Developing an e-portfolio reflecting the concept of mediation for university students

Abstract

Nearly 20 years have passed since the publication of CEFR (Council of Europe [CoE] 2001) and society has become more globalized with the development of information technology. At the same time, it has become more complex with many international issues needing to be solved. Reflecting on changes in society, the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV) was published in 2018, in which the concept of mediation is emphasized (CoE 2018). At the conference marking the launch of CEFR/CV, North (2018) explained mediation as a social and cultural process of creating conditions for communication and cooperation, which involves facing and hopefully defusing any delicate situations and tensions that may arise. In this increasingly globalized society, being able to play an active role as a mediator using English will be important. In Japan, the CEFR has been widely used in English education, including the new Courses of Study of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for junior high schools (MEXT 2017) and high schools (MEXT 2018). However, the concept of mediation emphasized in CEFR/CV has not been well recognized yet. Incorporating the concept of mediation is meaningful in English education in Japan for English learners to use English as a tool for global communication. In this paper, I will present the process of developing an e-portfolio based upon a learning management system (LMS) to promote students’ use of English as a tool for global communication integrating mediation Can Do descriptors from the CEFR/CV.