Implementing the CEFR Framework in English Language Teaching in Japan: Insights from the CEFR-J Project

Abstract

In this talk, I will share my experience as the Principal Investigator of the CEFR-J Project, a localization project of the CEFR in the context of English Language Teaching and Learning in Japan. Utilizing the CEFR as a framework allows us to describe and scrutinize the nature of foreign language policy and implementation, while also making current practices explicit through reflection via the CEFR as a descriptive tool. The CEFR-J project has three primary objectives: (1) to investigate how a framework such as the CEFR can be constructed, (2) to understand how to develop linguistic resources aligned with the CEFR levels, and (3) to examine how a framework like the CEFR can be implemented in a specific educational context, and to assess the advantages and disadvantages of using the framework as a tool for reflection.