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Humanities
- ISSN: 2155-7993
- Journal of Modern Education Review
An Empirical Validation of Self-ratings of CEFR-J Can-Do Descriptors for Japanese University Students
Masanori Tokeshi
(Faculty of International Studies, Meio University, Japan)
Abstract: This study attempts to empirically examine self-ratings of Can-Do descriptors of the CEFR-J (Tono, 2012), which was modified from the CEFR (Council of Europe, 2001). The inquiry mainly focuses on reliability of self-ratings between five skill categories and the relationship between the English proficiency test (EIKEN) scores and self-ratings. Three hundred eighty-nine freshmen at one Japanese university answered a web-questionnaire (110 questions in five skill categories) based on the CEFR-J Can-Do descriptors. The results show contradictory evidence. The results indicate that the internal reliability of self-ratings between the five skill categories is high, according to Cronbach’s alpha value (0.872), when the data were compared in the group. However, according to in-depth investigation of individual raw data, the results indicate a variation of responses with little relation to English proficiency test scores. Another statistical analysis (Pearson’s R) also supported this evidence. To interpret this contradictory evidence, it was assumed that CEFR-J may be effective to evaluate English programs, but not very helpful to measure individual English learning.
Key words: CEFR, curriculum development, higher education, Japan
