How to Annotate a Speech

Preparing for the AP® Lang exam can seem overwhelming. There is so much to do in a short amount of time. However, it does not have to be stressful! This will only make the experience miserable. Instead, you want to break down the key elements and develop a technique that will help you succeed on the exam. For instance, one essential aspect will be practicing how to annotate a speech. Since you have limited time to do this on the exam, you want to progress from more detailed annotations to becoming methodical in your process. Thankfully, these tips and techniques below will help you gain the confidence needed to streamline your annotations! 

 

Saying/Doing Analysis 

 

This is an excellent method if you find the speech a bit dense or complicated! If there is space, you will have one side of the paper representing “saying” and one side representing “doing.” If you do not have room, everything can go together. You can even use two colors to differentiate these points. 

 

As you read or listen to the material, write down what it is saying. For instance, what is the main idea of each section? Ultimately, you are summarizing the main components by breaking down the speech into more manageable pieces. Then, you can go back and review your notes versus having to reread everything.

 

For the “doing” part, you are examining what the writer is doing. 

• Is the writer contrasting something?
• Is there a specific tone?
• Why is the writer sharing this information?

Honestly, this part of the activity is imperative to genuinely analyze the speech. It should have more bullet points than the “saying” section. 

 

What/Why Analysis 

 

This method is very similar to the Saying/Doing Analysis. In the right column or margin, write bullet point notes about “what” the writer is doing (such as rhetorical choices.) In the right column or margin, write bullet point notes about the
“why” or “how.” Doing so helps you plan your commentary. 

 

Bonus tip: Ask yourself why does the speaker makes this choice for this audience on this occasion.

 

 

Practice! 

 

When figuring out how to annotate a speech, practice is imperative! You need to gain comfort with your technique to apply it the second testing begins. For instance, highlighting is not permitted on AP exams. However, using different color highlights may be helpful as you work on comprehension. As the test comes closer, develop a method that works best for you and can occur on the exam. For instance, maybe you underline or circle meaningful words or phrases you need to remember. Or, perhaps you divide the passage into sections and star key points. This allows you to watch for tone changes, define unfamiliar terms, and explore how the writer builds an argument. Make sure to be meaningful in what you make stand out to avoid becoming distracted by the markings.

 

Exam-Like Conditions 

 

As you practice, mimicking exam-like conditions will be vital. However, you do not need to do this on the first day of your course. You must prepare over the months and weeks leading up to the exam. So, you may give yourself 15-17 minutes to annotate a speech during the first practice. Then, you shorten this time as the exam comes closer. Ultimately, this method will allow you to see your growth while ensuring you are comfortable on exam day.

 

Identification of Key Elements 

 

As you build your technique on how to annotate a speech, focus on the essential aspects. Ultimately, you need to identify the writer’s purpose and argument or message. You cannot lose sight of the prompt as you are reading.

 

For instance, you can use SPACE (speaker, purpose, audience, context, exigence) or SOAP (speaker, occasion, audience, purpose) to ensure you slow down to really absorb the information. This also allows you to identify rhetorical devices (nouns) and choices (verbs). You can then use the margin to pick out interesting word choice, tone, and comparisons/contrasts. As you mark, just make sure the focus is on reading. This is not a scavenger hunt. You want to keep an open mindset and focus on what the writer is “doing.”     

 

Learning how to annotate a speech takes time. You must give yourself plenty of practice to hone in on your method. You need a streamlined process to focus on “what” (choices) and “why” (commentary). Maybe you like to read the speech once and then go back and annotate. Or, maybe you want to annotate from the beginning. Likewise, you may like to use the margins or need more space on a separate sheet of paper. Since you only have about 5-10 minutes to annotate on the exam, start practicing now. Your future self will thank you!

 

Wondering how to prepare for the Lang exam? Check out this blog post here for more tips!