Language policy has been a part of political wave of integration in Europe.  It has been over 16 years since Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR in short) was launched based on the accumulation of the research over the past few decades in 2001.  In the meantime, CEFR has been highly evaluated not only within Europe, but rather highly appreciated in foreign language education outside of Europe, and it has been used and practiced.
Seeing on the things related to Japanese language education, AJE Association of Japanese Language Teachers in Europe has completed the commissioned research, and it was published as the CEF investigation result of Japanese language education in Europe (2003).  Also, JF The Japan Foundation created “JF standard” that is strongly influenced by CEFR (2010), then a unique Japanese textbook (“Marugoto”) was published following that standard.
For a few years after CEFR was launched, there was some opposition about how it was enforced “from the above”, but nowadays, it seems like people in language education field, including the learners, got used to it and take it natural.  
Since the beginning, I have always wanted to stand in the position to take CEFR positively and constructively as a new tool to improve and develop language education and its practice.  I was involved in the team for establishment of evaluation scale for achievement referring to CEFR for 25 language majors at the former Osaka University of Foreign Studies (Foreign Language Department, Osaka University since October, 2007), and now, the achievement goals in 4 years for 25 language majors have been publicized on the “Student Syllabus” for new students every year, as well as on the website of the Department.  I am very pleased that both teachers and students have got used to be aware of these achievement goals for the sake of the students’ proficiency in their target language.
In the beginning, there were brief questions and concerns whether it is possible to apply CEFR to non-European languages, but there is no progress unless language experts engage in and discuss on the differences and verbal behavior of each language, just as stated in CEFR.  People who developed CEFR built a reference frame for the language education in Europe based on the researches on languages in Europe.  But if the universality of this reference frame could be applied for non-European languages, I believe it could be called as Common Asian Framework instead of Common European Framework, or maybe Common Framework of Reference for Languages that can be used all over the world in the future.
 
One example of criticism of the introduction of CEFR was Schwertfeger (2003).  She pointed out the concern that CEFR might bring in efficiency emphasis and economic emphasis into language education and make it like “McDonald’s”.  If you look at CEFR as a language policy from a macro perspective, it surely involves globalization and language policy / language education and it is a serious problem.  There are standardized parts and unified parts to it, but if you look at it as a whole, by using “Portfolio (ELP)” at the educational site as record of each student, I think individualized learning is respected.  Also by trying to bring up autonomous learners, individualization has been made possible.
After suggesting the utilization of CEFR with language education for immigrants in 2006, Language Policy Division of Council of Europe launched a theme of language in school education, and is working to implement multilingualism (or rather plurilingualism) for the minors.  Turning to the current state of Japan, where language education for foreign-rooted children at public education site has become urgent issue, I believe there are things that need to be referred to.  
This is the future task that we need to follow and keep thinking together along with the warning of CEFR being as “McDonald’s”.
 
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November 27th, 2010 International Symposium on Japanese Language Education “Future prospects for JLC Japanese language standard”, a report “About evaluation scale of achievement –an attempt at Osaka University using CEFR-“  (at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) (refer to the poster for details and application)
 
Oral report “Evaluation of achievement (CEFR and NS) -attempt at Osaka University-“ (at Joint national convention of The Japan Association of Chinese Language Education and 高等学校中国語教育研究会)
 
“Creating evaluation scale of achievement in language education – an attempt at Osaka University of Foreign Studies using CEFR- “ (CJLC Journal, first issue)
 
Observation report on foreign language education at OUFS partner university in the US  (about National Standards in the US)
 
About International Symposium (link to report on panel discussions)
 
I did research in Europe, mainly in Germany, from March to September in 2005.  Progress report of the research.
 
I did research in the US in 2006 and 2007. I will post the progress report soon.
 
I did research in Strasbourg, France and Graz, Austria in the summer of 2007.  Report of the research.
 
“University Forum 2009: Prospects in 21st century of Japanese language and Japanese culture education in Southeast Asia -Aiming for the construction of a new educational research network between Southeast Asian countries and Japan-” in KL, Malaysia.
 
Activity record from March, 2009 to March 2010.
 
Lecture at Kanazawa University Symposium “Practice of evaluation scale of achievement referring to CEFR for the language education at the Japanese university -A case study at Osaka University Foreign language department-”