CALP
Cummins (1981) argues that individuals develop two types of language proficiency:
basic interpersonal language skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency
(CALP). He suggests that these two types of proficiency vary according to the
degree of context available to the student, and the degree of cognitive challenge
of the task. Social language can be acquired in 1 to 2 years, but the level
of proficiency needed to read social studies texts or solve mathematics word
problems can take 5 to 7 years to develop. CALP is directly related to IQ and
to other aspects of academic achievement. Three main propositions of CALP include:
(1) CALP can be distinguished from interpersonal communicative skills such as
accent and fluency in both the first and second languages, (2) The same underlying
cognitive dimension is responsible for CALP proficiencies in both the first
and second language, (3) Because the same dimension underlies CALP in both the
first and second language, older language learners, whose language proficiency
is better developed, will acquire CALP more rapidly than younger learners.