BICS+and+CALP

=BICS and CALP = =__BICS__: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills=
 * Language used for social interaction
 * Language skills needed for social conversation purposes
 * English language learners (ELLs) employ BIC skills when they are on the playground, in the lunch room, on the school bus, at parties, playing sports and talking on the telephone.
 * The language required is not specialized.
 * These language skills usually develop within six months to two years after arrival in the U.S.

__Age on Arrival and Years Needed in School to acquire CALP__: A 5-7 year-old may take 5-8 years An 8-11 year-old may take 4-5 years A student 12 and older may not catch up in five years
 * Age and Rate of Acquisition of Academic Language
 * For students with literacy in their backgrounds**

__For students with no literacy in their background__:

Academic English takes 9-13 years to develop to native speaker standards.

Examples of BICS


 * Listening**: Follows general classroom directions
 * Speaking:** Converses easily about social situations with peers and teachers. May speak English without an accent.
 * Reading:** May decode reading material with ease, but may not comprehend what is read
 * Writing:** Can fill out school forms. Can find and copy the answers to questions in textbooks.s






 * =__CALP__: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency=
 * Takes several years to develop
 * Formal academic language
 * Essential for students to succeed in school
 * Students need time and support to become proficient in academic areas (usually takes 5 to 7 years)
 * Cognitively demanding tasks will be difficult in both their home language and English, until CALP is developed.
 * This includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing about subject area content material.
 * includes skills such as comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, and inferring.

EXAMPLES OF CALP
 * Listening:** Can follow specific directions for a academic tasks. Understands discussion of academic material. Can distinguish main idea from supporting material.
 * Speaking:** Expresses reasons for opinions. Asks for clarification during academic tasks.
 * Reading:** Reads academic material with good comprehension.
 * Writing:** Can write an essay supporting a point of view.