Which proficiency level explicitly mentions building BICS and CALP with support?

Which proficiency level explicitly mentions building BICS and CALP with support?

• A. Entering
• B. Emerging
• C. Transitioning
• D. Expanding

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is how ESOL proficiency levels describe students’ development of both everyday language (BICS) and academic language (CALP) with appropriate support. At the Emerging level, the descriptors explicitly state that learners are building both BICS and CALP with support, meaning they are starting to use language in academic contexts while still needing scaffolded instruction. This aligns with the idea that they are moving beyond basic social language but aren’t yet fully independent in academic language tasks. The other levels focus more on different stages of independence or emphasis, but they don’t explicitly tie together the development of both BICS and CALP with ongoing support in the same way.

The concept being tested is how ESOL proficiency levels describe students’ development of both everyday language (BICS) and academic language (CALP) with appropriate support. At the Emerging level, the descriptors explicitly state that learners are building both BICS and CALP with support, meaning they are starting to use language in academic contexts while still needing scaffolded instruction. This aligns with the idea that they are moving beyond basic social language but aren’t yet fully independent in academic language tasks. The other levels focus more on different stages of independence or emphasis, but they don’t explicitly tie together the development of both BICS and CALP with ongoing support in the same way.