Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) are the everyday language skills of social interactions, such as speaking, listening, and non-verbal communication. These skills are the foundation for making friendships, communicating your ideas, and having successful conversations in different social situations.
What are the key components of Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills?
The main parts of BICS are verbal communication, non-verbal communication, active listening, and empathy. Speaking communication is concerned with the ability to use a language in order to give a message, whereas a non-verbal communication is a form of communication based on a tone of voice, body movement, facial expressions, and gestures. While the active listening strategy is based on completely focusing attention on the speaker, empathy is the one allowing a person to understand and relate to other peoples' feelings and views.
How do Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills differ from academic language skills?
Conversational interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and academic language skills, also known as cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP), are different in their context and difficulty. BICS are formed in daily conversation and are trendy to get learning in no time, but CALP refers to the more prominent language structures and is the crucial element in understanding or creating academic content. To exemplify, a student may fluently take part in informal dialogues (BICS) but may face a problem with the comprehension of a science book (CALP).
Can Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills be improved, and if so, how?
Indeed, Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills are the ones that definitely can be improved with practice and feedback. These skills can be developed through engaging in conversations, attending social events, and asking for constructive feedback from peers. Furthermore, facilitating activities like role-playing, going for workshops to increase your skill level, or simply using mindfulness can be particularly advantageous in getting to know your communication style and to see from other people's angles.