Jim Cummins among other authorities have been in the forefront at studying and recommending for the diverse application of BICS and CALP. For English language teachers, BICS and CALP related skills are essential in the overall continuous professional development. A teacher is expected to gain knowledge and understanding in different perspectives with the overall results being the improvement of his or her teaching skills. In addition, the more knowledge and competencies the teacher gathers, the better his or her productivity becomes in terms of teaching the language. One, therefore, must appreciate the role of the skills and knowledge related to BICS and CALP in respect to their contribution to the improvement of the teacher’s skills.
BICS essentially covers the conversational language that is often used in the day to day mostly informal communication. However, this language is rich in content and is essential in understanding the culture, heritage, mannerism, character, and general reputation of an individual. A teacher can employ such to understand his or her students. This understanding would be essential in communicating and training students during learning processes. In addition, knowledge of the BICS necessarily gives a teacher some sense of awareness and consciousness of the environmental factors. In overall, such a teacher is able to contain and maintain a command of the class.
On the other hand, CALP refers to the academic language used in the formal classroom setting for purposes of contextual learning. Skills and knowledge in CALP engenders a teacher to his or her students in the classroom environment. A teacher with a thorough grasp of CALP skills and knowledge is a better communicator and instructor during the classroom learning sessions. In addition, he or she is able to understand academic insights and thought process of the students through the discussion and interaction in the academic context. This is useful in the overall teaching function.
References
Cummins, J. (2009). BICS and CALP. University of Toronto Journal , 1-6.
Krashen, S., & Brown, C. (2007). What is Academic Language Proficiency? University of California Journal , 12-21.
