FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

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What does BICS stand for in the context of language acquisition?

Basic Individual Communication Skills
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
Binary Integrated Curriculum Standards
Best Instructional Communication Strategies

The correct answer is: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills

BICS stands for Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, which refers to the type of language proficiency that enables individuals to engage in everyday conversation. This concept was introduced by linguist Jim Cummins to distinguish between the language skills required for social interactions and those required for more academic language use, known as CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). BICS involves the informal language used in casual contexts, allowing learners to communicate about familiar topics and engage in social interactions. This level of language proficiency usually develops more quickly among language learners compared to CALP, which requires more complex language structures and vocabulary needed for understanding and producing academic content. Understanding BICS is essential in educational settings because it highlights the difference between conversational fluency and the academic language proficiency necessary for success in school. This distinction can aid educators in designing effective language support strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs), ensuring they develop both social communication skills and the more advanced language proficiency needed for academic success.