The Common European Framework of Reference—The Globalisation of Language Education Policy

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) is a Council of Europe-issued guideline that aims to provide a method of language pedagogy that applies to all languages of Europe. This text provides a comparative analysis of the influence of the CEFR in selected countries within and outside Europe. Having solicited contributors from academia as well as those involved in policy-formation in their respective countries, editors Byram (emeritus, Durham U., England) and Parmenter (Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan U., England) present twinned chapters for each country that address the processes of taking CEFR into consideration in curriculum development, addressing aims, methods, materials, assessment, evaluation, and inspection, as well as the broader intellectual context for CEFR influence. The countries discussed are France, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, Argentina, Colombia, the US, China, Japan, Taiwan, and New Zealand. Distributed in the US by UTP Distribution. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Michael Byram taught languages in secondary school and adult education. At Durham University since 1980, now emeritus, he has researched the education of linguistic minorities and foreign language education. His most recent book is From Foreign Language Education to Education for Intercultural Citizenship (Multilingual Matters) and he is the editor of the Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning.
Lynne Parmenter is a Principal Lecturer in International Education at the Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University. Until 2010, she spent 17 years teaching in schools and universities in Japan. Her main research interests are in global citizenship education and the negotiation of education policy and practice in the context of globalization.