BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills)

BICS, or Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills, refers to the everyday language skills used for casual conversation and social interactions. This includes the ability to understand and produce language in contexts like chatting with friends, participating in group discussions, or engaging in simple storytelling. BICS typically develops quickly, often within a couple of years in a new language environment, as it relies on contextual clues and familiar situations. However, while BICS is crucial for daily communication, it differs from the more complex language skills needed for academic or professional settings, known as CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency).