BICS and CALP refer to the range of language used from informal spoken or written texts to more formal ones. BICS means Basic InterCommunication Skills and CALP means Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency.
These terms are elemental in understanding the range of skills required to communicate in academic and non-academic environments, both of which are necessary on a daily basis in school life. We may encounter BICS heavy language in things like social interaction, telephone texting, emails, diary entries, getting-to-know-you activities, etc. We are likely to see (or require) more CALP heavy language in texts like written or spoken assessment, formal presentations, Extended Essays, lab reports, etc.
Understanding these terms helps us get a better picture of where students need to go linguistically or to identify gaps on either end of their linguistic range.
What does a student with excellent BICS look like? Perhaps this student is very communicative and interactive and can easily navigate through a conversation, using colloquial language and current expressions. This student might give the impression that they are quite fluent in the language and that they are able to handle a wide range of texts requiring a range of vocabulary, style and register. The reality might be quite different.
What does a student with excellent CALP look like? This student probably has an excellent grasp of vocabulary and highly complex written form. Academic writing probably provides little challenge for this student, whereas, informal (or semi-formal) class discussion does. This student may not be able to engage easily in spoken discussion with the same level of confidence or comfort as that of the BICS savvy student.
How do the two students described above become strong at either BICS or CALP, but not in both? There are many affective factors that can determine the strengths or weaknesses of one’s language skills. Personal aptitude, intrinsic motivation, language skill variance, support needs and many other things may have an impact. It can very often be found in the student’s exposure to the language. One student may enjoy watching films in the second language, may be interested in the fashion or popular culture of the language, or may place more importance on the day to day interaction in the second language, rather than on academic acquisition. On the other hand, another student may come from an environment that is more formal in its culture, which is then reflected in the language learning. A Dzongka speaking student from Bhutan who has been raised in a highly formal society where the skills in the second language are focused on academics, feedback based on grades and on reflection of the national culture on communication might show difficulty in class debates or informal diary writing. A Spanish speaking student from Mexico might have been raised in a more informal culture, where self-expression and oral communication have higher value than academic performance. This student might struggle with lab reports or structuring an EE. It is important to remember here that there are MANY factors that lead to a disparity between BICS and CALP; culture and exposure are very impactful, but are only two of many. Two students from the same culture and mother tongue might be polar opposites when it comes to BICS and CALP.
What is the danger in making assumptions?
It is in making assumptions about any students language proficiency, that we may be making misinterpretations. A student who writes a very articulate piece on a highly academic subject may give teachers the impression that they are highly fluent and would require little or no support in giving a presentation or writing an informal CAS reflection. By the same token, a student who greets you easily in the morning and quickly falls into fluent conversation with their classmates may lead us to believe that this fluency and communicative ease is indicative of overall fluency and language accuracy, until we see a formal written essay written by this student which is peppered with issues in accuracy, expression and formal proficiency. The best practice here is to avoid making assumptions and to collect data based on the strengths and weaknesses of academic and non-academic language separately. We might find that a second language student is proficient on both ends of the scale, but this is not always the case. It is very likely that English B students will, in fact, be proficient in one, but not in both, until such a time when their language skills become equally proficient (many students excel in one or two skills at a time, rather than in all four – reading, writing, listening, speaking). Once we start looking at language proficiency in terms of BICS and CALP, we may be surprised to find that even native English speakers may have difficulty on one end of the formality scale. Indeed, it would be much easier to make assumptions about native English speakers, but we can apply BICS and CALP to them as well.
Below are examples of text that have been transformed from BICS heavy text to CALP heavy text. Both are extracts from Extended Essays written by English B students.
DORIAN GRAY BICS
The Picture of Dorian Gray” was written by Oscar Wilde in 1890. It was a time when people’s behaviour was judged by a strict set of rules to live by. Also “The Catcher in the Rye”, a book by J. D. Salinger in 1951, was of a generation where behaviour was also judged based on if somebody did right or wrong according to society, but people had stronger opinions about the lifestyle some people wanted to follow. The difference in the time between these titles means the plots and writing styles show considerable different ways that things change. Ultimately, as “The Picture of Dorian Gray” was written a century before “Catcher in the Rye”, the language is now hard to access to younger readers; and even less so to non-native English readers. This gap is easily observable in the way people speak and their dialects between 1890 and 1951. When I was reading these books, I understood how I understood and interacted with the books were affected by the different ways people expressed themselves. Certainly, the fact that “Catcher in the Rye” is narrated by a 20th century teenager means that its informality resonates more easily with younger readers than d the formal register of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”resonates with them.
DORIAN GRAY CALP
Here is the passage again modified to sound more academic (incorporating CALP).
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” was written by Oscar Wilde in 1890. It was a time when people’s behaviour was judged by a strict moral code. Similarly, “The Catcher in the Rye”, which was written by J. D. Salinger in 1951, was of a generation where behaviour was also judged based on the adherence or trespass of moral boundaries, but people had stronger opinions about the lifestyle they might choose to follow. The time gap between these titles means the plots and writing styles show considerable evolution. Ultimately, as “The Picture of Dorian Gray” was written a century prior to “Catcher in the Rye”, the language is less accessible to younger readers; indeed even less so to non-native English readers. This gap is easily observable in the register and diction changes between 1890 and 1951. When I was reading these books, I understood how my comprehension of and interaction with the books were affected by the diction. Certainly, the fact that “Catcher in the Rye” is narrated by a 20th century teenager means that its informality resonates more easily with younger readers than does the formal register of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.
DZONGKA BICS
Bhutan is different from the rest of Asia for its English-medium policy in its local schools. The first formal schools introduced in the 1950’s used Hindi as the language for teaching because it was easy to get textbooks and resources from our nearby India. Later, we made some progress in 1964 when the government instituted English as a medium of instruction in the modern education system. Ever since, English has been used to teach all the subjects that are taught in school. The adoption of English as the medium of instruction took us closer to being modern when Bhutan started to let people into the country in the 1960’s under the reign of the third king of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, also known as the “father of modern Bhutan”. It was also in order to recognize opportunities for Bhutanese to gain access to learning beyond the basic education, especially for higher and professional levels of education so that they are armed to leave Bhutan for further studies. Currently, many Bhutanese are pursuing their higher education in many parts of the world where English is the main language used.
DZONGKA CALP
Here is the passage again modified to sound more academic (incorporating CALP).
Bhutan is distinguished from the rest of Asia for the English-medium policy in its government run education. The pioneering formal schools introduced in the 1950s, used Hindi as the medium of instruction given the easy availability of textbooks and resources from neighbouring India. Subsequently, a major step was taken in 1964 when English was instituted by the Bhutanese government as a medium of instruction in the modern education system. From then onwards, English has been used to teach subjects across the curriculum. The adoption of English as the medium of instruction was the first step toward modernization when Bhutan opened its doors to the outside world in the 1960s under the reign of the third king of Bhutan, Jigme, Dorji Wangchuck, also known as the ‘father of modern Bhutan’. It was also considered worthy to recognize opportunities for the Bhutanese people to gain access to education beyond the basics, especially for higher and professional levels of education, so that they are well-equipped to leave Bhutan for further studies. Currently many Bhutanese are pursuing higher education in many parts of the world where English is the lingua franca.