Journal
CEFR Journal - Research and Practice
Volume: CEFR Journal - Research and Practice Volume 3 (https://cefrjapan.net/journal)
Date: October 20, 2020
Title: Initial stages of individual teacher CEFR-related classroom curriculum projects at Miyazaki International College
Page: 21 - 43
Author: Rebecca Schmidt (Miyazaki International College) & Ellen Head (Miyazaki International College)
This article is open access and licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.
Abstract: This paper explores steps individual instructors have undertaken to incorporate the CEFR into oral communication, reading, writing, and team-taught CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) courses absent of administrative mandates, within a large-scale curricular framework of the International Liberal Arts Department at Miyazaki International College (MIC). Although the curricular framework specifies general learner and course goals, a high level of teacher autonomy allows instructors to embark on their own projects integrating CEFR-related goals. For example, instructors have found ways to input larger conceptual goals of the CEFR through Can Do statements, and other reflective activities aimed to raise learner awareness, as well as noting where curriculum already aligns with established descriptors of the CEFR scales. In addition, aspects of the newer Illustrative Descriptors Scales of the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV) including reception, production, interaction and mediation provide benchmarks for instructors to reflect on the way language is taught and negotiated in the CLIL program. While the paper focuses on projects within such an autonomous environment, it offers a case study of steps individual instructors can attempt in order to incorporate the CEFR into curricula absent of administrative mandates and provides guidance for those receiving various mandates to reform curriculum.
Keywords: CEFR-informed curriculum design and mapping; teacher autonomy; learner awareness; learner reflection; CLIL; EMI institution; Can Do statements; Illustrative Descriptor Scales, CEFR/CV; action research approach
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(Last update March 6th, 2023 MGS)
