This document discusses the difference between basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) as defined by Jim Cummins in 1979. BICS refers to conversational fluency in a language, while CALP refers to academic proficiency, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills for an educational setting. The document notes that it can take 2-3 years to develop BICS but 5-7 years or more to develop CALP. It emphasizes that students' language abilities should not be assessed based only on BICS and that teachers need to support the development of both BICS and CALP.

1. Deisy Velasquez David ValenciaDAVIDVALENCIA.
done. presented.

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

3. Context Reduced
Cognitively undemanding Cognitively demanding
Context Embedded

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Language Proficiency
Timeinyears
BICS
CALP
Developed the acronyms of
BICS and CALP in 1979.
He did extensive research in Quebec and
he discovered two dimensions of language:
Academic and Social.

5. A learner’s language ability can easily be over-estimated by
looking at the BICS and not realizing the complexity and
difficulty that second language students have in acquiring CALP
in the second language.
"In school environments, ESL students need to be able to use spoken and
written English both to acquire academic content and to demonstrate their
learning". The TESOL ESL Standards (1997).

6.  However, she never learned to write a formal paper in
Spanish and she sometimes struggles with writing essays in
English.
Cummins (1979) suggested that BICS and CALP and one’s own native language skills
affecting in learning a second language.
 Learned English as a second language.
 Reading is easier than writing. In Colombian school,
she learned to read many books.

7.  Daniel learned Spanish as a
foreign language while in
an English-speaking country.
Cummins (1979) argued that
teachers should learn the difference
between BICS and CALP so that
they can assess their students’
proficiency in two distinct areas.
 Daniel was fluent in English
BICS and CALP before
attempting to learn Spanish.
 While in Spain, reading
and writing were much
easier than speaking and
listening.

8. Factors that could determine the ability to acquire CALP.
Level of literacy in the first language.
Skills achievement in L2 is more
dependent on skills achievement in the
native language.
Archaic methods of teaching ESL students
concentrate more on fluency and do not
help students to reach proficiency level
academically.
Teachers should include all four
language functions in every lesson.
Amount of exposure and practice
in the second language.

9.  http://www2.education.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.Bilash/best%20of%20bilash/bics%20calp.html
 http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/bics_calp.php
 http://pinterest.com/daniel27/pins/?filter=likes
 http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/cummin.htm

10. thank you.
DEISY DAVIDVELASQUEZ. VALENCIA.
done. presented.