The BICS-before-CALP sequence is typical for immigrant children but not universal: high L2 CALP can precede fluent L2 BICS in certain situations¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r2 · q1
Currency · newest study 1999 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Evidence quality · No study behind this claim is a peer-reviewed article with a DOI: it rests on an ERIC document (a report, conference paper or thesis). It is kept because 4 design pages cite it; treat it as a lead to check, not an established finding.

Subclaims¶

q1 i? Attainment of high levels of L2 CALP can precede attainment of fluent L2 BICS in certain situations, so the sequential order was suggested as typical, not absolute. → Cummins 1999

Evidence¶

Cummins 1999¶

Cummins, J. (1999). BICS and CALP: Clarifying the Distinction. ERIC Document ED 438 551. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED438551

q1 · i? · theoretical · r2

In this opinion paper Cummins clarifies that the sequential nature of BICS/CALP acquisition "was suggested as typical in the specific situation of immigrant children learning a second language", not as an absolute order. He cites Garcia's example of a scientist reading a text in a language she does not speak.

"Thus attainment of high levels of L2 CALP can precede attainment of fluent L2 BICS in certain situations."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• BICS and CALP intersect developmentally but are not identical or reducible one to the other — related
• Immigrant children acquire peer-appropriate conversational fluency in English within about 2 years but require considerably longer (5-10 years) to catch up academically in English — related
• Assuming conversational fluency indicates English proficiency has led to bilingual children being misdiagnosed as learning disabled or retarded and to premature exit from support programs — related
• Surface conversational fluency develops within about two years, but academic proficiency in English takes 5-7 years for immigrant students — related
• BICS-level language can be acquired in about two years regardless of age on arrival and first language — related