Events

February 2nd, 2025 (online): Action-oriented scenarios: Inspiring pedagogical innovation, reflection, and self-assessment in the classroom. Danielle Hunter, Adrian Ortiz
This session will explore the action-oriented approach in both practice – highlighting an open educational resource with “scenario webs” to support implementation – and research: illustrating how self-assessment and reflection foster learning strategies, language awareness and plurilingual

March 6th, 2025 (online): The CEFR Journal: Reflecting on challenges and opportunities. Morten Hunke and Fergus O’Dwyer
The CEFR journal’s aim is to create a platform for CEFR-informed teachers and researchers to disseminate ideas and practices. The co-editors will outline salient patterns found in the seven issues so far, and discuss how the journal can continue to reflect the challenges and opportunities of A

Featured Speaker Attributes: Morten has been a regular contributor to JALT in many capacities over the years. Morten's outlook is always towards new pathways and alleyways in regards to his great passions: language learning and teaching and international mobility. Morten has worked and researched on a variety of aspects of cross-cultural communication and interaction. He is currently taking a particularly keen interest in international mobility as well as the adaptation of the CEFR – especially outside of Europe – but has also explored uses of literary formats and performances in the realm of language learning and teaching. His multiple experiences in many contexts globally, makes him an ideally suited contributor to JALT2024.

Presentation 1: Yoko Oi (Waseda University)

Analyzing Writing Task Difficulty for Japanese University Students

This study examines the difficulty of writing tasks commonly found in academic writing textbooks used by Japanese university students. Understanding task difficulty helps teachers sequence writing assignments effectively and assists textbook authors in refining their content. Additionally, awareness of task difficulty can help students progressively develop their writing skills. The study involved 50 Japanese university students aged 19 to 21, along with two experienced Japanese English teachers as raters. The research was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, the two raters analyzed thirty academic writing textbooks using the CEFR Grid for Writing Tasks v. 3.1. The same teachers later assessed the students' writing. The second and third phases focused on identifying and analyzing the most common writing tasks using the FACETS software (Linacre, 2021, Ver. 3.83.6). The analysis revealed that "explaining" and "narrating" were the most frequent tasks, with examples including illustration and describing others for "explaining," and time order and self-introduction for "narrating." In the second phase, 12 frequently occurring tasks were selected for further difficulty analysis based on the textbook review. In the third phase, students were asked to complete these 12 tasks in English without dictionaries during regular classes. Their work was evaluated by the raters using a four-component assessment: (1) task fulfillment, (2) structure and coherence, (3) vocabulary accuracy, and (4) grammar accuracy. Each component was scored out of five, for a total possible score of 20 points. The results indicated that the illustration task under "explaining" was the most challenging, whereas writing a letter was the easiest task for the students.

Presentation 2: Noriko Nagai (Ibaraki University) 

Mediation for transforming the conventional 4 skill-based classroom to a dynamic action-oriented language classroom

This presentation will propose a transformative shift from the conventional model of language teaching, which focuses on the discrete development of language skills, to a dynamic, action-oriented, project-based classroom using Mediation, newly introduced in the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe 2020). This paradigm shift advocates a view of language as a cognitive tool for thinking deeply and articulating that thinking through collaboration. The presentation will begin with an exploration of the concept of mediation and three types of mediation activities and mediation strategies. Mediation activities, particularly Mediating Concepts activities, help learners to use language as a cognitive tool to think about a controversial issue in society and to articulate that thinking while developing ideas in a collaborative way. The presentation will then turn to the practical implementation of relational and cognitive mediation descriptors to a project-based learning. The descriptors to be used include "facilitating collaborative interaction with peers," "collaborating to construct meaning," and "facilitating conceptual talk." The presentation will identify the competencies and strategies that need to be acquired, and then provide some examples of concrete tasks performed in and out of the classroom while completing a sample project. Participants will gain insights into structuring the project to align with these descriptors and foster collaborative learning experiences. The presentation will explore this innovative approach to language teaching and offer practical insights and strategies for seamlessly integrating the CEFR's concept of mediation and its scaled descriptors into the classroom.

Presentation 3: Maria Gabriela Schmidt, Nihon University

Dynamic and formative assessment of interactive tasks in the classroom

The underlying research question for this presentation is what kind of assessment supports the action-oriented approach of the CEFR Companion Volume with interactive tasks at the center. As tasks involve not only the linguistic performance level (spoken or written) which can be captured with summative assessment, interactive tasks with peers are including collaboration, negotiation of meaning, mediating concepts. The tasks include therefore aspects of a dynamic interactional process. Formative assessment can support learners to become aware of issues while performing the tasks, summative assessment will evaluate the outcome, their end-product. But to what extend can collaboration, negotiation of meaning, mediating concepts be appropriately included in the evaluation of interactive task? This presentation will have a look at Dynamic Assessment (Poehner, 2008; Lantolf & Poehner, 2004) and Formative Assessment (Dylan, 2018) to examine possible criteria discussing exemplary tasks from the VIT Tool box project (ECML, Johann Fisher, 2024).

JALT International Conference 2023 in Tsukuba, November 24th - 27th, 2023, https://jalt.org/conference

  CEFR & LP SIG Forum: No research without action. No action without research, Saturday, November 25th, 2023 11:00 - 12:30

Abstract: The purpose of this forum is to discuss ways to improve your current teaching practice through action research (AR). First, participants’ teaching problems will be elicited through reflection using key CEFR concepts, such as coherent alignment of planning, teaching/learning, and assessment; the action-oriented approach; and learner autonomy. Then, small groups moderated by those who have successfully conducted CEFR-informed AR, will discuss ways to solve these problems using CEFR resources.

Presenters: Gabriela Schmidt, Noriko Nagai, Gregory Birch, Jack Bower, and others

* * * * * * * *

CEFR & LP SIG related presentations at JALT 2023 on the SIG topic and by SIG members:

Designing CEFR-Informed Skills-Based Language Materials Thompson, Colin - Josai International University, SAT 12:10 PM - 1:10 PM,

This workshop will present two multi-skilled English language textbooks designed on the communicative aims of CEFR. CEFR 's influence in language proficiency and assessment continues to grow; however, this workshop will show how language materials can be designed to follow CEFR 's 'action-orientated ' approach to learning. The textbooks aim to improve learners ' communicative and cognitive skills as they progress from A1-B2 levels. Attendees will have opportunities to examine the materials and discuss their use for teaching purposes.

The Place of Foreign Languages in Japanese Nursing Programs Porter, Mathew - Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Nursing University SAT 12:10 PM - 12:35 PM,

This study investigated the foreign language curricula at 200 private nursing universities in 2023, focusing mainly on English courses, and found significant gaps in the number, placement, and content of courses and a lack of foreign language instructors affiliated with the nursing department, indicating a need for better curriculum design to ensure that nursing students receive adequate opportunities to improve their foreign language skills. The presenter will discuss how language instructors can support improvements.

The Role of Literate Talk in Teaching Academic Writing (Poster Session) Head, Ellen - Miyazaki International College SAT 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM,

"How does preparation by talking help with the development of academic writing? " "What kind of evidence helps determine the authenticity of learners ' engagement with their work? " In the context of Japanese university EAP classes and senior thesis writing, AI tools are changing pedagogical norms. The presenter draws on academic writing data from Google doc drafts, student-teacher writing conferences and reflective journals, focusing on moments when the learners were challenged to develop through literate talk.

Graduate Student Showcase for Soka University Tomita, Koki - Soka University; and others ... SAT 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM

This is the graduate student showcase for Soka University. It consists of the following five presentations: A Literature Review on Foundational Theories for CEFR-Aligned Curriculum Evaluation (Tomita); ... and others.

Experiential Learning: Linguistic Landscape Group Projects Allen, Todd - Kansai University SAT 12:45 PM - 1:10 PM

Linguistic landscape projects analyze the display and use of language in public spaces (Hatoss, 2019), with previous researchers noting that they are beneficial in developing students ' intercultural competency. As a result, in this study, the researcher examined two cohorts of students who undertook a group linguistic landscape project in an intercultural communication (IC) course and reflected on their experience. Results show that such experiential learning is favorable for developing IC competency and other academic skills.

CEFR Mediation Activities, CLIL Classes and a Notebook Schmidt, Rebecca - Miyazaki International College SUN 10:25 AM - 10:50 AM, Room: 202B

The presenter explores how students in a CLIL class can use notebooks to practice activities, such as note-taking and summarizing skills as a part of the CEFR/CV Mediation activities scales. The notebook also serves a dual role as a learning journal, where students reflect on how these activities along with collaborative group-work aid in their learning. Participants are encouraged to brainstorm other ways notebooks could be utilized to incorporate various CEFR concepts and practices.

Teachers ' Perception of Learner Autonomy During COVID-19 Tomita, Koki - Soka University; Dunn, Testuko - Soka University, SUN 5:35 PM - 6:00 PM

The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted traditional classrooms, necessitating a redefining of language teaching practices including learner autonomy. This multifaceted capacity has been widely studied, but conceptual and pedagogical re-evaluation is required during the pandemic. A qualitative study using a single case study design examined how the pandemic affected teachers ' perceptions of learner autonomy. The presentation reports on teachers ' potential changes in perceptions or pedagogies to promote autonomous learning under remote language learning.

A 21st-Century Skills Program for Pre-service Teachers by Rode, Tyson - Meikai University, MON 9:15 AM - 9:40 AM

Pre-service English teachers in Japan are required to graduate with a CEFR B2 level of language proficiency and to be adept communicators who are able to impart 21st-century skills to their future students. In this presentation, two university EFL educators describe a new program for pre-service teachers aimed at supplementing their English teaching methodology courses by bringing theory into practice.

Validation Of an Online English Course Placement Test by Bower, Jack - Tezukayama University, MON 9:50 AM - 10:15 AM

This presentation will introduce an online English language course placement test. The rationale for creating the test will be given, followed by a description of the test design. Next, challenges overcome to get the test implemented at the presenter 's Japanese university will be presented. Lastly, evidence to support a claim that the test can divide students into three distinct English language proficiency levels for course placement purposes will be presented and discussed.

  * * * * * * * *

July 23rd, 2023 starting at 10 am until 12 noon Online: Share your CEFR tool - open talk Online event

Presenters: Gabriela Schmidt (CEFR LP SIG coordinator, Nihon University) and others

Abstract: The CEFR has become widely known in Japan but there is still a lot of lack of using it for teaching and learning. This event will give an opportunity to share and discuss various CEFR tools. Everyone of us can share something out of her or his practice. This is small working group meeting open to everyone, novice and advanced users of the CEFR. If you plan to apply for a research project, we are happy to consult with you.

Report: The main topic of this event was on a talk who ChatGPT may affect foreign language teaching and what kind of role the CEFR can play in that context. It was an intensive discussion. Thank you for participating.

  * * * * * * * *

May 20th, 2023 starting at 2 pm, JALT Akita Chapter & CEFR LP SIG - Joint event online

The CEFR – A tool for classroom management and teacher development

Presenters: Noriko Nagai (CEFR LP SIG membership chair, Ibaraki University) & Gabriela Schmidt (CEFR LP SIG coordinator, Nihon University)

Abstract The CEFR has become widely known in Japan mostly since 2016 when MEXT announced to frame the common entry examination for universities. This had an impact on English language education in high schools. Besides the language politics the Can do-descriptors had become very famous. In 2020, the CEFR Companion Volume was published. The CEFR in itself is neutral and a flexible and reliable tool to be used for various purposes. In today’s talk two aspects of it will be elaborated: one is the CEFR as an effective tool for classroom management planning and as a guiding tool for teacher development.

  * * * * * * * *

JALT PanSIG 2023 in Kyoto, Kyoto Sangyo University Friday, May 12 — Sunday, May 14, 2023, https://pansig.org

Facilitating the use of Action Research to guide CEFR-focused research

CEFR LP SIG Forum - on Sunday May 14th, 2023, at 14:05 in Room S 403, Presenters: Maria Gabriela Schmidt, Noriko Nagai, Gregory Birch

CEFR related presentation at PanSIG

Which CEFR-level Checking tools are the best?, Stephen Bridge, May 14th, 2023 at 13:30–13:55, in room S 403 CUE CEFR

And one of our members is Plenary Speaker at PanSIG 2023!!!

Yukie Saito (Chuo University):Exploring the Potential of Metaverse and ChatGPT in English Language Teaching and Learning

Time: Sunday, May 14th, 10:10 - 11:10, Location: S301

 * * * * * * * *

May 5th, 2023 (Friday) 21:00 pm (JST, Tokyo), 14:00  (CET, Berlin)

CEFR Journal - Snapshot Talk

This is the first event of a new series spotlighting some articles of the CEFR Journal - Research and Practice. We start with the recent edition of  Volume 5 (December 2022). We kindly invite you to the 1st CEFR Journal - Snapshot Talk to be held online

on Friday, May 5^th, 2023 (online) at 9 pm (Japan, Tokyo, GMT +9), 13:00 (GMT+1, London), 14:00 (CET, GMT+2, Berlin), for one hour

The event gives authors the floor to present a snapshot (overview, short summary) of their article (5-8 min.) which was recently published in the CEFR Journal – Research and Practice Volume 5 (December 2022). Purposes are to highlight work undertaken and discuss possible future endeavour and to generate mutual exchange. This can provide a refreshing impression and a stimulus to read the article, an incentive to conduct research on the CEFR yourself and write an article.

See CEFR Journal – Research and Practice https://cefrjapan.net/journal

Schedule (planed): Welcome, Snapshot 1, Snapshot 2, Discussion, Wrap up, Closing

Presentations confirmed for May 5th, 2023

Martina Hulešová (Charles University, Praha): Article Framework of Reference for Sign Languages and Description of the Czech Sign Language

https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.CEFR5-4

https://cefrjapan.net/journal/128-vol5-4-framework-of-reference-for-sign-languages-and-description-of-the-czech-sign-language

Tziona Levi (Israeli Ministry of Education), Simone Duval (Israeli Ministry of Education): Article Implementing a localized version of a CEFR-based curriculum

https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.CEFR5-5

https://cefrjapan.net/journal/129-vol5-5-implementing-a-localized-version-of-a-cefr-based-curriculum

End of events in 2023

JALT International Conference 2022 in Fukuoka

CEFR & LP SIG Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, November 12th, 2022 from 11:00 to 11:45 in Room 504

All members and want to be members of CEFR & LP SIG are kindly invited to attend the AGM. We will hold the meeting hybrid. All SIG-Members will receive information to attend the AGM free of charge.

The CEFR & LP SIG Annual General Meeting will give a report on the SIGs activities in 2022 and discuss the plans for 2023. The report will be on activities during 2022 (events, publications, publicity, membership, finances and other) with officer reports and will discuss further actions and steps. All current and future members of JALT CEFR & LP SIG are kindly invited to the Annual General Meeting to be held hybrid at JALT 2023.

CEFR & LP SIG Forumon Sunday, November 13th, 2022 from 12:30 to 14:00 (12:30 PM - 2:00 PM) in Room 409.

Theme: Reflecting the CEFR-Focused Action Research Model – Looking Back and Moving Forward       

This forum will reflect on an ongoing collaborative Kaken research project which supports teachers’ use of an action research model to incorporate CEFR educational principles into classroom practice. The current status of various case studies will be presented in relation to the CARM Model. The forum is open to everyone interested in conducting Action Research in the field of foreign language education, especially projects concerning the CEFR. The forum intends to foster sharing and peer-learning.     

Congratulations to the Best of JALT 2022 (related to presentations or papers held in 2021) for CEFR & LP SIG: Gregory C. Birch  (Nagano) 

CEFR, CEFR-CV, Language Portfolio related presentations at JALT 2022:

* * * * * * *

Portfolio Roundtable Talk - 5th Meeting

On October 29th, 2022 from 3:30 pm to 5 pm, online was held the 5th meeting of the Portfolio Roundtable Talk on the topic e Portfolio and its applications.

Speakers: Fergus O’Dwyer, Kathleen Mitchell & Laoise Sutton (Marino Institute of Education)

Title: Reflective ePortfolio practices to facilitate effective self-regulation in an English for Academic Purposes module

 See more details on the Portfolio site: Language Portfolio

* * * * * * *

Thank you for attending PanSIG 2022 in Nagano. This was a wonderful experience. PanSIG 2023 took place at Kyoto Sangyo University and is planned for May 13th and 14th, 2023.

Pan SIG 2022 - Face-to-face-conference !!!  July 8-10, 2022 in Nagano, Find out more at https://pansig2022.edzil.la and https://pansig.org

The conference site is The University of Nagano (Nagono Prefectural University, 長野県立大学 Miwa Campus) in a wonderful environment. PanSIG 2022 will feature more than 200 presentations and will be a fully face-to-face conference with some hybrid elements. We are expecting more than 350 participants, AMs will present new textbooks and publications. This would be a wonderful opportunity to share and talk.

CEFR & LP SIG has the following presentations:

July  9, 2022, 14:05~:    Noriko Nagai CEFR-informed grammatical features of academic prose

This presentation attempts to relate Developmental Progression Index of Grammatical Complexity (DPIGC) in academic prose proposed by Biber et al. (2011) to the six CEFR levels. First, I will compare grammatical features in the index with those in the English Grammar Profile and then propose CEFR-informed index of grammatical complexity of academic prose. A series of corpus-based studies by Biber and his colleague (Biber 2006, Biber & Gray 2016, among others) reveal that grammatical features frequently appearing in academic prose differ drastically from those in conversation. The former uses dependent phrases functioning as pre-and post-modifiers of the head noun, while the latter uses dependent clauses functioning as constituents of other clauses such as verb complements and adverbial clauses. Based on these findings, Biber et al. (2011) proposed the DPIGC. This index, however, is not well recognized by language professionals working in the area of EAP, hard-CLIL and EMI, although they aim at the appropriate uses of academese. One of the reasons for this lies in the lack of studies which relate the DPIGC to more widely accepted proficiency scales: e.g., the CEFR’s six proficiency levels. Hence, this presentation provides a clear CEFR-based descriptors of grammatical complexities in academic prose.

July 10, 2022, 10:00~:   CEFR & LP SIG Forum: Using the CEFR-focused Action Research Model - Reflections on two years of research

The JALT CEFR & LP SIG is supporting teacher-researchers through a collaborative Kaken research project entitled “Language Education reform using action research: Putting CEFR’s educational principles into practice” since 2020. During the Forum, project participants will reflect on their research projects they conducted so far using the CEFR-focused Action Research Model (CARM) developed by the SIG. The SIG Forum will be an opportunity to discuss examples from researchers’ intermediate outcomes in relation to the CARM model (= AR / CEFR aspects) as good model case studies. Forum participants are encouraged to engage and reflect on their current practice and consider how the CEFR and CARM might be utilized in their own contexts. The Forum will conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the CARM model and the goals for the final year of the KAKEN project. The Forum is open to everyone interested in intending to conduct research in the field of foreign language teaching and learning especially using Action Research and/or the CEFR – CEFR CV as a tool. The Forum intends to foster sharing and peer-learning.

July 10, 2022, 11:45~:   Takanori Omura Learner autonomy and their attitude towards the electronic portfolio

In recent years, quite a few studies have dealt with an issue of how learners autonomously learn, and the effect of an electronic version of portfolio (e-portfolio) on learner autonomy. Nevertheless, the number of studies that highlights the relationship between learner autonomy and their attitude towards e-portfolio seems to be limited. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between the university students’ learner autonomy and their attitude towards the e-portfolio, and the students’ assessment on the e-portfolio in terms of the improvement of their learner autonomy. The participants were first-year university students who took a general English course at a private university in Tokyo. The online surveys were administered at three points in a year while semi-structured interviews were also conducted twice in the same year. The participants were asked to use the e-portfolio that was shared with the teacher during the experimental year. The survey data was analyzed by the SPSS software, and the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that there was a strongly positive correlation between the level of learner autonomy and their attitude towards e-portfolio, which indicates that students who are more autonomous tend to possess a positive attitude towards the e-portfolio. 

July 10, 2022, 13:30~:    Prof. Yukio Tono - Plenary Talk - (Re)imagining language education in relation to the CEFR/CV and the CEFR-J

Since the publication of the CEFR in 2001, policymakers, researchers and teachers in foreign language education around the world have started to use the framework to review their own systems and practices. This includes the structure and content of language syllabuses, textbooks and teaching materials, as well as instructional and assessment methods. The publication of the Companion Volume (CEFR/CV) in 2020 will further concretise the principles of the CEFR and re-propose a new framework for language teaching, including sign languages, mediation skills and online communication. The application of the CEFR, with its extremely broad scope, can sometimes be a hindrance to a sound understanding of its principles and fundamental concepts, which can lead to applications based on superficial knowledge. It is also true that it is difficult to implement language education policies that cover the full range of the CEFR.

In this talk, I will give an overview of the CEFR and the CEFR/CV and discuss the implications of using the CEFR as a common framework for all languages. As an example of focused applications, I will argue what the future of intelligent CALL based on the selection and arrangement of language materials by the CEFR levels would be like. Finally, as Principal Investigator of the CEFR-J, a localization project of the CEFR in Japan, I would like to consider what is needed for the CEFR to truly take root in foreign language education in Japan.

 * * * * * * *

Language Portfolio Roundtable Talk - 3rd meeting 

The third meeting will be held online on March 2nd, 2022 from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm (online)

Theme: The language portfolio and learner autonomy

See more at Language Portfolio Roundtable Talk

The third meeting will focus on "The language portfolio and learner autonomy" and will be held on March 2nd, 2022 (Wed) from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

Presentation 1 - Prof. Takanori Omura,Title: The relationship between university students’ learner autonomy and their attitude towards the electronic portfolio

Presentation 2 - Prof. Gregory Birch,Title: Using an online European Language Portfolio (e-ELP) to promote learner autonomy

The Frist meeting was on October 23rd, 2021 (Sat) and the second on January 29th, 2022 (Sat). 

The European Language Portfolio has been at the core of the CEFR. The ELP is connected to learner autonomy, reflective learning, formative assessment and many more areas. The implementation had its ups and downs.

The Roundtable Talk invites those in the field of foreign language teaching who are interested in the use of a portfolio in language teaching and want to discuss and share implementations, case studies, experiences with the ELP, language portfolio, learning portfolio, journal etc. The ELP is connected to learner autonomy, reflective learning, formative assessment and many more areas.

At recent conferences, since the launch of the CEFR/CV there is a steady increase on papers on language portfolio. This Round Table Talks wants to initiate a synergetic working group. You are welcome to take part and share and listen and discuss. CEFR & Language Portfolio SIG wants to emphasize on the CEFR and CEFR/CV as well on the second part of its name, the Language Portfolio.

Q & A (will be updated soon)

Description of the workshop

This workshop targets practitioners who wish to intervene and improve current practices following core concepts and philosophy of the CEFR and using various scaled descriptors of the CEFR but have not initiated action. The workshop begins with the talk by Dr. Neus Figueras, who is a co-author and co-editor of recent books, Aligning language education with the CEFR: A handbook (to appear) and Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Towards a Road Map for Future Research and Development by Multilingual Matters (2021) and then discusses participants concerns about their practices in small groups.

The main objectives of the workshop are to provide background information on alignment to the CEFR and to analyze and discuss the implications of embarking on an alignment project (see outline below). This dossier contains some readings introducing the contents which will be discussed in the workshop.

• Section 1 provides general information on the CEFR and the CEFR CV,
• Section 2 outlines what alignment is and why it is relevant in the field of language education,
• Section 3 introduces mediation, a key feature in the CEFR CV with a reflection task for participants,
• Section 4 provides links to the documents referred to.

 Workshop schedule ワークショップのスケジュール

15:00      Welcome 挨拶, Introduction to the project and the tools

15:05      Talk by Neus Figueras: Why is alignment to the CEFR important?

15:55      Q & A

16:10      Themed Discussion and Q & A. Presentation of one example of alignment in practice.

16:30      Group work on alignment

16:45      Discussion and Q & A

17:00      Main characteristics of a mediation task. Presentation & discussion of examples of mediation tasks

17:15      Conclussions and takeaways

17:30      Closing

Bio of Dr. Neus Figueras

Dr. Neus Figueras started her career in 1981 as a teacher of English and was seconded in 1996 to the Catalan Ministry of Education, Spain, where she coordinated the development of foreign language curricula and certificate examinations for adult learners for over 20 years.

She has been involved in a number of international research and development projects related to assessment at different education levels (Dialang, Speakeasy, Ceftrain, Dutch CEFR construct project, EBAFLS) and has given courses and presented in universities in Spain, in various European countries, in Asia and in the USA. She has carried out consultancy work in assessment (University of Bilkent, Turkey; BIFIE -Centre for Assessment and Innovation-, Austria; University of Saint Petersburg, Russia, Quiyas, Saudi Arabia, British Council, UK., Trinity College London, UK).and in curriculum design (U.N. New York and Geneva).

She collaborates regularly with the Council of Europe in the uses and the dissemination of the CEFR in language testing and assessment and is one of the authors of the Manual for Relating examinations to the CEFR (Council of Europe, 2009).

She is a founding member of EALTA (European Association for Language Testing and Assessment, www.ealta.eu.org), and was the first President (2004-7) of the Association. She is currently the coordinator of the EALTA CEFR SIG.

She was granted the International British Council Assessment Award in 2015.

Her interests include assessment literacy and the development of context relevant assessments.

Recent publications of Dr. Neus Figueras

Figueras, N. and Levy, M. (2022) The action-oriented approach in the CEFR and the CEFR Companion Volume: a change of paradigm(s)? A case study from Spain. In Little, D. and Figueras, N. (Eds) The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Towards a Road Map for Future Research and Development. Multilingual Matters

Figueras, N. and Boyd, Elaine (2021) Mediation as described in the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR CV) and reflected in an existing oral examination. Collated Papers for the ALTE 7th International Conference, Madrid. Available at https://www.alte.org/resources/Documents/ALTE%207th%20International%20Conference%20Madrid%20June%202021.pdf

Figueras, N. (2021) Success in language learning: what role can language assessment play? In Gebril, A. (Ed).  Learning-oriented assessment: Putting Theory into Practice Routledge.

Figueras, N. and Puig, F. (2019) La evaluación de Lenguas: ¿De camino hacia el cambio? In López Ferrero, C. and Pujolà, J.T. (Eds) La didáctica de lenguas de par en par. Diálogo entre teoría y práctica. Homenaje a Ernesto Martín Peris. Editorial Difusión.

Figueras, N. (2019) Developing and Using Tasks for the Assessment of Speaking. In Grandfelt, J. (Ed.) Assessing Speaking. APPLES. Journal of Applied Language Studies

Figueras, N. (2017) Exploring the link between assessment and language awareness: a way forward? In Cots, JM. and Garret, P. (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Language Awareness. Routledge

JALT 2021 - Conference Reflections and New Perspectives This year's JALT 2021 conference was held fully Online:

 November 12th - 15th, 2021 Online Conference

 See more details and click here for JALT 2021 conference or JALT edzil.la event space click here

CEFR & LP SIG Forum was held online Sunday November 14th, 2021 from 10:45 to 12:15, Room 25 

Presenters are: A CEFR-Informed Action Research Model: Reflecting on the AR Cycle

Maria Gabriela Schmidt - Nihon University; Noriko Nagai - Ibaraki University; Gregory Birch - Seisen Jogakuin College; Jack Bower - Tezukayama University; Naoyuki Naganuma - Tokai University; Engel Villareal - Tsuchiura Nihon University Senior Highschool

The CEFR & LP SIG Forum will present an ongoing collaborative Kaken research project entitled “Language Education reform using action research: Putting the CEFR’s educational principles into practice”. Project participants will reflect on the research plans they implemented using a CEFR-informed Action Research Model (CARM) developed by the SIG, and on the first and second year, workshops before discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the CARM model and the goals for the third year of the KAKEN project.

 CEFR & LP SIG AGM will be held online Sunday November 14th, 2021 from 12:45 to 13:30, Room 25 

* * * * * * *

  Presentation related to the ongoing Kaken research project in August 2021

JACET 2021 wasl held its 60th International Convention on August 28th and 29th, 2021 online. 

大学英語教育学会　国際大会 

Members of CEFR & LP SIG will have a presentation related to the Kaken Research project at JACET 2021

Sunday, August 29th, 2021: 10:40 - 11:05 (room 6)

* * * * * * *

全国英語教育学会 - JASELE 2021 conference 第46回長野研究大会:

Link to the JASELE 2021 conference JASELE conference schedule

Members of CEFR & LP SIG will have a presentation related to the Kaken Research project at JASELE 2021 on August 8th, 2021:

Sunday, August 8th, 2021: 10:55 - 11:20

     * * * * * * *

June 13, 2021 (Sun) 10 - 12 Share your CEFR-tool - meeting

This is  a new form of a SIG event. In order to build up a toolkit repertoire we start this new event with the presentation of our member Shaun Allen, who developed a CEFR descriptor - quizlet. Sharing is a very important tool for peer-related teacher training.

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 this new type of event called "Share your CEFR-tool - meeting" where we exchange CEFR-related tools which helped 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. At this first event CEFR & LP SIG member Shaun Allen will show his descriptors quizlet, and Gabriela Schmidt will report on the EALTA CEFR SIG meeting with some news. You are kindly invited to this event, it is open to SIG members, JALT members and those who are interested in the CEFR and want to learn more.

Please join! Your are welcome to share your tools! The results will be available on the our HP in the section "Toolkit".

* * * * * * *

Day after the event, August 21st,  2021

A big thank you very much to Anne Burns, the presenters and to all who attended the Workshop with Anne Burns on August 20th, 2021 (Friday) 14:00 - 17:15 and made it a very good example of collaboration and research, a mutual exchange in a very supportive mood. 

The event went very well, we had a splendid lecture by Anne, an intensive and deep going discussion with everybody involved.

The information will be available, please contact the SIG coordinator or the research team if you are interested in the topic. 

8月20日 (金） 午後 2:00 - 5:15

Schedule スケジュール

14:00 - 14:10: Opening and Welcome 開始挨拶　

14:10 - 15:25: Lecture on Action Research and Q & A 講演

15:25 - 15:40: Break 休憩

15:40 - 17:10: Workshop ワークショップ

17:10 - 17:15: Closing 閉会挨拶

 Workshop on Action Research with Anne Burns

CEFR-focused アクションリサーチワークショップ：

言語教育におけるアクションリサーチのスペシャリストとして国際的に著名な

Anne Burns教授による招待講演及びアクションリサーチ取り組みへのアドバイス

Held online

14:00 開始 Opening, Welcome and Introduction (Maria Gabriela Schmidt) 

 Session 1: Lecture on Action Research  アクション・リサーチの講演  (14:10 - 15:25)

 Anne Burns    Action research:

A powerful way to engage yourself in professional development

アン バーンス先生の講演： アクション・リサーチの要点（コンセプト、アプローチ、プロセス）についての講演

Anne Burns will give an hands-on introduction to Action Research and how to apply it to your language teaching environment. 

 The workshop aims at helping busy teaching professionals conduct research putting CEFR educational principles into practice using an action research approach, which ensures organized, systematic, and rigorous conduct of research. The workshop consists of three parts.

このワークショップは、多忙な教育者・研究者が、アクション・リサーチ・アプローチを用いて、CEFR教育理念を実践するための研究を支援することを目的としています。アクション・リサーチ・アプローチは、組織的、体系的、かつ厳密な研究の実施を保証するものです。ワークショップは3部構成になっています。

 In Part I, Dr. Anne Burns will talk about the essentials of Action Research: concepts, approaches, and processes, which will be followed by questions and answers. 

 第1部では、アン・バーンズ博士によるアクション・リサーチの要点（コンセプト、アプローチ、プロセス）についての講演があり、その後、質疑応答が行われます。

Abstract of the talk

There is growing evidence that research conducted by teachers is seen by them as one of the most important and lasting means for professional development. This evidence is supported by the idea that, where teachers can carry out PD in their own contexts of work and investigate teaching and learning issues that are of central importance to them and their learners, this has a strong and positive impact on what can be achieved in the classroom, and more generally the school. In this session, I will provide an introduction to the key concepts and ongoing processes of action research (AR). I'll discuss where AR fits into the wide range of approaches that can be taken in research, and describe the main steps and cycles, and the kinds of outcomes teachers can consider. I'll also provide some illustrations of AR conducted by teachers I've worked with to give participants a sense of the kind of research that can be achieved. Participants in the session who are already involved in AR will have a chance to discuss their research, but the session will also be relevant to participants who may be thinking about AR (or even puzzled by it!) and want to know more. 

Read More on the bio of Anne Burns アン・バーンズ博士

Professor Anne Burns is an internationally renowned TESOL educator and scholar. She is Professor of TESOL at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, a Professor Emerita at Aston University, Birmingham (UK), an Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney and an Honorary Professor of The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include language teacher education, language teacher cognition, applications of genre theory to language teaching, curriculum development and change, literacy, and written and spoken discourse analysis. She is best known for her work in the theory and practice of action research, and particularly for her book Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: A Guide for Practitioners (Routledge, 2010) which is a foundational text on action research in second and foreign language education. The English Australia-Cambridge English Action Research Program she has conducted since 2010 with the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector in Australia won an award in 2013 for Innovation-Best Practice.  She is an academic adviser, with Diane Larsen-Freeman, for OUP’s Applied Linguistics Series and is series editor, with Jill Hadfield, of Research and Resources in Language Teaching (published by Routledge). Several books in this series have been shortlisted for The British Council ELTons Awards. Her book in this series, Sustainability in Action Research (with Emily Edwards and Neville Ellis) will be published in 2022.

アン・バーンズ博士

国際的に著名なTESOL教育者・研究者の一人。アン・バーンズ博士は、オーストラリアのシドニーにあるニューサウスウェールズ大学のTESOL教授、イギリスバーミンガムにあるアストン大学の名誉教授、香港の教育大学の名誉教授、シドニー大学の名誉教授です。バーンズ教授は、言語教育におけるアクション・リサーチについて幅広く執筆しており、オーストラリアや海外で大規模なアクション・リサーチ・プロジェクトを主導してきました。教授の著書Doing Action Research in the Language Classroom: A Guide for Practitionersは、第二言語・外国語教育におけるアクション・リサーチの基礎的なテキストです。

Session 2: Workshop on CEFR and Action Research with Anne Burns (15:40 - 17:15)

In Part II, Dr. Burns will provide specific input and suggestions on four pre-recorded presentations which demonstrate topic/theme, reviewed literature, research questions, intervention plan, data collection and some preliminary findings.

第2部では、 アン・バーンズ博士が、テーマ、リサーチ・クエスチョン、介入計画、レビューされた文献、データ収集、いくつかの予備的な調査結果を示す4つの事前に録画されたプレゼンテーションについて、具体的な意見や提案を提供します。4つのプレゼンテーションは以下の通りです。

The four presentations are:

1. Diffusing Program-wide Use of CEFR Illustrative Descriptors by Colin Rundle
2. Using CEFR/CV Mediation Illustrators to navigate meaning in a CLIL classroom: First steps of action and reflection by Rebecca Schmidt
3. Using an online European Language Portfolio (e-ELP) to promote learner autonomy by Gregory Birch
4. CEFR-informed Textbook Selection by Nicole Sonobe

 * Workshop participants are asked to watch the pre-recorded video of these presentations before the actual workshop. A link to the videos will be provided upon registration.

 * ワークショップ参加者の皆様は、これらのプレゼンテーションを録画したビデオを事前ご覧いただき、質問、コメントをお寄せいただけます。ビデオ、質問やコメント投稿へのリンクはお申し込み時にお知らせします。

In Part III, the group discussion we kindly ask all workshop participants to get involved in the mutual exchange among peer-colleagues, to share and learn from each other. All workshop* participants will be divided into smaller groups to discuss: 

 (1) what research you are interested in

    (2) what kind of action you want to take

    (3) what you plan to do

    (4) what you learned at the event

　 (5) what is your take-away from the workshop

*One of the small group discussions will be conducted in Japanese.

 第3部では、 グループディスカッションを行います。ワークショップ参加者全員が、小グループに分かれて以下の点などを議論します。

    (1)どんな研究に興味があるのか

    (2)どのようなアクションを起こしたいのか

    (3) 何をしようとしているのか

    (4) どのような障害に直面したか、直面する可能性があるか

　　(5) どのような支援が必要か

*スモールグループディスカッションのうち1つは日本語で行われます。

 The pre-recorded videos (about 10 min. each) are available, please contact the research team.  

 We say thank you to all who attended the workshop. If you are interested, you have any questions, please contact the coordinator of the CEFR & LP SIG. 

 This event is supported by JSPS Grant-in-Aid project (C)  no. 20K00759

 CEFR & LP SIG Forum at PanSIG 2021: A CEFR-informed Action Research Model: Developing a research plan

Sat, May 15, 14:30-16:00 JST

The JALT CEFR & LP SIG is currently supporting teacher-researchers through a collaborative Kaken research project entitled “Language Education reform using action research: Putting CEFR’s educational principles into practice”. During the Forum, project participants will share the research plans they designed using Stage 1 of a CEFR-focused Action Research Model (CARM) developed by the SIG. These plans were designed in part through collaboration facilitated during workshops held in the first year of the project. The SIG forum will be an opportunity to discuss Stage II, the implementation of the research plan which involves two aspects: the participants’ plan to (1) trial proposed solutions to their teaching-learning dilemma (i.e. the focus of their research plan), and (2) collect data to critically examine the effectiveness of this solution. Forum participants are encouraged to contribute to this ongoing collaborative process to help move these research projects forward, as well as reflect on their current practice and consider how the CEFR and CARM might be utilized in their own contexts. The forum will conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the CARM model and the goals for the second year of the KAKEN project.

There were 8 CEFR or SIG members related presentations at PanSIG 2021

Takanori Omori, How to Enhance Japanese University Students’ Self-Esteem. - An Attempt on Self-Affirmation in Written Form - Sat, May 15th, 09:30 ~ 09:55 JST

Nowadays, a growing number of institutions and educators in English Language teaching (ELT) has been highlighting its psychological aspect. Particularly, self-affirmation methods that contain psychological effects on students’ academic achievement are noticeable in a recent study (Cohen et al, 2009). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a regular self-affirmation in written-form can improve the degree of self-esteem, specifically, Global Self-Esteem (GSE) and Foreign Language Self-Esteem (FLSE). The research design is quantitative research using online surveys as the main instrument. The participants of this study were 55 university students who were from three different faculties of a private university in Tokyo. The research examined and compared their GSE and FLSE of two experimental groups and a control group at the beginning and the end of the semester. Whereas self-affirmation in written form was mandatory for the experimental groups in every class, the control group was not asked to do any self-affirmation. The results showed that the students’ self-esteem in the experimental groups was boosted by self-affirmation in written-form to some extent. The findings of this study will benefit numerous educators and students since the enhancement of students’ self-esteem is a profound source for their language learning.

Yukie Saito, Possibility and Challenges of Online Language Exchanges Sat, May 15th, 13:00 ~ 13:25 JST

The spread of Covid-19 has made it difficult for university students to study and travel abroad, which may affect students’ motivation to learn English negatively. Hoping to motivate first-year Japanese students to learn English in a class of a private university in Japan, I conducted five online language exchanges with the Japanese students and university students learning Japanese in the U.S. The Japanese students wrote a journal about the contents and feedback in English after every exchange. After the five exchanges, the students also answered a questionnaire survey with closed and open questions. The closed questions were made in terms of oral comprehension, production, and interactions from CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020), cultural understanding, foreign language anxiety, motivation, and pragmatic competence. The results showed that most of the students were able to improve their listening and speaking skills, understand different cultures, reduce foreign language anxiety, be motivated to learn English, and maintain a conversation. The open question also showed their positive opinion toward the exchanges. In the presentation, I will discuss the possibility and challenges of online language exchanges for the new normal era after Covid-19 based on analyzing the students’ journals and the questionnaire survey.

SAT 14:30 – 16:00 SIG Forum

Bradley Irwin / Diego Oliveira, Creating and Implementing an Online Placement Test, Sat, May 15th, 14:30 ~ 14:55 JST

This short presentation will describe the experience of moving from a third-party, paper-based English proficiency placement test to an original online version created by the presenters. We will discuss practical approaches to designing a placement test for first and second year undergraduate English language learners that aligns with CEFR bands (A1-B2/C1) and its implementation using Google Forms. The test consisted of 60 multiple choice questions covering listening skills (true/false statements, specific/global comprehension), vocabulary and grammar understanding (sentence completion, word definitions, synonyms, etc) and reading comprehension skills (analyzing content of an advertisement, short and long passage comprehension and interpretation). Students were instructed to complete the test within 90 minutes. Because our test included listening, vocabulary, grammar, and reading items, we will be able to give a comprehensive overview of the process for creating audio content and including appropriate target language. We will describe the collaborative challenges of creating a test entirely online and give advice for others who are interested in creating their own placement tests. This presentation will be of particular interest to anyone who wishes to learn about creating an online CEFR-aligned placement test. It will also be valuable for educators who are interested in conducting online testing using Google Forms.

Nami Takase, Video Letter Exchange to Oral Development, Sat, May 15th, 16:00 ~ 16:45 JST | Zoo 11

Engaging students in online exchange has numerous positive effects; one is to keep students connected to the international community (Blake, 2000). This presentation focuses on how CEFR A1- to A2-level English learners engage in authentic communication with native English speakers through an online application during the pandemic as part of a two-month project. The purpose of this presentation is to share the project’s classroom practice and the effectiveness of its online communication exchange for speaking development and cultural understanding. In this project, university students learning English in Japan exchanged a video with students learning Japanese in the US. The main language used in the video was English. However, the topics included intercultural aspects, such as sharing stories about their favorite heroes. At the end of the project, the post-test speaking test showed increased gains in English learners’ fluency, accuracy, complexity, and lexical diversity, as the English learners may have picked up native terms from their video exchange partners. This presentation also provides feedback and comments from students from both countries and highlights issues that may arise during the project to assist future project organizers who are interested in conducting an international video exchange project.

Bob Gettings, Teach it! Write! What We Can Learn from CEFR, Sun, May 16, 09:00-09:45 JST

Do our students write more than students used to 25 years ago? The internet and smartphones have changed the way that we communicate and interact in our daily lives - even with foreign languages. CEFR offers some insights into how we learn and can teach languages. The presenter will outline the changes in the CEFR Companion Volume (2020) descriptors and suggest practical ways to integrate them into teaching L2 writing. The Companion Volume updates and extends the original CEFR with new descriptors relevant to teaching writing - especially for the lower levels (pre-A1 to B1), as well as for online interaction, plurilingual/ pluricultural competence, and mediation. The new descriptors for mediation offer insights into ways to use students’ L1 or other languages (L3, L4 . . .) in target language learning and assessment. The Companion Volume also continues to view students as active social agents in their own learning, to encourage an active learning approach, and to focus on what language learners "can do" - not on what they cannot. In particular, the presentation will focus on CEFR as related to CALL and extensive writing task design.

John Bankier, Adapting CEFR Can-dos to Self-access Learning, Sun, May 16, 10:30-10:55 JST

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) describes a six-point scale for language abilities/competencies as can-do statements. According to the University of Cambridge (2011), CEFR is frequently used as a planning tool for development of language learning textbooks, examinations, syllabuses and curricula. As well as allowing comparisons of different contexts and programs, when adapted, the can-do statements can clarify the goals and objectives of language curricula into clear and achievable competencies. This presentation will describe a process of aligning existing self-access centre (SAC) facilities to CEFR by adapting can-do statements. Facilities included multi-lingual conversation lounges, an English writing centre and a test-preparation consultation service staffed by students and faculty. I will explain the selection and adaptation of can-do statements and how this process led me to reconsider whether the SAC provided learners the best opportunities to develop their language skills and autonomy. While the pandemic prevented the project’s on-the-ground implementation in 2020, the planned next steps for dissemination of the can-do statements will be described. The presenter will also address the general benefits and challenges of aligning language learning curricula and self-access programs to frameworks like the CEFR.

SUN 11:00 – 11:25 Cancelled

Barry Condon, Netflix x CEFR: What should our students really be watching?, Sun, May 16, 11:30-11:55 JST

Recommending that students watch TV shows and films in their second language has long been common practice among educators. While all L2 exposure is to be encouraged, not all content is created equal. We may suggest that students watch a particular show or movie for a variety of readily apparent reasons such as general suitability, subject matter, and entertainment value while perhaps the most important factor that should be considered, the true level of language input, often remains oblique. This presentation will examine the results of a text analysis of a variety of television shows and films that are typically available to students in order to determine which content contains the most comprehensible input for learners across each level. Moreover, an explanation of the methodology behind the analysis will be presented, giving educators the tools to conduct similar analyses and to provide better-informed future recommendations.

These were the events at JALT 2020 Online:

November 16th-23rd, 2020 JALT 2020 Communities of Teachers and Learners (Conference Online) see details https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2020

With various presentations related to CEFR & LP SIG:

November 17th, 2020 19:30 - 20:30 Adapting can do descriptors to remote teaching

November 20th, 2020 19:45 - 21:15 CEFR & LP SIG Forum & AGM: Aligning CEFR to current practices  -  First steps for action research

November 21th, 2020

     10:45 - 11:45   Colin Rundle, Koki Tomita, Tetsuko Fukawa Initiating a CEFR Alignment Project

     11:55 - 12:20   Jean-Pierre Richard TOEIC L&R and CEFR-J Can-Do Self-Assessment Scores

     12:50 - 13:50   Jim D'Angelo Alexander Imig Academic Writing and Mediation – CEFR-informed

     14:00 - 14:25   Tyson Rode, Patrizia M.J. Hayashi Steps to a Successful CEFR-Aligned Placement Test

The conference was held from Monday, November 16th to Monday, November 23rd, 2020.

Presentations related to CEFR & LP SIG

Tuesday November 17th, 19:30 - 20:30

JALT 2020 Online Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning: 

Adapting can do descriptors to remote teaching (CEFR & LP SIG)

Workshop (ID #788) - Presenters: Maria Gabriela Schmidt, Yukie Saito, Engel Villareal

Summary: ‘Can do’ descriptors are an important tool to make learning outcomes transparent to learners and stakeholders. The extended version of the CEFR, the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe 2018), offers ‘Can do’ descriptors for telecommunication. This workshop will examine a range of related descriptors, discuss their applicability, including an online oral assessment using CEFR as a rubric base, and give hints to adapt the descriptors to various contexts of emergency remote teaching and learning.

Abstract: This workshop aims to examine ‘Can do’ descriptors which are an important tool to make learning outcomes transparent to learners and stakeholders. This is indispensable in emergency remote teaching and learning scenarios. The CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe 2018), an extended version of the CEFR, introduced an update to the CEFR illustrative descriptors by “responding to demands ... for descriptors for other communicative activities such as online interaction, using telecommunications” (CEFR/CV COE 2018, 23). In relation to online communication, or machine-mediated interaction, the addendum implies acknowledgment of the difference between that of mediated and face-to-face interaction. “There are emergent properties of group interaction online that are almost impossible to capture in traditional competence scales focusing on the individual’s behavior in speech or in writing. For instance, the availability of online resources that can be shared in real-time. For instance, the availability of online resources that can be shared in real-time. On the other hand, there may be misunderstandings that are not spotted (and corrected) immediately online, which is often easier done with face-to-face communication. Some requirements for successful communication are: the need for more redundancy in messages; the need to check that the message has been correctly understood; the ability to reformulate in order to help comprehension, dealing with misunderstanding; and the ability to handle emotional reactions.” (CEFR/CV COE 2018, 96-98) This workshop will present a range of descriptors, examine, and discuss their applicability for online teaching, and give hints to adapt the descriptors to specific contexts of emergency remote teaching and learning. It will include a case study of an online oral assessment using CEFR as a rubric base.

The CEFR & LP SIG Forum and the AGM

on November 20th, 2020 from 19:45 - 21:15 online

Aligning CEFR to current practices - Identifying needs of learners and teachers / in the classroom -

 First steps for action research

CEFR & LP SIG will have a joint Forum and AGM on Friday, November 20th, 2020 from 19:45 to 21:15 held online as part of JALT 2020 International Conference Online. The Forum and the AGM (Annual General Meeting) can be attended by anyone who registered for the JALT conference. Here is the link: https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2020

1) The CEFR & LP SIG Forum will be held from 19:45 to 20:45 and will explain about the new kaken project, its aim and objective and the call for collaborators.

2) The CEFR & LP SIG AGM is open to all SIG members and will be held from 20:45 to 21:15. SIG members will be informed and invited indivually by email.

* * * * * * *

Other CEFR & LP SIG related presentations at JALT 2020 online are on Sat November 21st:

Sat November 21st, 2020: 10:45 - 11:45

Initiating a CEFR Alignment Project - Colin Rundle (Soka University), Koki Tomita (Soka University), Tetsuko Fukawa (Soka University)

This presentation reports on the process of aligning an existing freshman English communication course with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The presenters detail their bottom-up approach, highlighting pitfalls and successes of including instructor and student voices in the alignment process. Actual examples of the new curriculum, input and feedback from instructors, and results of a needs analysis conducted among students will be shared.

Sat November 21st, 2020: 11:55 - 12:20

TOEIC L&R and CEFR-J Can-Do Self-Assessment Scores - Jean-Pierre Joseph Richard (The University of Nagano)

This replication study of Runnels (2016) investigated relationships between TOEIC L&R and CEFR-J can-do self-assessment scores. Participants (N = 54) completed an online-form with the CEFR-J statements. First, CEFR-J levels performed as predicted, with no mismatching but some overlapping of ability levels. Second, weak-to-moderate correlations between TOEIC Reading and reading self-assessment scores were found, and none-to-weak for listening. The results and the implications of these findings, and in relationship to Runnels, are discussed.

Sat November 21st, 2020: 12:50 - 13:50 

Academic Writing and Mediation – CEFR-informed - Alexander Imig (Chukyo University), James D'Angelo (Chukyo University)

After the explanation of the key (academic) writing concepts in context of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and the concept of (language) "Mediation" (from the 2018 CEFR Companion volume, a download from the Internet is recommended) the workshop part give participants the opportunity to Mediate concepts themselves or (in another group) to evaluate texts from students in order to familiarize teachers with Mediation strategies.

Sat November 21st, 2020: 14:00 - 14:25  

Steps to a Successful CEFR-Aligned Placement Test - Tyson Rode (Meikai University), Patrizia M.J. Hayashi (Meikai University)

In this presentation, two university educators will discuss from a practical perspective, the methodologies involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating a CEFR-aligned placement test for 1st-year and 2nd-year non-English majors students at a Japanese university. This presentation explains the challenges involved and the solutions undertaken in moving from an official third-party exam to an original CEFR-aligned exam.

Sat November 21st, 2020 Best of JALT Ceremony:

CEFR & LP SIG, Best of JALT 2019, nominated in 2020, are the nominees are Colin Thompson and Tim Woolstencroft

 * * * * * * * * *

Symposium & Workshop on CEFR and CLIL (Click here for flyer)

 The praxis of teaching, learning, and assessmentwith CEFR and CLIL

 October 23rd - 25th, 2020 

See more details at the following link, a special  CEFR and CLIL site click here

This is a joint event of JALT CEFR & LP SIG, JALT Akita Chapter and Akita International University (host).

With increased interest in the integration of CEFR and CLIL, this international symposium & workshop serves to further the educational discussion within CEFR in all levels of education, with the additional understanding of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Instruction). Our goal is to create a forum for discussions promoting the understanding of concepts related to, applications of, and future directions of CEFR and CLIL in Japan and beyond.

We are aiming to bridge the research and practice divide and will provide a rich context for discussion throughout the conference. The intended goal is to engage the audience in the themed discussions and provide theoretically informed ideas, activities, and procedures they can integrate in their classrooms. Presentations (thematic discussion, poster and workshop) will be arranged in thematic block sessions including discussion sessions. These discussions are based on the conference theme and will be moderated.

Invited Speakers are

 Dr. Yuen Li LO (University of Hong Kong)

Dr Yuen Yi Lo is an Associate Professor at the Teacher Education and Learning Leadership (TELL) Unit of the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. She received her doctorate at the University of Oxford. Her research interests include bilingual education, Medium of Instruction policy and classroom interaction. In recent years, she has been investigating the professional development of teachers in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and issues related to CLIL assessment. She has recently published her book “Professional Development of CLIL Teachers”. Dr Lo is well experienced of running CLIL workshops for teachers in Hong Kong and China, assisting them in applying CLIL in classrooms.

 Dr. Masashi Negishi (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

Dr Masashi Negishi is a professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan. He received his PhD from the University of Reading, UK. He has participated in a number of research projects, including national education surveys and the development of several English proficiency tests in Japan. He heads the CEFR-J Project, and his current interests include the application of the CEFR to language teaching in Japan and the development of the CEFR-J based tests. 

See more details at the following link, a special  CEFR and CLIL site click here

* * * * * *

On August 20th, 2020 at 7 p.m. (19:00, Tokyo time, JST) s the Joint Webinar of JALT CEFR & LP SIG with JALT BizCom SIG was held on

Business English as a Lingua Franca and the CEFR Companion Volume in a Japanese context

by Katrin Lichterfeld  (Germany, intercultural business trainer)

Thank to your professional presenter Katrin Licherfeld and to BiZCom Alan Simpson for the marvelous cooperation.

In spite of an increase in educational and in-company programmes, Japan is among the four countries (together with China, Russia and South Korea), where employers notice the highest gap between English skills required in the workplace and those available. What support could the CEFR Companion Volume (2018) and the use of BELF offer? Many consider these two topics as an enormous shift of paradigm for all the stakeholders involved. Some even think that the use of BELF is also an Anglo-western threat to Japanese norms of communication.

Katrin Lichterfeld will provide you with a kind of BELF toolbox to bridge the gap between theory and practice in this webinar. She will address how to deal with a societal need for global English and a lack of exposure to English in the daily lives of Japanese learners? Additionally, she will discuss activities can raise Japanese learner’s BELF awareness toward increasing their linguistic repertoire as well as intercultural communicative competence.

After working in the export department of a beverage group, Katrin Lichterfeld did an MA (Second language acquisition) and a CertIBET. She has been working as an in-company trainer (business communication skills and intercultural competence) in Germany for nearly two decades.  She is also a participant of the EU-funded ENRICH project “English as a Lingua Franca practices for inclusive multilingual classrooms”.

(Article from 2019 of K. Lichterfeld ( https://www.hltmag.co.uk/apr19/business-english-as-a-lingua-franca).

 * * * * * * *

 On July 11th, 2020 (Saturday) 3 p.m - 5 p.m. a joint online event with Nagano (Shinshu) chapter was held.

We want to say THANK YOU for the wonderful support of our hosts!

 The title was The CEFR and the CEFR/CV from a practitioners’ point of view

 Event Speakers: Maria Gabriela Schmidt, Noriko Nagai, Gregory Birch, Jack Bower

The event was recorded and is available.

Pan SIG 2020 Online was held on June 20th (Sat) and 21th (Sun), 2020.

PanSIG 2020 Online was held and it was a superb event. Thank you all who took part in it and joint the CEFR & LP SIG Forum as a CEFR- Talk. We had time to share and discuss various aspects of the CEFR and the CEFR/CV we would like to persue.

CEFR – TALK – A CEFR & LP SIG Special PanSIG Online Forum

This Forum is an open CEFR – Talk. CEFR & LP SIG members and anyone who is interested in the CEFR, the CEFR/CV and related topics are kindly invited to this lunchtime talk on the CEFR. There are various topics to share: First is the new research project (Kaken) on “Language Education reform using action research: Consulting the CEFRs educational principles” 「アクションリサーチの手法を用いた言語教育改善: CEFRの教育理念を参考にして」. We are looking for people getting involved using the CEFR and doing action research. Second, the recent development in remote emergency teaching could be an incentive to do research on online teaching and the CEFR & CEFR/CV, discussing and adapting for example related ‘Can Do’ descriptors. Third, other fields were CEFR & CLIL (conference in October), CEFR & tasks for teaching/assessment, CEFR & mediation, ... As format for the forum this could be a general talk (all) or with breakout sessions (thematically). The new normal opens up different pathways. Looking forward meeting people interested in the CEFR! You are welcome!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

The following webinar was held on April 9th, 2020. It is now available as a YouTube video on a JALT BizCom SIG channel, click (here).

Mediation, interaction and pluricultural competence: How can the new CEFR help English teachers?

Held by Kerstin Waechter. The flyer is still available (click here). - This was a joint event of JALT Bizcom SIG, CEFR & LP SIG and ICLE SIG. Thank you for the cooperation.

In this webinar, Kirsten Waechter will take a closer look at some new features of the revised CEFR framework for language learning and will explore to what extend it can help English teachers in their job. The new CEFR now reflects skills and competence a lot more detailed, allowing for better descriptions of competence and skills. Its new categories include pluricultural skills, mediation and a closer look at functions of interaction and production, for example in correspondence or teamwork. The extended skills descriptions can be extremely useful when designing a course or setting goals for our learners to achieve and revising whether the goals have achieved. This webinar will focus on the categories of mediation and pluricultural communication to demonstrate how the new descriptors can help us in our work.

Bio: Kirsten Waechter has been a business English trainer since 1998 teaching in-company courses. Today she focuses on teaching business communication, ESP and intercultural courses. She is also a materials writer and translator.

* * * * *

Archiv on CEFR-related events in 2020:

March 8th CEFR in Kyoto has been canceled

March 14th & 15th: CEFR-J has been canceled.