AP English Language and Literature are respectively designed to mirror the two English classes most college students take regardless of major: freshman composition and some type of literature class. Like composition courses, AP English Language focuses on rhetoric, the art of persuasion and its tools--tone, emotional appeal and logical evidence. By contrast, AP English Literature is geared toward analysis of literature. Students learn about literary devices--themes, symbolism, characterization and imagery--and how authors use them to create meaning in their work.
Although critical reading is a core component of both AP English classes, the English Language course focuses on nonfiction, while Literature students read works of fiction. Surveying authors from both the pre-20th century and 20th century to the present, English Language looks at a variety of expository prose, including essays, biographies, speeches and journalism. English Literature, however, examines imaginative works like plays, poetry and novels. Students may also read expository pieces about the craft of writing by authors whose works they study.
Along with learning analytical skills and reading rhetorical and literary passages, students also learn to apply this knowledge to their own writing. English Language students create their essays in a variety of nonfiction genres, including argumentative and informative essays, using clear examples and evidence from research and sources. While composing an imaginative work is not required for English Literature students, they apply their knowledge of creative writing techniques and use evidence from literary text to analyze an author's ideas.
While both the Language and Literature exams require responses to three essay prompts, the prompts are very different. On the English Language exam, students answer a synthesis question; students write an an essay uniting six sources included in the exam. The analytical essay focuses on a nonfiction passage, while the final essay is a persuasive piece on an assigned topic. English Literature students write two analytical essays, one on a poem and another on a fiction passage. The third prompt asks them to write about a particular technique, theme or idea in literature using a novel or play of their choice.