ERIC Number: EJ1121288
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Feb
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2191-611X
EISSN: N/A
Adaptation of the CEFR to Remedial English Language Education in Japan
Nagai, Noriko; Ayano, Seiki; Okada, Keiko; Nakanishi, Takayuki
Language Learning in Higher Education, v2 n1 p35-58 Feb 2013
This article sets out to show how to contextualize CEFR descriptors to fit remedial English reading courses at Japanese tertiary institutions. The courses target incoming students who are typically accepted in the fall of their final high school year, and are offered between the time of acceptance and enrolment in the following April. The paper details steps for contextualizing CEFR descriptors and explains how we specify the descriptors for the remedial course. The adaptation of the CEFR comprises two steps. The first is to select CEFR descriptors relevant to the course. The selection is based on the purposes of the course and the proficiency level of the target learners. The second step is to expand on the selected descriptors in terms of reading tasks, text types, and text features. Text types associated with the reading tasks defined in the selected descriptors are identified, and text features are specified based on a close examination of the target level. Reading tasks are particularized according to text types and the actual texts assigned in each lesson. The resultant contextualization, varying in degree of specification, supports the different purposes of the course.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Remedial Instruction, College Freshmen, High School Graduates, Transitional Programs, Language Skills, Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading Skills, Program Development, Textbooks, Worksheets
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A