Trends in CEFR and Evaluation Standards of Japanese Language Education An Attempt to Create TU Standards at Thammasat University

Abstract

To create Thammasat University (TU) Standards for Japanese Language Learning, this paper first reviews the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which is the basis for setting curricula and achievement goals at language education institutes. It then, reviews other standards used overseas for Japanese language education. These standards demonstrate a strong similarity to the creation of standards for Thammasat University, where the students have varied learning backgrounds, such as those that have studied Japanese previously and those that have not. The TU Standards will help those students to evaluate their language ability at each stage of their learning, and also clarify what they need to learn. Furthermore, they are expected to encourage autonomous learning.