📖 Section 6: Academic Language, Social Language, BICS, CALP & Conceptual Literacy¶
Section Overview
This section examines the distinction between Social Language and Academic Language, introduces Jim Cummins' BICS and CALP framework for understanding language proficiency, and explains Conceptual Literacy - the cognitive skill of thinking clearly about concepts using language.
🎯 Learning Objectives¶
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Define social language and academic language
- Differentiate between social and academic language
- Explain BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills)
- Describe CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)
- Determine whether a task falls within BICS or CALP
- Define conceptual literacy
2:13 Linguistic Education: Academic Language and Social Language¶
2:13:1 Social Language¶
Definition
Social Language is simple, informal language used in everyday, social face-to-face interactions with family members and friends.
Characteristics of Social Language¶
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Context | Play ground, phone, social interactions |
| Style | Casual; allows use of slang terms |
| Non-verbal | Can communicate through hand gestures, facial expressions, body language |
| Support | Context-embedded - non-verbal support available |
flowchart TB
subgraph SOCIAL["🗣️ Social Language Features"]
A[Informal]
B[Face-to-face]
C[Casual & Slang]
D[Non-verbal Cues]
E[Context-embedded]
end2:13:2 Academic Language¶
Definition
Academic Language is the language used in the classroom in the various content areas.
Characteristics of Academic Language¶
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Style | Abstract, context-reduced, specialised |
| Formality | Highly formal, precise |
| Vocabulary | Contains lot of subject-specific terms |
| Avoids | Colloquial, idiomatic, journalistic expressions |
| Nature | Objective and impersonal |
flowchart TB
subgraph ACADEMIC["📚 Academic Language Features"]
A[Formal]
B[Abstract]
C[Context-reduced]
D[Subject-specific Vocabulary]
E[Objective & Impersonal]
end2:13:3 Differences Between Social and Academic Languages¶
| S.No. | Social Language | Academic Language |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Used in everyday interactions (face-to-face) | Used in classroom in content areas; less face-to-face |
| 2 | Language is casual, containing synonyms and slang | Language is highly formal, abstract, objective, impersonal |
| 3 | Context-embedded - non-verbal cues available (gestures, expressions, eye actions) | Context-reduced - non-verbal cues absent |
| 4 | Cognitively undemanding - linguistic skills may be sufficient | Cognitively demanding - requires cognitive skills (comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, inferring) |
| 5 | Sentences do not follow grammar conventions | Sentences follow grammar conventions |
| 6 | Common words used in interactions | Subject-specific terms used often in classroom and textbooks |
flowchart TB
subgraph SOCIAL["🗣️ Social Language"]
S1[Everyday Interactions]
S2[Casual & Slang]
S3[Context-embedded]
S4[Cognitively Undemanding]
S5[No Grammar Rules]
S6[Common Words]
end
subgraph ACADEMIC["📚 Academic Language"]
A1[Classroom Content Areas]
A2[Formal & Abstract]
A3[Context-reduced]
A4[Cognitively Demanding]
A5[Grammar Conventions]
A6[Subject-specific Terms]
end
SOCIAL ---|vs| ACADEMIC2:14 BICS and CALP Skills¶
Key Framework 📌
Jim Cummins identified two major aspects of language proficiency for second language learners: - BICS - Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (Conversational Proficiency) - CALP - Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (Academic Proficiency)
| Term | Full Form | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| BICS | Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills | Social language proficiency (everyday communicative skills) |
| CALP | Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency | Academic language proficiency (classroom language in subject content areas) |
2:14:1 Characteristics of BICS (Conversational Proficiency)¶
flowchart TB
subgraph BICS["🗣️ BICS Characteristics"]
A[Face-to-face Communication]
B[Informal Contexts]
C[Acquired by Age 5]
D[Does NOT Include Literacy]
E[Conversational Vocabulary]
F[Weakly Correlated with<br/>Academic Success]
end| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| i) | Basic language system used in face-to-face communication in informal contexts (intimate or colloquial registers) |
| ii) | Largely acquired in native language by children in all societies by age of five |
| iii) | Does not include literacy |
| iv) | Includes vocabulary of conversations |
| v) | Proficiency only weakly correlated with academic success |
Examples of BICS¶
| Context | Examples |
|---|---|
| Playing during recess | "Give me that book" |
| Lunchroom | "Let's sit by the window" |
| School bus | "See you later" |
| Telephone | "Have a nice day" |
Key Features of BICS Contexts¶
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Context-embedded | Non-verbal cues accompanied |
| Meaningful context | Occur in meaningful situations |
| Cognitively undemanding | No specialized language required |
| No subject-specific vocabulary | Common conversational words |
| Time to develop | 6 months to 2 years |
2:14:2 Characteristics of CALP (Academic Proficiency)¶
flowchart TB
subgraph CALP["📚 CALP Characteristics"]
A[Formal & Academic Registers]
B[Acquired After Age 5]
C[High Level of Literacy]
D[Specialized Vocabulary]
E[Strongly Correlated with<br/>Academic Success]
F[5-7 Years to Develop]
end| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| i) | Includes formal and academic registers of language |
| ii) | Acquired mostly after age of five; acquisition continues throughout life |
| iii) | Includes high level of literacy - listening, speaking, reading, writing about subject content |
| iv) | Includes tens of thousands of specialized words relating to academic and formal register |
| v) | Proficiency is strongly correlated with academic success |
| vi) | Requires time and support to develop; takes 5 to 7 years |
| vii) | If no prior schooling or support in native language, may take at least 7 years (Thomas & Collier, 1995) |
| viii) | More complex and abstract; relies less on contextual cues |
| ix) | Includes cognitive skills: comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, inferring |
Examples of CALP¶
| Subject | Example |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | "Functions are used to solve equations for variables and show a relationship between the variables" |
| Science | "The process is called photosynthesis" |
| History | "Meriwether Lewis was born at a time of conflict and just before a major revolution" |
BICS vs CALP Comparison¶
| Aspect | BICS | CALP |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Informal, colloquial | Formal, academic |
| Acquisition Age | By age 5 | After age 5, lifelong |
| Literacy | Not included | High level required |
| Vocabulary | Conversational | Specialized, thousands of words |
| Academic Correlation | Weak | Strong |
| Context | Context-embedded | Context-reduced |
| Cognitive Demand | Undemanding | Demanding (comparing, classifying, synthesizing) |
| Time to Develop | 6 months - 2 years | 5 - 7 years |
2:14:3 Determining if a Task Falls Within BICS or CALP¶
Cummins' Matrix
By using a matrix with two axes, we can determine if a task is BICS or CALP.
quadrantChart
title BICS vs CALP Matrix
x-axis Context-Embedded --> Context-Reduced
y-axis Cognitively Undemanding --> Cognitively Demanding
quadrant-1 Quadrant C
quadrant-2 Quadrant A
quadrant-3 BICS (Quadrant B)
quadrant-4 CALP (Quadrant D)The Four Quadrants¶
| Quadrant | Context | Cognitive Demand | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Embedded | Demanding | Demonstrations of experiments |
| B (BICS) | Embedded | Undemanding | Face-to-face conversations |
| C | Reduced | Undemanding | Telephone conversations |
| D (CALP) | Reduced | Demanding | Writing a standardised test |
Context-Embedded Language¶
Definition
Context-Embedded Language is language supported by contextual clues in the environment such as: - Objects - Props - Manipulatives - Pictures - Graphs - Charts
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Interpersonal Clues | Students interact to construct meaning |
| "Here and Now" | Necessary for comprehensible input |
| Supports Understanding | Visual and environmental supports |
Context-Reduced Language¶
Definition
Context-Reduced Language (Decontextualized language) has few or no clues present to support the spoken or written words.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Language is abstract |
| Known to Author | Context usually known only to author |
| Examples | Textbooks, novels, lectures, standardised tests |
| Quadrants | C and D in Cummins' matrix |
2:15 Conceptual Literacy¶
Definition
Conceptual Literacy is a cognitive skill involving the ability of a person to think clearly about concepts with the help of language.
Components of Conceptual Literacy¶
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Thinking | Involves language and imagining |
| Understanding | Understanding something |
| Identifying | Identifying attributes in form of words and phrases |
Example
If a student understands that a three-sided closed figure is a triangle, whose sum of angles equals 180°, then we can say the student has understood the concept of triangle.
Key Definition 📌
Conceptual literacy involves the skill of comprehension of a thing by identifying the constituent elements or essential attributes, with the use of language.
flowchart TB
subgraph CONCEPTUAL["🧠 Conceptual Literacy"]
A[Thinking with Language]
B[Understanding Concepts]
C[Identifying Attributes]
D[Using Words & Phrases]
E[Comprehending Essential Elements]
end📝 Quick Revision Table¶
| Topic | Key Points |
|---|---|
| 2:13:1 Social Language | Informal, face-to-face, casual, slang, context-embedded |
| 2:13:2 Academic Language | Formal, abstract, context-reduced, subject-specific, objective |
| 2:13:3 Differences | 6 key differences: context, formality, cues, cognitive demand, grammar, vocabulary |
| 2:14 BICS | Social language proficiency, by age 5, 6 months-2 years, weakly correlated |
| 2:14 CALP | Academic language proficiency, after age 5, 5-7 years, strongly correlated |
| 2:14:3 Matrix | 4 quadrants: context (embedded/reduced) × cognitive demand (high/low) |
| 2:15 Conceptual Literacy | Thinking clearly about concepts using language |
🧠 Memory Mnemonics¶
For BICS vs CALP - BICS = Basic, CALP = Complex
- BICS: Basic, Informal, Conversational, Social
- CALP: Complex, Academic, Literacy, Professional
For Social vs Academic Language - SIC vs FAO
Social (SIC): - Slang allowed - Informal - Context-embedded
Academic (FAO): - Formal - Abstract - Objective
For CALP Cognitive Skills - CCSEI
- Comparing
- Classifying
- Synthesizing
- Evaluating
- Inferring
Time to Develop
- BICS: 6 months to 2 years (6-2)
- CALP: 5 to 7 years (5-7)
❓ Review Questions¶
-
Differentiate Social language from academic language. (B) [Ans: 2:13:1 + 2:13:2 + 2:13:3]
-
What are BICS and CALP skills? Explain their characteristics. (B) [Ans: 2:14 + 2:14:1 + 2:14:2]
-
Explain how to determine if a task falls under BICS or CALP. (B) [Ans: 2:14:3]
-
Explain 'Context-embedded language' and 'Context-reduced language'. (C) [Ans: 2:14:3 - second and third paragraphs]
-
What do you mean by 'Conceptual Literacy'? (C) [Ans: 2:15]
📋 Unit II Conclusion¶
Unit Summary
In this unit, we covered:
- Meaning, Concept and Definitions of language
- Aims and Objectives of language teaching
- Functions and Importance of language
- Proficiency of Home Language and School Language
- Strategies for Enhancing Language Proficiency: Dramatisation, Essay-writing, Story-telling, Group Discussion, Peer-tutoring
- Nature of Text Structure: Expository, Narrative, Transactional, Reflective
- Reading Comprehension Skills
- Language Skills: Receptive and Productive
- Literacy Skills
- Academic and Social Language
- BICS and CALP Skills
- Conceptual Literacy
Section Complete ✅
You have completed Section 6 and Unit II covering Academic Language, Social Language, BICS, CALP and Conceptual Literacy. Understanding the distinction between social and academic language proficiency is crucial for effective language education and supporting second language learners.
Bridge → Unit III covers Integrated Curriculum and Language Education - exploring different curriculum models and frameworks for language integration.