This book is a practical guide to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) (Council of Europe 2001) and the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/ CV; COE 2018), which have increasingly been used to inform the language policies and teaching practices of countries within and outside of Europe. It helps practitioners to (i) grasp essential and core concepts of the Common European Framework of Reference, (ii) identify parts of the CEFR and the CEFR/CV as well as other CEFR-related resources and documents that are relevant for readers' different purposes, and (iii) utilise and adapt these resources for their own needs. Written by practitioners for practitioners, this hands-on guide covers the philosophy of the CEFR, curricula, assessment, learner autonomy, the task-based approach, and teacher development. Logically explaining all aspects of the framework and its application, this manual helps readers deal with many of the difficulties encountered when using CEFR and the CEFR CV. The book will appeal to a wide audience, including teacher educators; curriculum and materials developers; examination boards unfamiliar with the CEFR; university language departments and language centres responsible for developing their own curricula, teaching/learning approaches and assessment instruments; and policy-makers wanting to learn more about the implications of adopting the CEFR. It is a guidebook, a reference book and a workbook all in your hand.

This edited volume deals with some of the salient issues to be considered when using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). There has been little critical and constructive assessment of CEFR-informed pedagogical practices in Japan and beyond. Instead, policy issues have been dominant. The volume focuses on the implementation of the CEFR in language education institutions, and stresses that the CEFR and its 'Can Do' statements must be adapted and changed to suit the specific context they serve. This work is complementary to English Profile Studies volume 4 (North 2014), which provides examples of the implementation of the CEFR, with a focus on misconceptions of the CEFR and how these could be addressed, by offering in-depth case studies. For a full description of processes it is necessary to unfold the complexity of language policy and then gain focus by concentrating mainly on the institutional levels.