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

BICS stands for Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, a term coined by psychologist Jim Cummins to describe the language skills that individuals use in everyday social interactions. This concept emphasizes the proficiency needed for conversational fluency, which includes informal language and social contexts. BICS tends to develop more quickly in language learners because it involves basic social communication and can be acquired with relatively little academic support.

BICS includes skills such as the ability to engage in greetings, exchange pleasantries, and participate in informal conversations. This is distinguishable from the more complex language required for academic and cognitive tasks, which is known as CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Understanding BICS is essential for teachers working with English language learners, as it helps educators recognize the importance of social language proficiency in the overall language acquisition process.