Career
In 1979 Cummins coined the acronyms BICS and CALP to refer to processes that help a teacher to qualify a student"s language ability. lieutenant is cognitively undemanding and contextual and is better understood as the language used by students in informal settings, say, on a playground or cafe. Research by Cummins as well as Virginia Collier suggest that it typically takes language learners 1–3 years to develop BICS if they have sufficient exposure to the second language.
CALP refers to the ability to manipulate language using abstractions in a sophisticated manner.
CALP is used while performing in an academic setting. CALP is the ability to think in and use a language as a tool for learning.
Cummins"s and Collier"s research suggest that K-12 students need 5 to 7 years to acquire CALP in the second language if the learner has native language literacy. Learners who do not have strong native language literacy often need 7–10 years to acquire CALP in the second language.
Cummins is the founding Academic Director of the University of Toronto’s Teaching English as a foreign language certification program
The course, a 100-hour online program, certifies educators in the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Teaching English as a foreign language Online is a collaborative effort between the University of Toronto and Teach Away, a leading international teacher recruitment agency.
