An Additive Approach to educating ELLs is one that attempts to add English in addition to the student's native language.

 

A Subtractive Approach is one that generally replaces the student's native language with English. This term is often used by people who disapprove of programs that do not specifically teach in and about the student's native language.

 

LEP (Limited English Proficient) refers to the same group of students as ELL, but is regarded by some as being judgemental or derogatory because it addresses students based on their shortcomings rather than their skills.

 

FEP (Fluent English Proficient) refers to former LEPs or ELLs who are fluent in English.

 

Native Language refers to the language that the student learned first. This is generally the language spoken at home.

 

Native Speaker refers to someone for whom the language being discussed is the native language. For the purposes of this site and most material on Bilingual Education in the United States, Native Speaker refers to a native speaker of English unless otherwise mentioned.

 

BICS refers to social language, often referred to as "Playground English." It generally takes one to three years for a person to develop BICS. While BICS is sufficient for many students in elementary grades, CALP is needed to advance to high level work.

 

CALP refers to formal and academic language. This is the level of language that is needed for a person to explore and communicate complex ideas in the language, and it usually takes 5 to 7 years to develop.