Chapter 5: Threshold Theory

THRESHOLD THEORY: BICS AND CALP

Celce-Murcia edited and compiled useful and scholarly essays about how a second language must be
taught to non-native speakers, and one of the most interesting parts of the book “Teaching English as a Second
or Foreign Language is the Threshold Theory of Jim Cummins.

According to Cummins (1981), aspects of bilingualism that might positively influence cognitive growth
are unlikely to come into effect until children have attained a certain minimum or threshold level of proficiency
in the second language.

Cummins poses that a student must not be forced to learn something that is beyond his threshold
knowledge. This thought gave way to dividing second language learning competencies and skills into two: Basic
Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).

CALP is the dimension of proficiency in which learners manipulate or reflect upon the surface features
of language outside of the immediate interpersonal context. It is what learners often use in classroom exercises
and tests that focus on form. BICS, on the other hand, is the communicative capacity that all children acquire in
order to be able to function in daily interpersonal exchanges.

CALP refers to formal academic learning. This includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing about
subject area content. This dimension is essential for students to become proficient in academic areas.

BICS is needed in social situations. It is the day-to-day language needed to interact socially. It is
employed when one is in the cafeteria, at parties, playing sports, and talking on the telephone. The language
employed is not specialized. However, problems arise when teachers think that students are proficient in a
language when they demonstrate good social English.

BICS CALP
▪ Acquired in two years ▪ Acquired in five to seven years
▪ Context embedded ▪ Context reduced
▪ Cognitively undemanding ▪ Cognitively demanding
▪ Playground language ▪ Academic language

In terms of purpose, BICS is more transactional, while CALP is more academic. In the former, language
is used in a particular context, while in the latter it is said that the context is reduced. This is so because in
teaching language inside the classroom rules are often taught in isolation, and in the case of second language
learners, authentic communication discourses using the target language is very much limited or none at all.

In addition, the BICS is not that strict in terms of technicalities of the language. It is also suggested that
before teaching students CALP, BICS must be established first – that is, the latter would be the threshold cue
for the former.

THE CONSEQUENCES
Although the Threshold Theory has become a logical way to look at language teaching, there are still
loopholes that experts were able to find. Some put forward the idea that it is better to just abolish the distinction
between the two since the primary purpose of learning a language is to use it correctly (an attack against the
as-long-as-you-are-understood” principle of BICS) and to use it appropriately (an attack against the context
reduced state of CALP). A common ground is suggested, that is an English teacher must emphasize the
importance of context and the correct form of the language. It is very similar to the attempts of balancing
fluency and accuracy.

The abolishment of the BICS and CALP distinction brought about the effective use of authentic
materials in teaching a language. Authentic materials pertain to things that are not intended for classroom use
like newspaper, advertisements, and marketing brochures. This bridges the dissimilarity between BICS and
CALP. For example, a teacher would teach the passive voice using the articles in a newspaper, and by doing this,
grammar rules are being taught and at the same time the students are being exposed to a particular context.

PUBLISHED REFERENCES:

JRG 1|9
 Chapter 5: Threshold Theory

Bagaric, V., & Djigunovic, J. M. (2007). Defining Communicative Competence. Metodika Vol. 8.
Gonzales, M. J., Ignacio, T. P., & Tayao, M. G. (1997). Applied Linguistics for Communication Arts. Quezon
City: UP Open University.
Murcia, M. C. (2006). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Thomson Learning Asia.
Orillos, L. Q. (1997). Language Acquisition Theories, Principles and Research. Quezon City: UP Open
University.

ELECTRONIC REFERENCES:
http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/cummin.htm
http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/lkamhis/tesl565_sp04/troy/spchact.htm
http://online.sfsu.edu/kbach/spchacts.html
http://slaencyclopediaf10.wikispaces.com/Interactional+Hypothesis+(Michael+Long)
http://www.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/best%20of%20bilash/bics%20calp.html
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/bics_calp.php
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/strands_writing.html
http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/goalsmethods/goal.htm
http://www.thecenterlibrary.org/cwis/cwisdocs/intro-ells.pdf

JRG 2|9