NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

What does BICS stand for in language acquisition theory?

1. Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills

2. Basic Instructional Communicative Skills

3. Broad Interconnected Communicative Skills

4. Bilingual Interpersonal Communication Skills

The correct answer is: Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills

BICS stands for Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills, which refers to the language skills necessary for everyday social interactions. This concept, introduced by researcher Jim Cummins, emphasizes the understanding and use of language in casual, conversational settings. BICS typically involves communicative competence that individuals develop in informal contexts, such as chatting with friends or participating in social activities, where language is used to establish social relationships and navigate day-to-day interactions. This distinction is important for educators and language learners because BICS is often acquired much more quickly than the skills needed for academic language proficiency, known as CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Understanding BICS allows educators to better support English Language Learners (ELLs) as they develop their conversational language skills, which can serve as a foundation for more complex academic language tasks.