Newsletter
CEFR & LP SIG Newsletter No. 40 - February 2024 - Read here or download the pdf (Click here for NL40)
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CEFR & LP SIG Newsletter No. 40 – February 2024
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Dear members of CEFR & LP SIG,
It is already February, and the plum blossoms are blooming. This time the newsletter will look forward to the next few months.
First will be a SIG organized CEFR Reflection Meeting on March 5th, 2024, from 2:30 pm to 4 pm, with the opportunity to discuss two themes from the report of the Reflection Day (held on June 15th, 2023). See below and in the NL on page 2
Second, a Call for participation for SIG members (until March 4th, 2024) to be part of the CEFR & LP SIG Forum at PanSIG 2024 (May 25-26, 2024).
See below and in the NL on page 2
Third, the announcement of the CEFR-J Symposium on March 23rd, 2024 - See in the NL on page 3
Following are some reports related to JALT and the CEFR & LP SIG.
And this Newsletter will include a short report on the AGM and the survey for voting. Thank you for your cooperation. And it includes the self-evaluation of the CEFR LP SIG for the year 2023, submitted in mid-December 2023. See in the NL pages 3 - 10
Finally, announcements of various conferences upcoming and in 2024. See below and in NL on page 11-.
Please have a look at the events overview for 2024. There might be something for you too.
If you have any news that might be of interest to other members, it would be wonderful if you could share it.
Gabriela Schmidt
SIG President behalf of all officers of CEFR & LP SIG
Comment: At the JALT EBM in Ogaki on February 17th and 18th, 2024, a discussion started about if SIG coordinator is the right term and if “coordinators” should be called “presidents” like the Chapter presidents. A survey among coordinators showed a tendency towards changing the title. After several intensive discussion sessions, a motion was proposed to the EBM, voted on, and passed finally. This led to the change. In JALT the Japanese term for chapter president is 支部長and for SIGs 部会代表.
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TOPIC 1
WANTED – Call for case study presentations from SIG members for PanSIG 2024 CEFR LP SIG Forum
PAN SIG 2024 CEFR LP SIG Forum proposal abstract
Title: Initiating Action Research: Transforming Current Practices with CEFR Key Concepts
Presenters: Maria Gabriela Schmidt, Greg Birch, Noriko Nagai, Jack Bower, Engel Villareal,
+ Anyone who make case study presentations
Abstract
This forum seeks to cultivate a discourse among both novice and experienced practitioner-researchers concerning the implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) within diverse local contexts. The forum begins with a concise exposition of the fundamental philosophical underpinnings of the CEFR, exerting a pervasive influence on all facets of language pedagogy. Emphasis is placed on the conceptualization of the learner as a social agent and the adoption of an action-oriented approach. Then, the forum attempts to elucidate a series of case studies wherein the CEFR has been tailored to accommodate distinct domains of language instruction within various local contexts. This exploration is intended to provide participants with practical insights into the versatile application of the CEFR across different educational settings. Finally, the forum engages in an in-depth examination of the challenges associated with the implementation of the CEFR by novice practitioner-researchers in their pedagogical endeavors. Deliberations encompass potential difficulties and issues that may arise during the adaptation of the CEFR into teaching practices. Furthermore, the forum proffers discerning perspectives on overcoming these challenges, offering essential guidance to facilitate the seamless integration of the CEFR within varied educational environments. (192 words)
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March 5th (Tue), 2024 14:30-16:00 Online,
CEFR & LP SIG – CEFR Reflection Meeting
First will be a SIG organized CEFR Reflection Meeting on March 5th, 2024, from 2:30 pm to 4 pm on
At the meeting we will discuss the report of the CEFR Reflection Day: The CEFR Companion Volume: Enhancing engagement in language education. Reflection Day. held on June 15th, 2023. We will focus on theme 3 and 4, with a general discussion at the end.
- Theme 3: How do action-orientation, mediation and plurilingualism, interrelate and align with recent developments in language education
- Theme 4: How can the CEFRCV support the creation of (digitally-mediated) collaborative learning environments in the post-Covid context?
Further topics of the discussion could be: Assessment for Learning. Mediation. How to integrate CEFR concepts into the actual classes we teach. How to use CEFR ideas in our classes for improving our classes, and for the students improving their language learning.
The other suggestion is to learn and hear more about real-world applications of CEFR tools and materials with first-hand accounts and best practices on how educators are using them to enhance teaching, learning, and assessment at all levels.
This is a very good suggestion and fits with the plans we actually have for 2024, starting a webinar series, with each webinar focusing on a specific area or tool at a particular CEFR level. Let’s meet on March 5th and discuss the next steps.
Events upcoming and in 2024
JALT 2024 submissions are open until March 10th, 2024,
see more details at https://jalt.org/conference/call-proposals
March 5th, 2024: 14:30-16:00 Online, CEFR & LP SIG – CEFR Reflection Meeting
SIG members will receive a link, non-SIG members are asked to sign up at
March 10th, 2024: JACET Language Expo 言語教育エキスポ2024 in person, planned at Chuo University, Myogadani Campus, to sign up ….
March 10th, 2024: JACTFL 12th Symposium at Sophia University, Yotsuya Campus, https://www.jactfl.or.jp/?page_id=3366
March 23rd, 2024 (Sat) CEFR-J Symposium, TUFS, see details in this newsletter
March 23rd, 2024 (Sat) JACET 11th English Language Seminar at Bunkyo University, Koshigaya Campus, CfP until Jan. 31st (Wed), 2024, https://jacet.org/ees/
April 20th, 2024 ICLHE East Asia Regional Group, Symposium in Niigata, https://iclhe-eastasia.mystrikingly.com/
April 27-28, 2024 KOTESOL, Seoul, South-Korea
May – June CEFR Journal Snapshot meeting, Online - date TBA
May 11-12, 2024 DIELE International Hybrid Conference 2024, Diversity and Inclusion in English Language Education, at Soka University, Tokyo, Japan
May 17-19, 2024 JALT CALL, at Meijo University in Nagoya, https://jaltcall.org/jaltcall-2024/
May 24-26, 2024 PanSIG 2024, at the Fukui University of Technology in Fukui. CfP open until January 15th, 2024, See for details: https://pansig.org/ The Shinkansen to Fukui will open in March 2024.
June 4-9, 2024 EALTA in Belfast (Northern Ireland) on Taking stock – Looking at the past, present, and future of language assessment in Europe and beyond. https://www.qub.ac.uk/events/whats-on/listing/ealtaconference2024.html
July 5-6, 2024: TBLT in Asia 2024, Nagoya, Meijo University, Cfp March 15th, 2024 www.tblsig.org/conference
August 11-17, 2024 AILA 2024 conference in Kuala Lumpur, see https://aila2024.com/
August 28-30, 2024 JACET International Convention, at Aichi University, Nagoya Campus, on Positioning ELT in Higher Education, CfP from Jan. 8th – Feb. 8th, 2024, https://www.jacet.org/convention/2024-2/
September 12 - 14, 2024 CercleS conference “Multilingualism & the Anglosphere”, Durham, Great Britain, https://www.dur.ac.uk/departments/centres/foreign-language-study/cercles-2024/call-for-papers/
October 18–19, 2024: Responding to the CEFR Alignment Handbook, Sharing experience of alignment activities and reflecting on lessons learned, Blanquerna – Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Call until April 30th, 2024, see more details at https://www.alte.org/event-5582918
November 15-18, 2024 JALT International 50th Conference 2024 in Shizuoka (Granship), ttps://jalt.org/conference
Call for presentations open until March 10th, 2024, see more details at ttps://jalt.org/conference/call-proposals
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(February 24th, 2024 MGS)
