M4: Cummin's Theory on Second Language Acquisition (BICS & CALP)

One theorist you will hear a lot about in the world of second language learning is Jim Cummins. Cummins taught that there are significant differences between social interactions and academic teaching as a way to learn a second language. He described two aspects of language that are BOTH necessary for learners to fully learn the new language: 

• Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and
• Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).

 

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)

I often call BICS the "language of the playground", because it is the social component of language. It is often more familiar and less nuanced than academic communication. Think about it - the social terms are those that are needed for the simplest of human interactions. A person can have a lot of interactions without ever knowing the academic terms in Chapter 6 of their social studies textbook.

• • • These skills are in full bloom between six months and two years after coming to a new country. The biggest concern with BICS is that they can give the impression that a learner has become proficient in the new language when they are able to demonstrate a good grasp of social language. A teacher might erroneously identify a child as proficient in English because she has "seen him with his friends and knows he can speak English". Unfortunately, his fluency in social language has little relevance to the assignments requiring a knowledge of academic language. Social interaction skills are insufficient to prove that a learner is academically proficient in the language as well.

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).

You can think of CALP as the language one needs to read, write, and communicate on a level effective enough to excel in their academic pursuits. An important thing to keep in mind is that it goes beyond the basic attributes of the language and extends to how learners use it to make decisions, comprehend learning, compare, contrast, evaluate, and classify their lessons in the classroom. 

The distinction between BICS and CALP is an important one to remember when determining student’s English proficiency. Learners need to working on BOTH of these skills. Susan LaFond provides a great overview in the following short video clip (1:40).