The proponent of CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) is?

• A. Krashen
• B. Cummins
• C. Chomsky
• D. Vygotsky

Answer: (B)

CALP, or cognitive academic language proficiency, refers to the kind of language students need to understand and express ideas in school—academic vocabulary, complex structures, and discourse across subjects in a decontextualized, formal context. Jim Cummins proposed distinguishing CALP from BICS, the everyday conversational skills people use in social settings. In classrooms, CALP shows up when students interpret textbook passages, follow lectures, participate in debates, and write analytical essays; it tends to develop more slowly than everyday speech but is crucial for academic success. Other theorists focus on different aspects: Krashen emphasizes language acquisition and comprehensible input, Chomsky on universal grammar, and Vygotsky on social interaction and the zone of proximal development. Because of this work in separating academic language from everyday speech, the proponent of CALP is Jim Cummins.