In ESL education, teachers must help students navigate two types of language proficiency: Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). BICS is the everyday conversational language, while CALP encompasses the more complex language skills needed for academic success, including discipline-specific vocabulary, abstract concepts, and critical thinking. For newcomers, focusing on CALP development is essential, even as they begin with basic language acquisition. This presents a challenge for ESL teachers, who must also address foundational phonics and language-building techniques to foster holistic language development, which is far more challenging than it sounds.
The Importance of Early CALP Development
Although BICS often develops more quickly, CALP is vital for newcomers to succeed in content-area learning and overall academics. Cummins (2000) argued that CALP requires 5-7 years to fully develop, but delaying the introduction of academic language can hinder students’ ability to engage meaningfully with grade-level material. Moreover, many ESL professionals in the public school sector, for example, have had to navigate the phonetic needs of their students while also appeasing the increasing pressures from districts who want quick turnaround results without appropriate commitments that foster foundational linguistic growth.Though it may seem like a daunting task, ESL teachers can successfully introduce CALP from the beginning, even as students are building their phonological awareness and basic literacy skills.
Integrating CALP with Phonics and Vocabulary Instruction
Phonics instruction, particularly in the early stages, is foundational for newcomer English learners. Research by Helman (2009) underscores that phonemic awareness and phonics are key predictors of reading success in both first and second languages. However, introducing CALP concepts doesn’t have to wait until phonics mastery is complete. Teachers can integrate vocabulary instruction that builds CALP into phonics lessons by choosing content-related vocabulary aligned with students’ academic needs.
For instance, when teaching consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, teachers can incorporate simple academic terms related to science, such as “map,” “sun,” or “set.” These words not only reinforce phonics but also build academic vocabulary. In doing so, teachers scaffold the phonics instruction with explicit attention to how these words are used in academic contexts, gradually expanding into more complex terminology as students’ phonological skills improve. This same approach works with math concepts like “sum,” “graph,” “mean,” “range” and “square,” which can bridge digraphs and consonant blends as well.
Purposeful Listening and Speaking
Purposeful listening and speaking exercises can also build CALP while reinforcing language-building techniques. By having students listen to content-specific texts read aloud, they develop the ability to recognize academic vocabulary and sentence structures. Gibbons (2015) recommends teachers structure listening activities around key academic concepts, followed by discussions that require students to use content-specific language. This allows for targeted practice of pronunciation, vocabulary, and comprehension, all while building CALP.
Additionally, interactive speaking exercises, such as classroom discussions or partner talk, help students practice new academic vocabulary in a low-stress setting. ESL teachers can guide these discussions with sentence stems, allowing students to focus on using the new vocabulary correctly while still practicing pronunciation and syntax.
For ESL teachers working with newcomers, balancing the need for phonics instruction with CALP development is crucial. By integrating academic vocabulary into phonics lessons, engaging in purposeful listening and speaking, and using scaffolding techniques, teachers can ensure students are developing both foundational language skills and the more complex academic language necessary for future success. As Cummins’ research reminds us, early and consistent attention to CALP gives ESL learners a better chance to thrive academically and linguistically in their new environments.
References
Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power, and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters.
Gibbons, P. (2015). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching English language learners in the mainstream classroom. Heinemann.
Helman, L. (2009). Literacy development with English learners: Research-based instruction in grades K-6. Guilford Press.
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