Understanding English Language Development

When we teach English, it’s important to remember: speaking fluently doesn’t always mean thinking deeply in a new language.

Dr. Jim Cummins of the University of Toronto describes two key types of English skills:

🗣️ Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills

What it is: Casual, everyday English — the language students use to talk to friends or shop at the mall.

Examples:

• “How are you?”

• “Can I sit here?”

• “What’s up?”

  
  

Basic interpersonal communication skills are easier to master. You may observe that your students communicate comfortably in this mode.

✅ Students may seem fluent, but their fluency doesn't always mean they are equally proficient with academic or workplace English.

📚 Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

What it is: School and work English — understanding instructions, writing clearly, discussing big ideas.

🧠 This is the English students need to succeed in university, high school, and professional settings.

Examples:

• “Summarize the main idea.”

• “Describe how the heart and lungs work together.”

• “What does this policy mean for employee safety?”

Becoming proficient in cognitive academic English can take a much longer time.

Opportunities for Improvement

One of the unique qualities of working with English B'Yachad students is our ability to provide conversation opportunities and build the fluency and ease associated with the first level—basic interpersonal communication skills.

Most English B'Yachad students are motivated to improve their English skills for career mobility. The ethos of English B'Yachad is to structure weekly sessions based on student needs and interests. Thus we can integrate more complex English into our weekly sessions. Activities such as reading articles, discussing work issues, preparing for interviews, or improving an English resume help our students improve their language skills and strengthen their academic language proficiency.

The experts share that achieving academic proficiency in English can be a multi-year process. Our work is a part of that process, and as our students complete academic or training credentials and/or enter the job market, they can do so with the confidence and knowledge to know they are on the path to success.

Why This Matters for Israeli Students

• Many Israeli learners already speak more than one language — Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, or Amharic — so they know what switching between languages is like.

• They may be strong in daily conversation, but still need help with writing, formal grammar, or academic vocabulary.

• A student can sound confident but struggle with reading assignments or formal writing.

✅ How Tutors Can Help

• Don’t assume your student is “done learning English” just because they speak well!

• Focus on reading, writing, vocabulary, and thinking skills.

• Use visuals, step-by-step tasks, real-world examples, and encouragement.

• Be patient — they’re learning a whole new academic language.

Here is a link for more details on the Basic Interpersonal skills and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency:   https://youtu.be/cjFw9aC8jnY?si=MVgiRt8P2pB-XiZo.