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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 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 inaugural Roundtable session is scheduled at 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on July 12^th, 2025 !!! covering the following:

1. Introduction to the Roundtable Series
   An overview of the CEFR-LP SIG Roundtable initiative and its connection to the renewed Action Research Kaken project.
2. Participant Introductions
   A chance to get to know each other and share your background and interests
   1. 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 in meaningful peer collaboration?

3. 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.

You are welcome!  See more on CEFR & LP SIG related events and click here

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☆☆☆☆☆  JALT becomes 50 years old as group and organization ☆☆☆☆☆

and 

and JALT International Conference 2025 is the 51st conference! 

Let's celebrated! Thank you for joining us.

October 31st, 2025 (Fri) - November 2nd (Sun), 2025

A 3 Day conference in downtown TOKYO,  in Yoyogi!!!

 See 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

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

Thank you for consulting our homepage! If you have some feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us.

For contacting us, please use the contact form on the homepage. 

JALT CEFR & LP SIG President

 

(Last update: June 4th, 2025 MGS)

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