CEFR-Toolkit
Toolkit for using the CEFR and CEFR/CV efficiently
This homepage aims to provide pathways through the CEFR-jungle. This is based on results drawn from collaboration of and with CEFR & LP SIG and members and researchers. This expression and idea "toolkit" was introduced by Judith Runnels (2017: toolkit, 2015: tool) and it was used for the Kaken proposal (Kaken-3). The term was elaborated in the EPS 6 book publication (September 2017: pages 41-42)
In order to address teacher's needs classified materials to produce "a hypothetical toolkit which contextualises ... management for successful implementation of the CEFR. Figure 5 illustrates this proposed CEFR implementation toolkit for application in any context with a variety of stakeholders involved in using the CEFR." (Citated from Schmidt, Runnels, Nagai 2017: page 41)
The three pilars are (1) Understanding, (2) Resources, and (3) Training.
The term 'toolkit' was then used during presentations of CEFR & LP SIG in 2017, at the presentation at JACET conference 2017 and JALT conference 2017. One outcome to address this wish for a toolkit, was the book publication 2020.
There is another aim to provide a toolkit online, which this homepage is trying to provide. Please help with building this Toolkit homepage.
For a toolkit please have a look at the VIT Toolkit at the ECML Homepage.
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Helpful Links for using the CEFR
The site of the Council of Europe. Almost all tools are available for free. https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/documents
For information in Japanese you can see the web-site of the CEFR-J http://www.cefr-j.org/index.html
and the Resources: http://www.cefr-j.org/download.html
For Japanese, I always recommend the website of the Japan Foundation (JF Standard, Japanese as a foreign language), which is under re-construction at the moment: https://jfstandard.jp
Especially: https://jfstandard.jp/summary/ja/render.do
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The Japanese translation of the CEFR - Companion Volume amended Version 3 is now online available and has been slightly amended and is available at the German Goethe Institute Tokyo.
The text reads in Japanese:
「言語の学習、教授、評価のためのヨーロッパ共通参照枠 - 新能力記述文を伴うCEFR随伴版」（2020年欧州評議会発行Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment: Companion Volume with New Descriptors）の日本語訳をこちらでご覧いただけます。
Direct download:
言語の学習、教授、評価のためのヨーロッパ共通参照枠 - 新能力記述文を伴うCEFR随伴版(PDF, 6 MB)
Related URL Goethe Institute: https://www.goethe.de/ins/jp/ja/spr/unt/ger.html#i6459003
随伴版 suihan-ban
It will be published on the COE HP, too. Please check regularly on www.coe.int/lang-cefr
English Vocabulary Profile (EVP) British English English Profile - EVP Online
English Grammar Profile EGP) English Profile - EGP Online
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Designing a support system for innovative CEFR-informed language education
One of the purposes of the Kaken (Kaken-3) project “Designing a support system for innovative language education” is to develop a portal site to help all stakeholders who are engaged in innovative language education reforms based on the CEFR and the CEFR/CV.
The project aimed to accomplish:
(1) Seek for CEFR related resources and identify information on the philosophy and purposes of the CEFR, syllabus and curriculum design, learners’ assessment, and devices for teacher training.
(2) Edit and arrange the information identified in a user-friendly manner and put them up in a portal site
(3) Operate the portal site and examine its usability.
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Runnels, Judith (2015): Usage of the CEFR and CEFR-J in Japanese Universities: Preliminary survey results. FLP SIG Newsletter no. 14, page 8 - 18.
Schmidt, Maria Gabriela; Runnels, Judith & Nagai, Noriko (2017): The past, the present and future of the CEFR in Japan. In: Fergus O'Dwyer et al. (ed.) Critical, Constructive Assessment of CEFR-informed Language Teaching in Japan and Beyond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (EnglishProfile Studies (EPS) 6. 18-48.
Toolkit - CEFR TOOL BOX
Share your CEFR-tool
In this section you find CEFR-related tools shared with members of JALT CEFR & LP SIG, to be used by the wider CEFR-community in Japan and beyond.
The CEFR and CEFR/CV is used world wide in many ways and contexts. There are two main challenges we may face trying to use it, one is to find and sort out the relevant information for your purpose, and second get aquainted with the contents and the tools to use it effciently for your context. Many teachers ask for a tool box. In order to do so we will start to share those tools which were presented at the "Share your CEFR-tool - meeting" and during other events. This is an exchange on CEFR-related tools which help us to implement the CEFR and CEFR/CV successfully, so it is intended as a round table peer-support-whispering event from practitioners to practitioners.
TOOLKIT 1 - CEFR DESCRIPTOR - QUIZLET (S. Allen)
(Last update November 5th, 2024 MGS)
Coming Soon
Links to further information その他の情報へのリンク
About the CEFR (English): CEFRについて(英語)：
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/common_framework.html
(Japanese): 国際交流基金『ヨーロッパにおける日本語教育とCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages』での日本語での説明
http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jgg/jggla/library/cef_verzeichnis.html
About the ELP (English)：ヨーロッパ言語ポートフォリオについて(英語)：
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/main_pages/introduction.html
(Japanese): 国際交流基金『ヨーロッパにおける日本語教育とCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages』での日本語での説明
http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/publish/japanese/euro/pdf/01-4.pdf
Perspectives on the CEFR from Professor Majima, Osaka University: CEFRについて,
「語学到達度評価」のリンクを参考して下さい(Japanese):
http://homepage.mac.com/jmajima1/bukosite/home.html
2009 Symposium on the CEFR (English/Japanese):
http://homepage.mac.com/jmajima1/bukosite/cef/Symposium.html
A comprehensive guide to using the European Language Portfolio for teachers and teacher trainers:
教員や教員養成のためのヨーロッパ言語ポートフォリオの使用に対する包括的なガイド
www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/documents/ELPguide_teacherstrainers.pdf
A downloadable electronic ELP: ダウンロードできるヨーロッパ言語ポートフォリオ
Autobiography of Intercultural encounters. This document, taken from a pilot project of the Council of Europe, is meant to encourage to think about and learn from the intercultural encounters. These documents should be available in the same location where this LP can be downloaded.
『異文化体験に関する自己記録』これは、Council of Europeによる予備プロジェクトの中で、学習者が異文化体験について考え、そこから学んでいくことを促進するために作られました。この言語ポートフォリオと同じウェブサイトからダウンロードすることができます。
See here for information about previous events FLP SIG related events:
☆ see detailed information on the left
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2015
November 22nd, 2015 - JALT International in Shizuoka
FLP SIG Forum & FLP SIG AGM
Presentations of FLP SIG members and CEFR related presentations
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July 17th, 2015 - Pragmatic SIG - presentation
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June 6th and 7th, 2015: 2nd Conference on Critical, constructive assessment on the CEFR at Tokai University, Takagawa Campus (near Tokyo, Shinagawa). Conference chair: Naoyuki Naganuma and Maria Gabriela Schmidt. Keynote speaker: Yukio Tono "CEFR-J".
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April 18th, 2015: Shinshu Chapter, Matsumoto, 2:00pm - 5:00pm. Morten Hunke's (FLP SIG) talk on Implementing CEFR and Can-do Descriptors.
Can-do Statements & Assessment in a Japanese Context
The CEFR and can-do descriptors are not news anymore in Japan. But does that mean we all understand all the multifaceted implications, possibilities, and limitations of them as tools to enhance our teaching and our students learning? Certainly not. Many of us are simply being told to use them. MEXT expects institutions in the education sector to implement them, and our school administration may expect us to implement the CEFR or CEFR-J at the curriculum or classroom level. How does one go about such a feat? How can we ensure that the CEFR is implemented effectively, and not merely as a top-down adaptation of yet another framework? How do we not lose sight of our students' and our needs as learners and educators?
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May 16th & 17th, 2015: PAN SIG in Kobe. FLP SIG Presentation on May 16th (Saturday): "Narratives included: The wider scope of the CEFR"
The Common European Framework of Reference is often discussed with topics such as learner autonomy, (self-)assessment or the well-known can do statements, giving the impression of a linguistic only, restricted evaluation tool. The flexibility and the wider scope of the CEFR are often not discussed, neglecting the benefits of the inner concept. This presentation will show that aspects such as literature, pragmatics, and culture are part of it. The implementation of the CEFR in France is one example of how literature and culture are integrated in the foreign language education. Other implementations (e. g. Germany, Japan) will be compared and discussed.
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March 18th, 2015 German Pedagogy Seminar "Learner Autonomy"
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March 15th, 2015 - Expo Lingua by JACET ESP-Kanto: Symposium ""
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February 2015
>> CEFR-informed textbook published (Result from Kaken project I)
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February - Poster presentation at Bremen University (Germany)
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2014
May - PAN SIG Miyazaki - JOINT SIG Forum
May - ☆☆ Critical, constructive assessment of the CEFR, Conference in Nagoya
August - AILA Brisbane
September - CERCLES Fribourg
November - FLP SIG Forum JALT Annual in Tsukuba
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2013
May - ☆PAN SIG Nagoya
October - ☆FLP SIG Forum at JALT National
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2012
April - ☆☆Start of the Kaken project I - CEFR-informed textbook
July - ☆JACET ESP-Kanto and FLP SIG: CEFR and Kaken project
October - ☆FLP SIG Forum at JALT National in Shizuoka
December - ☆CEFR and Japan Standards (Mid-term report)
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2011
April - Joint event in
September >> application for Kaken project I - CEFR-informed textbook
November - ☆JALT FLP SIG Forum at JALT National in Yoyogi
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2010
May - ☆PAN SIG
June - ☆Nakasendo
August - ☆David Newby
November - ☆☆Book on Can do statements published
November - ☆SIG Forum at JALT National in Nagoya
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2009
March - ☆Spring Seminar at Momoyama Gakuin University
June - ☆Summer Seminar at TUFS
September - ☆Tony Green at Keio University
November - ☆FLP SIG Forum at JALT National in Shizuoka
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(renewed September 29th, 2015 MGS)
Designing a support system for innovative CEFR-informed language education
The purpose of this new Kaken project “Designing a support system for innovative language education” is to develop a portal site to help all stakeholders who are engaged in innovative language education reforms based on the CEFR. The project aims to accomplish the following through the academic years of 2016 to 2018:
(1) Seek for CEFR related resources and identify information on the philosophy and purposes of the CEFR, syllabus and curriculum design, learners’ assessment, and devices for teacher training.
(2) Edit and arrange the information identified in a user-friendly manner and put them up in a portal site
(3) Operate the portal site and examine its usability.
Outcome of this research project is the following book:
July 2020: We are happy to announce the publication of our 4th book as a result of our kaken research project no. 16K02835:
Noriko Nagai, Gregory C. Birch, Jack Bower, Maria Gabriela Schmidt
CEFR-informed Learning, Teaching and Assessment: A Practical Guide.
Springer 2020. ISBN 9789811558931. To introduce the book see https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811558931
MGS October 12th, 2024
This page, which is under construction, contains material for the workshops.
Please click handout for the "Using (CEFR) can do statements, and learning cycles" workshop handout
CEFR & LP SIG on Language Portfolio
The language portfolio in a tool for foreign language education. A core concept of the CEFR is the learner as social agent and language learning a life long process. The European Language Portfolio (ELP) was promoted from the beginning. On this page you will find information related to the language portfolio and its use and implementation in various learning and teaching contexts.
For the Language Portfolio for Japanese University (pdf downloads) please scroll down!
Link zur AKS Arbeitsgruppe Sprachenportfolio
Language Portfolio Roundtable Talk - working group
Re-conceptualizing
the European Language Portfolio (ELP)
- Looking forward
Portfolio related events
Language Portfolio Roundtable Talk - working group - 6th meeting
Spring 2023
is actually in the planning stage
You are welcome. To sign up please use the following link: Roundtable Talk Signup form
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The working group 5th meeting of the Language Portfolio Roundtable Talk was held on October 29th, 2022 from 3:30 pm to 5 pm, online.
Presenter: Kathleen Mitchell, Fergus O’Dwyer & Laoise Sutton (Marino Institute of Education)
Theme: Reflective ePortfolio practices to facilitate effective self-regulation
in an English for Academic Purposes module
Kathleen Mitchell, Fergus O’Dwyer & Laoise Sutton (Marino Institute of Education)
Reflective ePortfolio practices to facilitate effective self-regulation
in an English for Academic Purposes module
Actual planning stage: As the e-portfolio is taking more ground, we are planning to invite speakers with a action oriented case study on the implementation of an e-portfolio in an European context. The presentation will be available beforehand and we will see the presentation in the beginning. At 4 pm the presenters will join and we will be able to discuss the study. Details are coming soon.
The meeting will give as well an opportunity to share and exchange on portfolio implementations.
Abstract:
This presentation examines student reflective practices in the compilation of an ePortfolio on an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) module as part of a Foundation programme in an Irish tertiary institution. The aim of these digital teaching and learning strategies is to provide students with greater personal choice, innovation and ownership of their learning.
Over 100 EAP students output various products in the year-long module including research essays, seminar discussions, presentations, reading, writing and listening exams. Learners are free to design and select their content which includes, but is not limited to, multimedia podcasts and videos prepared alone or with peers, evidence of the process and peer-reviewed writing drafts and final submissions, reactions to lecturer feedback, reflective journal entries, and personal blogs or vlogs.
End-of-course questionnaires and reflective journal entries are examined with data analysis focusing on the affective aspects of the process (e.g., how they contribute to future academic development). This is followed up by focus group sessions with selected learners to review their portfolio content and their feelings about the process in general. Analysis shows that the reflective practices have a positive influence on learners’ levels of self-regulation in writing. The reflection improves academic skills like effective implementation of learning and time management strategies, appropriate response to academic expectations and requirements, ultimately nurturing autonomous and strategic learners by enhancing levels of self-direction and self-awareness. The ePortfolio is central to closing (and restarting) the loop in an iterative learning cycle of self-assessment, goal-setting, action (e.g. essay writing) and reflection, couched within an action-oriented approach (North & Piccardo 2019).
Our conclusion will discuss implications about the effectiveness of reflective ePortfolio processes, and will look forward to how current practices can be modified and adapted to suit individual learner needs.
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Working group - 4th meeting of the working group held on June 4th, 2022 from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Theme: Towards the e-portfolio
We will read in preparation the article Is a self-regulatory eELP the way forward? A reflection on two decades of achievements and failures of the ELP from Maria José Luelmo del Castillo (Rey Juan Carlos University) & Maria Luisa Pérez Cavana (Open University), CEFR Journal - Research and Practice, Volume 3 (October 2021), page 6-20, available at this homepage.
The fourth meeting continued the inspiring and engaging exchange.
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Sharing experience using a language portfolio in each context. Discussion and planning.
Working group - 3rd meeting held on March 2nd, 2022 (Wed) from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Theme: The language portfolio and learner autonomy
Report on the 3rd Portfolio Roundtable Talk The language portfolio and learner autonomy Reported by Takanori Omura (Soka University) On March 2nd, the third Portfolio Roundtable Talk was held online. The number of participants was not large but we could have not only participants in Japan but also participants from other countries making this roundtable highly international. This time two inspiring presentations were given by Prof. Takanori Omura and Prof. Gregory Birch who are engaged in the CEFR&LP SIG’s KAKEN project. Despite the small number of participants, the discussion on the theme was deep and made the meeting productive and beneficial for all of us. Presentation 1 - Prof. Takanori Omura (the writer for this report) Title: The relationship between university students’ learner autonomy and their attitude towards the electronic portfolio I am not sure how to report my own presentation from my own perspective because it might become subjective rather than objective. Thus, I’d like to focus on the prime points of my presentation and devote more space on the discussion after this section. This presentation was about one of the small-scale projects that are the core for the CEFR & LP SIG’s KAKEN project. I began this small-scale project last year, with some instruments implemented in my classes, collecting data, and the project is still ongoing. During the process, the group meeting (Language Portfolio and Learner Autonomy) and the general meeting related to KAKEN project have made me reflecting on my research and modify my research design to improve quality. For instance, my focus was “the effect of an e-portfolio on Learner Autonomy”, but I shifted the focus to “The relationship between Learner Autonomy and the students’ attitude towards an electronic portfolio” by observing how other people in the project designed their research or the presentations in the second portfolio roundtable. Also, Gregory Birch’s feedback was always powerful and encouraged me to improve my research. One of the aims of my research is to investigate the correlation between the degree of learner autonomy and the students’ attitude towards the e-portfolio. And, it was so delightful to present my findings which seemed to be interesting enough to draw attention from the participants. As mentioned earlier, this was not the initial focus of my research but fortunately, it turns out that some results in relation to this focus seem to be extremely valuable for discussion. As the surveys include both closed-ended and open-ended questions, and the semi-structured interviews provide the qualitative data, I can analyze the data from two sides, the quantitative side and the qualitative side. The slides I prepared for the presentation this time might have been a little overwhelming, and I should have skipped some slides that I wanted to discuss due to the time constraint, which was what I had predicted to some degree. Although I have had experiences presenting the present research in several conferences such as Thailand TESOL, Glo CALL conference, and the CAM TESOL conference, it is always challenging for me to fit the present research, which keeps developing and has a lot of room to be reshaped, in the available presentation time. Nevertheless, that is why my passion for research never fades away. The challenges confronting, interaction with other individuals, and a wealth of feedback from others always makes me feel that I’m still developing, and they can be either fuel or a mental burden depending on how I deal with them. Discussion Dmitri Leontjev (one of the participants) brought up the topic, which was very vital for the theme of this roundtable talk giving the discussion momentum. How should we define autonomy? Is autonomy where one works on by oneself without others? Don’t we as educators make our students believe that learning autonomously is to work alone (which should not be the case)? We should think more of what exactly autonomous learning means, in short, the difference between autonomous learning and independent learning before we tell our students how to learn autonomously. A study about the clarification of autonomous learning and independent learning by Benson, P., and Voller, P. (2014) is a good start on this topic. Andrew Tweed too (one of participants) commented on this topic, “pointing out the difference between autonomous learning (自律学習) and independent learning (自立学習) would help students to understand the nuance between autonomous and independent learning”. Viewing the point from this angle is so insightful. Let me introduce a quote from Benson (2013) regarding this topic. When independence is used as a synonym of autonomy, its opposite is dependence, which implies excessive reliance on the direction of teachers or teaching materials. One problem with the use of this term, however, is that it can also be understood as the opposite of interdependence, which implies working together with teachers and other learners towards shared goals. (p. 15) This is such an essential topic, which must be appropriate enough to discuss in the future roundtable talk. Then Gregory’s comment made our discussion move on to the next topic, which is regarding “reactive autonomy”. Littlewood (1999: 75) has distinguished the meanings of “proactive” and “reactive” autonomy based on two levels of self-regulation. Proactive autonomy “regulates the direction of activity as well as the activity itself”, while reactive autonomy “regulates the activity once the direction has been set”. Moreover, the author explains that reactive autonomy is an idea, which is useful in educational settings to clarify a capacity that “once a direction has been initiated, enables learners to organize their resources autonomously in order to reach their goal”. This distinction of two types of autonomy clearly suggests that we should put into consideration that students in the context where they are required to do classroom activities have opportunities to exercise autonomy but it is reactive autonomy. Considering this, the instrument that I have been using might not be suitable for measuring learner autonomy in an accurate way. This is another important point to improve my research in the next cycle, and having a problem pointed out in one’s research through discussing with other individuals is a huge advantage of action research. Some questions regarding the e-portfolio asked by Andrew were so helpful for me to think of how to improve the e-portfolio for the next cycle. One of them was about the learning log. In fact, after implementing the e-portfolio in my classes, I found it so difficult to have students stick to logging their study using the portfolio. Lastly, Motoko Teraoka (one of the participants) asked about the way of using the e-portfolio, which raised a quite meaningful topic for this roundtable. Although it is significantly recognized that an e-portfolio could function to boost learner autonomy in general, the method of e-portfolio use seems to differ among teachers. What is an e-portfolio for? What is the main purpose? How should it be used in the classroom? These are what we would like to discuss and share our thoughts next time. Presentation 2 - Prof. Gregory Birch Title: Using an online European Language Portfolio (e-ELP) to promote learner autonomy This presentation is also about one of the small-scale projects of the KAKEN project. Although both small-scale projects deal with the promotion of learner autonomy with e-portfolio use, each of our research projects seems to be quite different with regards to its approach. Gregory’s focus in his research is to investigate how the students “acquire the metacognitive knowledge and the metacognitive skills believed necessary to take control of their learning” according to the abstract. In his presentation, what impressed me the most was that he stressed we should be careful when we define autonomy, which is related to what we discussed earlier and the topic about the difference between autonomous learning and independent learning. I believe that the quote from Benson (2013), which is “autonomy does not mean independence from the teacher”, which Gregory has used in his research precisely explains what he wants to convey and his belief. As Gregory and other participants stated, it seems that many people and perhaps many Japanese might not have considered the definition of autonomy in this way. He pointed out that many Japanese students imagine that autonomy is to study by themselves when they hear the word. It’s so interesting to realize this fact based on his analysis showing several aspects such as the interview results. In addition, he proposed that there is an unignorable issue in the instrument (i.e. the Autonomous Learning Scale (Macaskill & Taylor, 2010)), in which some questions might lead the students to misconceive learner autonomy. As I use the same scale in my research, his identification of this issue has become an important signal for me to review my methodology as well. It seems true that many Japanese imagine that autonomy is to study alone. However, it leaves us an interesting discussion to dig into, which is “What are the factors that make people regard autonomy as such?”, and “Shouldn’t we have the cultural background in our mind when we define autonomy?; in other words, “Is there some cultural background that it is totally fine to imagine that autonomy is to study alone?” Another thing that was impressive listening to his presentation was his clear vision of how he is going to revise the intervention and the research plan. He has pointed out some issues and possible solutions in his implementation, and his research plans for the next cycle. For instance, in the goal setting activity, he found that some students didn’t complete the form, or even if they completed the form, the process was linear (i.e. They didn’t go back to revise previous answers). To tackle these issues, he thinks providing some examples would help students. I believe that this attempt is an element and the true value of action research that we are trying to demonstrate. The overall goal of his research is how the ELP can be improved and revised to further promote learner autonomy and help improve language proficiency. It seems that there are still a number of steps to take; however, I have no doubt he will show us fascinating results in the near future. Discussion Dmitri brought up the topic of a positionality that consists of the role of teacher and the role of researcher. This should be one of the debatable topics especially in action research where the educator and the researcher are generally the same person. Obviously, too much bias would ruin the research data and the analysis part, but there are also huge advantages considered, such as the flexibility of research plan and availability of more data. It should be noted that the relationship between the teacher and the students plays a role in order to take these advantages. I think that it is human nature to have a feeling of wanting to help others. In addition, he suggested monitoring the change of the students’ expectation of the teacher and the course at the beginning and end of the course, which should be helpful to provide a different viewpoint for the research. It’s important to see if the students feel any responsibility for their learning or how much responsibility they feel before and after the implementation, which is directly associated with an element of learner autonomy. Andrew commented on the Language Learning History, which is one of the instruments in Gregory’s research, and suggested how much freedom the teacher should give the students when the teacher allows them to choose some questions to answer. In relation to this issue, he mentioned that the cognitive and linguistic demand deriving from the questions are placed on the students, and these issues often seem to appear when the English proficiency level of students is quite low. Gregory is wisely dealing with this kind of issue mainly by organizing or curating the questions in the Language Learning History that he borrows from Murray (2009) so that his students can recognize what kind of questions they are more easily. As Andrew pointed out, it is extremely difficult to keep a balance between the freedom students can exercise and the constraints teachers impose when we take the researcher’s role because we can’t force students to do something. Thus, I believe that the rapport between the two sides always matters. Educators always want students to feel freedom to some degree and to feel free to do the tasks instead of being forced to do them by the teacher. We can create the best point where the students are given a certain freedom, and at the same time they can be active and cooperative enough to be helped by the teacher and help themselves if we build the humanistic rapport with the students. Wrap-up Maria Gabriela Schmidt (the organizer of this roundtable) wrapped up the meeting with some interesting thoughts. She pointed out that Japanese students are generally educated with the emphasis of “by oneself” in Japanese education. Therefore, the term autonomy is often perceived as a way to study by themselves in Japanese society. She went on to say that cooperation is considered vital in Japan as other nations, but what in fact can be observed here is “concerted interaction”, which significantly differs from the group interaction in European contexts. Thus, we should always keep this cultural background in mind when discussing autonomy. References Benson, P. (2013). Teaching and researching: Autonomy in language learning. Routledge Benson, P., & Voller, P. (2014). Autonomy and independence in language learning. Routledge. Littlewood, W. (1999). Defining and developing autonomy in East Asian contexts. Applied Linguistics 20(1): 71–94. Macaskill, A., & Taylor, E. (2010). The development of a brief measure of learner autonomy in university students. Studies in higher education, 35(3), 351–359. Murray, G. (2009). A self-directed learning course. In A. Smith & G. Strong (Eds.) Adult Language Learners: Context and Innovation, (61-70). TESOL. This report is available in Newsletter #34 (April 2022).
Working group - 2nd meeting held on January 29th, 2022 from 2 to 4 pm Theme: Forms of feedback and how to support peer-feedback.
The report is in preparation.
Working group - 1st meeting October 23rd, 2021 from 2 to 4 pm First meeting with introducing the experience with the language portfolio so far. Sharing experience using a language portfolio in each context. Discussion and planning. * * * * * * * Resources Language Portfolio for Japanese University The bilingual (English/Japanese) "Language Portfolio for Japanese University" (LP) is based on the CercleS ELP (www.cercles.org). The Language Portfolio for Japanese University is available click here (pdf format; 18 pages), - Along with an Appendix for Language Portfolio for Japanese Universities click here, with checklists in English for each skill and level (Japanese translations provided; pdf format), - A teacher manual is available: Teacher Manual click here, (pdf format) - A version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in English (see CoE for CEFR 2001, CEFR/CV 2018 and CEFR/CV 2020) and Japanese (for printing use/see page 8 of the Language Portfolio). - If you are interested in separate documents (both MS Word and pdf formats), plus the complete portfolio and appendix in MS Word format) please contact us. You maybe interested in reading this paper which deals with use of the LP in classes in a Japanese university. Please note that this Language Portfolio, with a basic design, is open to improvement. Please let us know your feedback in order to improve and create a better version. Volunteering to implement changes is an option. JALT CEFR & Language Portfolio SIG (former Framework & Language Portfolio SIG) (Updated on July 22nd, 2023 MGS)
The CEFR & ELP?
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
In the early 1990’s a group of European language course providers worked together to find solutions to the following well-known problem: how can we communicate and how can we understand what kind and what degree of language knowledge is certified through a particular examination result, diploma, or certificate? On the one hand they were looking for an answer in a common reference system, on the other hand looking for ways that examinations, diplomas, and so on could be described transparently. The results of a Council of Europe symposium were that an extensive, coherent, and transparent reference grid to describe communicative language competences was to be developed. This reference grid eventually became the CEFR which since its publication in 2001 has taken the world of language testing by storm.
There are six levels: A1- and A2-Basic User；B1- and B2-Independent User; C1- and C2-Proficient User in relation to five skills: listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, and writing (see following page). The CEFR provides us with a detailed scheme for describing language use. These common reference levels can be used as a starting point for the elaboration of language syllabi and curriculum guidelines and the design of assessment.
The use of the CEFR continues to spread. Syllabus designers, course book publishers, and language test providers worldwide (including the Cambridge ESOL and TOEIC and TOEFL tests within Europe) seek to align their exams to the CEFR for reasons of transparency and coherence. The government of Hong Kong has adopted the CEFR for language assessment and the whole education policy of New Zealand has been redeveloped and renamed in a way that closely follows the structure of the CEFR itself.The Osaka University of Foreign Studies, with support from the Ministry of Education, uses the CEFR for curriculum design and assessment on a class and language department level for all 25 languages studied there. The Ministry of Education is currently studying the CEFR and its application. A printable version of the CEFR is available at:
*** <Link will be replaced soon>
It can also be downloaded below (this is copyright of the Council of Europe).
The European Language Portfolio?
The European Language Portfolio (ELP) was conceived along with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in 1991. Pilot projects followed from 1998 to 2000; by 2008 ninety seven ELPs had been validated from twenty six Council of Europe (COE) members and 4 International nongovernmental organizations. The European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education (CERCLES) ELP designed for use in university language education is used in some 250 language centres from 21 European countries.
The guiding principles of the ELP include: it is the property of the learner; it values competence in a positive way; it promotes learning inside and outside the classroom; it takes a lifelong perspective on learning of languages; and it is based on the CEFR. The FLP SIG has developed a bilingual (English/Japanese) language portfolio"Language Portfolio for Japanese University" , based on the CercleS ELP mentioned above, and teachers manual.
**See the "Language Portfolio for Japanese University" tab below for more details of this Language Portfolio**
The principal aim of the LP is to motivate students to take responsibility for their own learning by facilitating self-evaluation and the setting of clear language learning goals. The LP allows teachers and learners to plan for, reflect on and record progress in learning activities.
The LP consists of 3 parts:
1. The Language Passport: The main goal of the Language Passport is to help students assess their competencies in the language(s) being learned as well as the growth in these competencies. Learners may also record learning and intercultural experiences here.
2. The Language Biography: The Language Biography is used to set learning targets and regularly assess progress in order to develop the learner’s sense of responsibility for the learning process.
3. The Dossier: This is used to keeps samples of work so as to show evidence of language learning competencies and progress to the learner, teacher and others.
In the language passport learners periodically summarises their proficiency using the self-assessment grid (CEFR). Each skill is further broken into checklists of can do statements or tasks for each level and skill (see Figure 1 for an example). These checklists of can do statements can be used when the first-time user is unsure of their level during self-assessment and later to identify learning targets, select learning activities and materials, monitor learning progress, and evaluate learning outcomes (formative self-assessment)
As noted at the JALT 2008 forum the SIGs’ focus should be wide and include other frameworks (e.g. Canadian Language Benchmarks) also. We will try to focus on these in upcoming newsletters and activities.
Subpages (1): Language Portfolio for Japanese University
CEFR_english.doc (38k)Framework & Language Portfolio SIG, 13 Nov 2009, 00:45
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How to join JALT? - Go to https://jalt.org/main/join
The new JALT Homepage for CEFR & LP SIG (since March 2021):
https://jalt.org/groups/sigs/cefr-and-language-portfolio
The Agenda of the CEFR and Language Portfolio SIG
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (COE, 2001), the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV; COE 2020) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP) can be used in curriculum planning, assessment and other related language-teaching matters ranging from elementary school to university level to life long learning. The JALT CEFR & Language Portfolio SIG (CEFR & LP SIG, former Framework & Language Portfolio SIG (FLP SIG)) is a interest group of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT, https://jalt.org/).
CEFR & LP SIG wants to discuss these CEFR related tools and their relevance for language education in Japan while carrying out projects and communicating the results. There is an emphasis on developing materials to support educators who would like to use these pedagogic tools. Our membership includes educators of several languages.
ヨーロッパ言語共通参照枠(CEFR)とヨーロッパ言語ポートフォリオ(ELP)は、小学校から大学まで幅広く、カリキュラム設計、評価、また、他の言語教育に関連した様々な問題に用いることができる。CEFR & LP SIG（CEFRと言語ポートフォリオ研究部会；2017年まで元フレームワークと言語ポートフォリオ研究部会(FLP SIG)）は、こうした道具が日本の言語教育において、プロジェクトを実施し、その結果を共有していく上で、妥当であるかを議論するために、全国語学教育学会(JALT)において設立された(https://jalt.org/)。
CEFR＆LP SIGは、これらの教育上の道具を利用したいと望む教育者を支援するための資料を開発することに力点を置いており、複数の言語における教育者から構成されている。
Main activities
CEFR & LP SIGの活動 Annual activities are
JALT CEFR & LP SIG / JALT FLP SIGは2008年11月設立以来 (JALT FLP SIG 2009年-2017年11月, JALT CEFR&LP 2017年11月から）
●1日または2日に渡るセミナーが開かれ、CEFRとELPの教室における使用について、自己評価、目標設定、内省などのトピックが取り上げられた。また、イギリスからトニー・グリーン氏を招いて、English Profile プロジェクト(現在ではプログラムと呼ばれている)についての講演会を開催した。
- Seminars held over one and two days with topics such as use of the CEFR, CEFR/CV and the ELP in classrooms with sub-topics such as self-assessment/assessment, goal-setting and reflection. Other seminars have included with invited speakers from England (Tony Green on the topic of the English Profile programme)
●フォーラムや発表がJALTの全国大会(https://jalt.org)において行われた。また、例えば、CUE、中山道、PanSIGなどの、他の国内における学会においても、発表やワークショップを主催した。
Forums and presentations at conferences at the JALT National conference (http://jalt.org/conference). We have also hosted presentations and workshops at other national and international conferences.
CEFR & LP SIG is taking regulary part in JALT's main conferences with SIG Forums and presentations of members:
JALT PanSIG conferences, yearly held mainly in May (see PanSIG HP) . The first PanSIG conference was held in 2002 in Kyoto, FLP SIG (CEFR & LP SIG) participated the first time in 2010 (see PanSIG archive).
JALT International conferences, yearly held mainly in November (see JALT conferences). The first JALT international conference FLP SIG (CEFR & LP SIG) participated in was in 2008 (see JALT conferences (archive since 2010)). And since then every year with a SIG Forum and SIG related presentations.
A report on those Forums and some of the presentations can be found in the SIGs newsletters (Link to SIG Newsletters).
●日本の大学で用いるための2言語表記の言語ポートフォリオを、大学の言語教育者向けのELPであるCercles ELPをもとに編纂し、公開した。
- Our members have compiled the bilingual Language Portfolio for Japanese University (publicly available, based on the Cercles ELP: an ELP for language education in universities)
●2010年11月に初めての出版物である『日本と諸外国におけるCan-Do評価－ヨーロッパ言語共通参照枠(CEFR)の適用』が出版された。
この本は23本の論文から構成されており、教育者が教室に持ち込める具体的な工夫や素材を提供することを目的として出版され、多くの論文がアクション・リサーチに焦点をあてたものとなっている。また他のいくつかの論文では、CEFR、ELP、能力記述文などの開発やその利用に関連した問題を扱っている。
この本はいま売り切れです。2015年5月からe―bookです。
- Several publications see, starting with the first in November 2010: Can do statements in language education in Japan and beyond - Applications of the CEFR -. 23 Research papers, presentations are included in this book: One aim of this publication is to give specific ideas and resources for educators to bring into classrooms. As a result many of the papers in this volume take on an action research focus. Several other papers seek to explain the development and issues regarding use of the CEFR, the ELP and can do statements.
See more details on the SIG and book publications (click here).
JALT CEFR and Language Portfolio Special Interest Group (CEFR & LP SIG, former FLP SIG)
In recent years there is a vivid discussion in Japan about language learning curriculums and frameworks, especially the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR, 2001), the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV, 2020) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP). Since forming the Framework and Language Portfolio Special Interest Group (FLP SIG) in JALT in November 2008, becoming a full voting SIG and changing the name to CEFR & LP SIG in those present sought had gathered interested individuals to garner ideas, discuss developments, and coordinate efforts.
General CEFR & LP SIG contact us via our contact form.
- SIG President: Maria Gabriela Schmidt (At the EBM on February 18th, 2024 the title for the SIG leader was changed to "president").
- SIG Vice President: Takanori Omura
- Treasurer: Alexander Imig
- Membership Chair: Noriko Nagai
- Program Chair: Gregory C. Birch
- Publications : Jack V. Bower
- Publicity: Engel Villareal
- Research Liaison: Naoyuki Naganuma
- Publications support team:
- Officer at Large
- for a more detailed list of officers see the JALT SIGs officer site (click here) and the SIGs site on the jalt.org homepage (click here)
There are many opportunities to help out in the SIG by becoming an officer in large/shadow officer for an officer/area that interests you. As always if there are any events/ideas you would to carry out with the help of the SIG please let us know.
Becoming a member of the SIG join JALT (click here for getting info on joining JALT). Since September 2012 the yearly JALT membership fee includes one Chapter of your choice and one SIG of your choice. You can choose more SIGs for an additional annual fee of 2000 Yen. On the advantages becoming a member of JALT see: click here to learn more about JALT.
Each single member counts for JALT and for each chapter and each SIG as well. With your membership you support the efforts of JALT to foster excellece in professional development and provide a platform for highlevel exchange on practice and research. Please support JALT and CEFR & LP SIG.
To Join JALT http://jalt.org/main/membership
JALT Conference @Twitter: https://twitter.com/JALTConference
JALT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JALT.conference
JALT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/99764
JALT YouTube: http://bit.ly/jaltYTchan
結果 Outcome - publications - visibility of CEFR & LP SIG
Book publications see Book publications
Textbooks see Book publications
Edited volumes see Book publications
SIG Newsletter see Newsletter
CEFR Journal - Research and Practice (since May 2019) see CEFR Journal
Conferences, workshops see Events
Research see Research - Collaborative projects see Kaken 5
Teacher Training see Toolkit (in the making)
JALT CEFR & LP SIG Homepage https://cefrjapan.net
JALT CEFR & LP SIG (JALT Groups SIGs): https://jalt.org/groups/sigs/cefr-and-language-portfolio
JALT CEFR & LP SIG (FLP SIG) https://jalt.org/groups/sigs/cefr-and-language-portfolio
JALT joining jalt https://jalt.org/main/join
研究 Research activities
Research projects: The development of a coherent language teaching system: integration of learning outcomes, teaching materials and assessment methods. Participation in these projects is possible for educators from several languages that are taught in Japan. Please contact the SIG. The proposals namely inculde JALT CEFR & LP SIG (former FLP SIG).
JSPS Grant-in-Aid research projects (in short KAKEN) granted
Kaken 1: ●科研 2012-2015, 結果： EAP textbook
KAKEN I from 2012 to 2015: Outcome: CEFR-informed EAP Textbook (published in 2015), project leader Naoyuki Naganuma.
Kaken 2: ●科研 2014-2016, 結果： EPS6
KAKEN II from 2014 to 2016: Outcome: EPS 6 (published in September 2017), project leader Fergus O'Dwyer.
Kaken 3: ●科研 2016-2019, 結果： Toolkit
KAKEN III from 2016 to 2019: Outcome: Design a toolkit for teachers (see on the HP "TOOLKIT" and to be published in 2020), project leader Maria Gabriela Schmidt.
Kaken 4: ●科研 2019-2022, 結果： Composition
KAKEN IV from 2019 to 2022: Outcome Composition, project leader Alexander Imig.
Kaken 5: ●科研 2020-2023, extended, 結果：Action Research
Kaken V extended to 2024: Outcome edited volume, project leader Maria Gabriela Schmidt.
Kaken 6: ●科研 2021-2024, 結果：CEFR-informed Placement test
Kaken 7: ●科研 2021-2024, 結果：CLIL
今後の活動計画 Future planned activities:
We will continue to hold seminars, forums and participate in conferences. Design tool for teacher training.
◆学会に参加し、セミナーやフォーラムを引き続き開催する。
◆「一貫した言語教育システムの開発－学習結果、教材、評価方法の統合」をテーマとして、のプロジェクトの応募を検討している。
Get involved!
We provide you with reliable up to date trends related to the CEFR and the CEFR/CV and research and help to implement and us the tools successfully!
(Updated: February 20th MGS)
Welcome to the Homepage of JALT CEFR & LP SIG and the theme CEFR in Japan and beyond
This homepage provides information on the use of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) (Council of Europe’s (COE), 2001), the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV; COE, 2020) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and its use in Japan and beyond in the field of foreign language education. We aim to connect to practitioners in foreign language teaching in Japan, Asia and worldwide. The information provided here is from practitioners / researchers to practitioners / researchers sharing and exchanging results on the CEFR, related tools and the huge impact on the foreign language teaching world wide.
JALT CEFR & LP SIG (forming in November 2008 as JALT Framework and Language Portfolio Special Interest Group (FLP SIG), renamed to JALT CEFR & LP SIG in November 2017) had gathered interested individuals to garner ideas, discuss developments, and coordinate efforts. If you want to get involved, you are more than welcome to share. You find on the homepage information on our newsletters, publications, the CEFR Journal - research and practice and other. - JALT is an non-profit organisation, and CEFR & LP SIG is a special interest group. Our modest finances (including royals from publications) are used for SIG events, publications (including Newsletter and CEFR Journal - Research and Practice) and this homepage, to disseminate the results. We are grateful for JSPS Kaken research funding to be able to set up and support this homepage to disseminate the research results.
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☆☆☆☆☆ Thank you for attending the JALT International Conference 2025 is the 51st conference held on October 31st, 2025 (Fri) - November 2nd (Sun), 2025 in downtown TOKYO, in Yoyogi and making it a great success!!!
October 31st, 2025 - November 2, 2025
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Come join the Roundtable talk and the new Kaken Project for Practitioners
In April 2025 the 6th Kaken JSPS research project for JALT CEFR & LP has been granted: It is on Exploratory Action Research and the CEFR as a conceptual tool. We invite all CEFR LP SIG, all JALT members and those colleagues who interested to take part in the new series of Roundtable talk related to the CEFR and exploratory action research, starting on June 28th, 2025.
The CEFR-SIG Roundtable 2025 series offer a collaborative platform for CEFR-LP SIG members and anyone who is interested in Action Research to engage in discussions about their current practices and explore potential interventions for improvement. The Roundtable is designed to meet diverse needs of teachers, practitioners, practitioner-researchers who attempt to conduct action research in order to improve current practice.
The third Roundtable session will take place ONLINE and is scheduled on November 15th, 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm covering the following:
Dr. Noriko Nagai will give an introduction to the ecological approach and the CEFR as an conceptual tool with an hands-on workshop.
- Catching up on the Roundtable Series
An overview of the CEFR-LP SIG Roundtable initiative and its connection to the renewed Action Research Kaken project. - Participant report on their reflection, new comers will get support to join in.
- A chance to get to know each other and share your background and interests
- Discussion Topics
We’ll explore a range of themes, including but not limited to:
- Teaching Methodology: How well do current methods meet learners’ needs?
- Teaching Tools (Online/Offline): Are they accessible and effective for learners?
- Course Content: Does it align with learners’ goals and expectations?
- Instructional Materials: Are they engaging and learner-friendly?
- Language Activities/Tasks: Do they promote active participation and collaboration?
- Classroom Interaction: How effective is communication between teachers and learners, and among peers?
- Collaboration: Do learners understand and engage.
We warmly welcome your participation and insights.
Whether you're just beginning your Action Research journey or have experience to share, your voice is valuable.
- Discussion Topics
You are welcome! See more on CEFR & LP SIG related events and click here
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CEFR Journal - Research and Practice
Volume 7 is available now: click here on CEFR Journal volume 7
Call for CEFR Journal - Research and Practice Volume 7 was published on March 25th, 2025.
Volume 8 will be a special edition and we accept submissions for Volume 9 (2026).
Click CEFR Journal
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CEFR & LP SIG Newsletter no. 42 is published (November 2024)
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Learn more about JALT https://jalt.org/
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2025 provides good opportunities to learn and share about the CEFR & the CEFR/CV in Japan and beyond:
Dates of submission and upcoming events see here or go to Events
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B r e a k i n g N E W S: On November 20th, 2024 our masterpiece has been published. We are happy to announce the publication of
Putting the CEFR into Practice Through Action Research Reflecting on Principles for Foreign Language Teaching
Gregory Birch, Noriko Nagai, Maria Gabriela Schmidt, Jack V. Bower (Editors, Authors)
Mark de Boer, Dmitri Leontjev, Rebecca Schmidt, Engel Villareal, Paul Wicking, Takanori Omura, Colin Rundle (Authors)
Neus Figueras, Brian North, David Little, Fergus O'Dwyer (Guest Commentators)
Springer: Singapore, 2024
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-7545-3
A journey that started in 2020 and took five years of continuous and dedicated work has been completed. We are proud of this accomplishment in JALT and in CEFR & LP SIG. From the contributing authors, eleven are JALT members and five are international guest scholars. Nine are CEFR & LP SIG members, the four editors are officers of CEFR LP SIG. We thank all attendees at our workshops, presentations and everyone who supported us throughout that journey.
See more at books overview and at Putting-the-CEFR-into-Practice-Through-Action-Research - click here
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Noriko Nagai, Gregory C. Birch, Jack Bower, Maria Gabriela Schmidt
CEFR-informed Learning, Teaching and Assessment: A Practical Guide.
Springer 2020. ISBN 9789811558931 (https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811558931).
See more details of the book on the special site here: A Practical Guide
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In April 2025 the 6th Kaken JSPS research project for JALT CEFR & LP has been granted:
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To know more about Upcoming Events Click here for events
Click to go directly to Events / Books / Journal / Research / JALT CEFR&LP SIG / Language Portfolio
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JALT CEFR & LP SIG President
(Last update: November 12th, 2025 MGS)
