Module 4: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) are parts of a theory of language proficiency developed by Jim Cummins (1984) (NCELA, 2007). BICS are the everyday social communication skills that students need to communicate in the lunchroom, on the playground and in casual conversations. BICS, “which is highly contextualized and often accompanied by gestures, is relatively undemanding cognitively and relies on context to aid understanding” (NCELA, 2007, p.4)  BICS is usually developed within two to three years (Cummins, 1984).

CALP is the more demanding, higher-level, decontextualized language proficiency required for grade level performance on abstract academic tasks and takes much longer to achieve (Wilen, 2004).  Research indicates that it may take four to ten years or longer to develop academic second language proficiency to a level where one can achieve scores on standardized tests that equal those of school peers who are native speakers of the language (Collier, 1997; Thomas & Collier, 2002).  The length of time to develop the level of proficiency in academic second language necessary to compete successfully is impacted by both the amount of prior schooling the student has had in his or her first language and the nature of instruction the student encounters in school. Amount of formal schooling in the heritage language is the strongest predictor of second language student achievement. The more grade-level schooling a student has had in the first language, the higher achievement can be expected to be in the second language (Thomas & Collier, 2002). Relative to academic achievement, Thomas & Collier (2002) also reported that number of years of schooling in the heritage language “had more influence than socioeconomic status when the number of years of schooling was 4 or more years” (p. 332).

Educators may mistakenly assume that because a student can carry on an adequate conversation in the second language (BICS), the student can handle academic work in that language (CALP) with little or no further assistance in second-language learning. This misconception may actually create academic problems for the student. It may also result in premature exiting of the student from ESOL.  ELLs need to develop CALP in English to be successful in U.S. schools (Rhodes, Ochoa & Ortiz, 2005).