your audience and sharing your name, and close by thanking your audience for
listening to your speech.
● Pay attention to your audience. Answer the prompts with the audience in mind.
Introduce yourself at the beginning of the conversation and presentation, and decide how
formal you must be with your audience.
● Think about how you can use the culture topics you know to give the presentation.
Many of the topics below and others you may be familiar with are applicable to many
prompts. Pick the one you think you can speak the most comfortably and longest about.
● Before the exam, write sample presentations/presentation notes for major topics
that can have many uses. In doing so, you will memorize facts and get to know how
much information you need to fill the presentation.
● The exam tends not to repeat cultural presentation topics. However, topics that were
tested in past years can be used for multiple prompts. For example, if asked about
entertainment, music, or art, you could give a presentation on Beijing Opera.
Useful Grammar Structures
● 不但...而且 - not only… but also, i.e. 我今天不但要准备化学考试，而且要
写一篇论文。
● 又(adj)又(adj) - emphasizes both adjectives, i.e. 他又高又瘦。
● 一边(verb)一边(verb) - both actions happen at the same time, i.e.
我一边看电视，一边打扫我的房间。
● 是...得 - emphasize a part of a sentence, i.e. 就是我给你买的!

的 vs 得 vs 地
● 的 is used to describe nouns, i.e. 蓝色的裤子、他的包
● 得 is used after a verb to describe its effect, degree, extent, etc.
and is often used with complements, i.e. 唱得好、看得见
● 地 is used as an adverb, i.e. 快乐地唱歌

Useful Idioms
● 独一无二 - special, unique, one of a kind
● 数一数二 - best, one of the best
● 全心全意 - wholeheartedly, heart and soul
● 忙里偷闲 - find to relax during busy work
● 画蛇添足 - overdo things, more than enough
● 打破沙锅问到底 - asking questions and insist on finding answers

Cultural Notes
● Chinese Surnames(中国人的姓名)
○ Usually one character but may be two
○ Often related back to family history, such as family occupation, location,
achievement, etc.
○ Common last names: Wang(王), Zhang(张), Chen(陈), Huang(黄),
Wu(吴), Zhou(周)
○ Some names have been romanized as Chinese have immigrated to countries
across the world.
● Peking Duck(北京烤鸭) - traditional Chinese dish
○ Roasted, crisp and tender skin, salty but often served with sweet sauce made from
plum sauce, sugar and vinegar
○ Often rolled with sauce, shredded green onion and cucumber in a wrapper
○ Originated in Ming Dynasty for the emperor
● Beijing Opera(京剧)
○ One of the oldest performing arts, originated from Qing Dynasty
○ Combines singing, reading, dancing, acting, and performing
○ Background music is played with traditional instruments
including erhu(二胡)
○ Roles: “生”、男人、”旦“、女人、”净“、男人、和”丑“
○ Each character has different face paint
○ Mei Lanfang is one of 京剧四大名旦 and often sings female
roles

● The Journey to the West(西游记) - Chinese literature

○ Written by Wu Cheng’en(吴承恩) in Ming dynasty
○ One of the Four Great Classic Novels(四大名著)
○ Humorous, satirical novel
○ About the pilgrimage and trials of Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk, to find sacred
texts
○ Main characters: 唐三藏、孙悟空、猪八戒、沙悟净
○ Many adaptations and translations

● Chinese Dragon(龙)
○ One of the Four Symbols(四象), which are four traditional,
mythological symbols of China
○ Fifth Chinese zodiac animal
○ Symbol of luck, prosperity, power, wellbeing
○ Made of many animals, snake body, fish scales, phoenix/eagle claws, and deer
antlers
○ Has five claws now, which used to represent the emperor
○ Used in many idioms/expressions, i.e. 龙飞凤舞、龙马精神、望子
成龙

● Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries(四川大熊猫栖息地)

○ Protects not only giant pandas but also red pandas and leopards
○ 9245 square kilometers, 7 nature reserves, 9 scenic parks
○ Most famous reserve is Wolong Nature Reserve, which was opened in 1963

● Paper cutting(剪纸) - popular folk art

 ○ Commonly used during celebrations, such as Spring
Festival(春节), to decorate walls, windows, doors, etc.
○ Began in sixth century
○ Commonly cut with scissors or a knife
○ People cut silk and leaves before paper was invented, now people use red paper

● Siheyuan(四合院) - traditional architecture

○ Four building surrounding a rectangular courtyard in the center
○ North building is 正房, east and west
buildings are 厢房
○ Common in Beijing and Shanxi
○ Historically used for homes, palaces, religious buildings,
offices, and businesses
○ An entire extended family lived in a siheyuan, which showed
prosperity, in ancient times

● Chinese New Year(农历新年)

○ Also known as Spring Festival(春节)
○ Influenced other Asian new year celebrations
○ Celebrations include a family dinner, spring cleaning,
decorating the house with red lanterns, paper-cuts,
couplets, etc., red envelopes(红包), watching fireworks
○ Celebrated over 15 days, each day has specific legends and festivities
○ Public holiday, so Chinese have off for a few days

● Chinese Ethnic Minorities(少数民族)

○ 55 minorities in addition to majority Han Chinese(汉族)
○ Minorities make up about 8.5% of mainland Chinese population
○ Minorities may speak different dialects, have different culture and traditions, and
practice different religion
○ Largest minorities are Zhuang(壮族), Manchu(满族), and Hui(
回族)
● Chinese Zodiac(12生肖)
○ Follows a twelve-year cycle, with an animal
associated with each year
○ Animal: 属牛虎兔、龙蛇马羊、猴鸡狗猪
○ Origin unknown
○ Can be used to predict personality and love
compatibility

● Qipao(旗袍) - traditional dress

○ Began to gain popularity especially in Shanghai as daily clothes
○ Slowly became westernized with its fitted style, different sleeves, and high heels
○ Died off in 1960s-1970s
○ Now mainly used in the workplace and for festivals and weddings

● Chinatown(中国城 or 唐人街)
○ Most formed in 19th century from Chinese immigrants and California Gold Rush
○ Located in major cities, such as New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and
Boston
○ Shops, restaurant, center of culture
○ Not entirely Chinese, other Asians also work and live there

● Pipa(琵琶) - traditional Chinese music

instrument
○ Four strings, traditionally made of silk, now made of
steel
○ Plucked with fingers or picks to play
○ Pear shaped body, 12 to 26 frets
○ Held vertical on player’s leg
○ Several varieties in China, Vietnam, Korea, and
Japan
○ Used in Chinese opera and for solo works
○ A famous pipa piece is 春江花月夜

● Beijing(北京) - Chinese capital city

○ Northeast China
○ Ancient military and trade center before it became a capital city
○ Has both traditional and modern culture
○ Chosen as capital in 1949
 ○ Hosted 2008 Summer Olympics
○ Home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the
Great Wall(长城) and Forbidden City(故宫)
○ 21.5 million population

● Yao Ming(姚明) - Chinese basketball player

○ Born in Shanghai, played for Shanghai Sharks
○ Transferred to Houston Rockets and played four NBA Playoffs
○ Ended career from foot and ankle injuries
○ Wrote a book called Yao: A Life in Two Worlds
○ Elected chairman of Chinese Basketball Association(中国篮
球协会)

Image Sources:
● Layout of Siheyuan
● The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac
● Chinese Pipa | Pipa Lute