Jim Cummins (professor)

Jim Cummins ( b. 1949 ) is a Canadian educator. He is a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning and Canada Research Chair in Language Learning and Literacy Development in Multilingual Contexts.

The research interest of Jim Cummins is true of language development and the development of literacy in students of English as a foreign language in the context of the multilingual school. Here he particularly concerned with linguistic and educational barriers that can hinder academic success of students with a different cultural background in the way, and with the possibility of a technological support for the promotion of language skills.

  • 3.1 Books
  • 3.2 Test Development

Academic work

In 1971, Cummins joined the National University of Ireland with a degree in Applied Psychology. His Ph.D. title he earned at the University of Alberta in the Department of Educational Psychology in 1974.

He has published widely on the topics of second language acquisition and Literalitätsentwicklung and has worked as a consultant for language planning in the school context at various international institutions. Cummins developed two hypotheses by which conflicting results from previous studies to be declared a Zweitsprachwerb ( for example, large differences between the results of the Canadian immersion programs and those of Submersions programs).

BICS and CALP

The distinction between BICS and CALP was introduced by Cummins in 1979. It is based, inter alia, to Skutnabb - Kangas on the work of and Toukomaa (1976); they had observed in studies of Finnish immigrant children that students who had already completed a basic education in their country of origin, the second language learned better and faster. BICS ( Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills ): These are basic conversational language skills that form the basis for the manifestation of language in the direct personal exchange. They are language-dependent, are used in an informal context and do not require higher cognitive performance. Studies of Cummins and Virginia Collier showed that students acquire age-appropriate conversational skills in the L2 after a relatively short learning time of 1-3 years, when they are faced sufficiently with the L2. CALP ( Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
): This as well: "literacy -related skills" ( written language language skills) called cognitive- academic Sprachprofizienz forms the basis for the manipulation of language in decontextualized " academic " situations and in dealing with written language. It is not directly talked bound and implies that a student thinking in the language and you can pick up course material with their help. Cummins and Collier go because of their research results on the assumption that students will need 5-7 years to acquire CALP in the L2 when they are already literalized in the L1. For students who do not have good written language skills ( "literacy ") in the L1, this process can take 7-10 years to complete. CALP varies in contrast to the BICS greatly between speakers of a language.

A linguistic definition of the BICS / CALP distinction is sought by Cummins nor claimed.

Think -tank model

In his think-tank Model Cummins postulated " a parent, associated with language, but the individual language neutral knowledge repository or a general thinking skills that can be fed and developed simultaneously across multiple languages ​​" (). These skills he called CUP (common underlying proficiency ). In German, the terms of this " cross-language cognitive potential," or " general linguistic competence " are used.

Double - iceberg model of bilingual Sprachprofizienz

To illustrate CUP Cummins uses the image of an iceberg, a large part is located under water and is therefore not visible; this is CUP, ie the cross-linguistic cognitive potential. However, to see the language-bound surface phenomena ( "surface features" ), such as Articulation patterns and grammatical control systems. In the case of a bilingual person, there are two " icebergs " ("First language surface feature" and "Second language surface feature" ).

Interdependence hypothesis ( Interdependence Hypothesis )

This hypothesis postulates that the L2 development is dependent on the state of the L1 at the time of the first intense confrontation with the L2 (eg at the start of schooling): If the competencies in were L1 is not sufficiently developed at this time, can an intensive negative impact contact with the L2 in the early school years on the development of L1. This in turn affects the development of L2.

Threshold hypothesis (Threshold Hypothesis )

This threshold level hypothesis also called hypothesis attempts to explain the cognitive and academic consequences of different forms of bilingualism. It postulates a dependence of the cognitive- academic skills of language skills in both languages. Cummins believes that there are thresholds that must exceed a bilingual child, so that bilingualism can positively affect his cognitive- academic skills. The first threshold must be exceeded in both languages, so that there are no adverse effects on cognitive development. If this threshold is not exceeded, created Semilingualismus: no sufficient expertise are in both languages. If the language skills above the first threshold, there is a dominant bilingualism: In one of the two languages ​​is an age-appropriate competence. Positive effects on cognitive development arose only after exceeding the second threshold. In this case, it is an additive bilingualism: in both languages ​​is an age-appropriate competence.

Numerous models and programs have been developed on the basis of these hypotheses, which had the objective to involve the L1 in the school education and promote.

Awards and Recognition

Works

  • Cummins, J.: Language, power, and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters, Clevedon in pressure.
  • Cummins, J.: Negotiating identities: Education for empowerment in a diverse society. (Greek translation). Gutenberg, Athens, 1999.
  • Cummins, J. & Sayers, D.: Brave new schools: Challenging cultural illiteracy through global learning networks. St. Martin's Press, New York 1995/1997.
  • Cummins, J.: Language learning and bilingualism. Sophia University, Tokyo in 1991.
  • Cummins, J., Baker, Colin, Hornberger, Nancy H.: An Introductory Reader to the Writings of Jim Cummins.Channel View Publications, Bristol, 2001.
  • Cummins, J. & Danesi, M.: Heritage languages ​​: The development and denial of Canada 's linguistic resources. Our Schools / Our Selves and Garamond Press, Toronto 1990.
  • Samuda, RJ, Kong, SL, Cummins, J., Lewis, J. & Pascal -Leone, J.: Assessment and placement of minority students. C. J. Hofgrefe and ISSP, Toronto 1989.
  • Cummins, J.: Empowering minority students. California Association for Bilingual Education, Sacramento 1989.
  • Cummins, J. & Swain, M.: Bilingualism in education: Aspects of theory, research and policy. Longman, London 1986.
  • Cummins, J.: Bilingualism and special education: Issues in assessment and pedagogy. Multilingual Matters, Clevedon 1984.
  • Cummins, J.: Heritage language education: A literature review. Ministry of Education, Toronto 1983.
  • Cummins, J.: Bilingualism and minority language children. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, 1981.

Test Development

  • Ana F. Munoz- Sandoval, Jim Cummins, G. Alvarado, Mary L. Ruef: Bilingual Verbal Abilities Test. Riverside Publishers, 2005.
Jim Cummins (ice hockey) Name Authority File
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