The Research & Validation team

Background

The Research & Validation unit was set up in 1989 to establish a validation programme and research agenda that specifically focused on Cambridge ESOL exams. The unit was headed by Dr Michael Milanovic (now Chief Executive) and was the first of its kind within a UK exam board.

The Group provides rigorous quality assurance for the exams at every stage of the assessment process. It achieves this by conducting analyses and research projects for all the exams and through establishing and implementing standard procedures which are evaluated and refined in respect of theoretical, technological and business developments.

Our experts specialise in:

educational measurement

item response theory and item-banking
computer-based testing
cross-language comparability
scaling, norming, equating
standard setting

applied linguistics

language testing
psycholinguistics
second language acquisition
language learning/pedagogy

corpus linguistics
quality management

Cambridge ESOL is a member of ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) which provides a forum for the development of assessment standards for European languages. ALTE also works to set common standards for all stages of the language-testing process.

Our research specialists work closely with ALTE to support its work in establishing common levels of proficiency to promote transnational recognition of certification in Europe.

The team

The Research & Validation team brings together specialists in testing and assessment, statistical analysis and item-banking, applied linguistics, corpus linguistics, language learning/pedagogy, project and database management, administration and training and library and publication skills.

This diversity enables us to build the specialist knowledge and skills base we need to be a leading international provider of high quality assessment products.

Through publications and presentations in the public domain we can make a valuable contribution to the wider field of language assessment more generally.

Management Team

Nick Saville - Director

Nick is responsible for planning and coordinating the work of the R&V Group. He holds degrees in Linguistics and TEFL from the University of Reading and has specialised in language testing and assessment since 1987. Before joining Cambridge he worked at the University of Cagliari (Italy) and spent two years in Tokyo managing a test development project. His own research interests include the development and validation of tasks and rating scales for Speaking tests, the development of models for investigating test impact, the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) in test development and validation, and the uses of language assessment for migration and citizenship purposes. He is the representative of Cambridge ESOL in ALTE - the Association of Language Testers in Europe - and has close involvement with other European initiatives, such as the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and related "toolkit". Currently he is a member of the team responsible for co-ordinating the English Profile - i.e. Reference Level Descriptions for English to accompany the CEFR. Nick has presented at major conferences on an annual basis since 1990 and has published widely on issues related to language assessment. Currently he is an associate editor of Language Assessment Quarterly.
Neil Jones

Neil holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh (UK) on the application of item response theory. He has previous extensive experience as teacher and director of studies in several countries including Poland and Japan, has set up English teaching departments at university level, and worked on materials development, teacher training, multimedia study centres. Neil's role as Principal Research and Validation Co-ordinator involves working on innovative developments including item-banking, Cambridge ESOL common scale, computer-adaptive testing, and the Asset languages initiative. His current interests are formative assessment, and the construction of multilingual language proficiency frameworks like the Common European Framework of Reference.
Ardeshir Geranpayeh

Ardeshir holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh (UK) on the comparability of language proficiency testing. He has extensive experience of test validation and has contributed to the design, development, validation, revision and evaluation of several internationally recognised language proficiency tests. He also has a strong background in computing and information technology. Ardeshir, as Principal Research and Validation Co-ordinator leads on Computer based testing strategy and the development of associated IT systems as well as the statistical analysis of the examinations. His current interests include: IRT and item-banking, differential item functioning, and structural equation modelling.
Hanan Khalifa

Hanan holds a PhD in Language Testing from the University of Reading (UK). Previously, she worked within a university context and with international development agencies on the development of test batteries and item banks, ESP/EAP curriculum development, and educational reform. Hanan also has extensive experience in capacity building, programme evaluation, and in conducting impact studies. Her role as Principal Research and Validation Co-ordinator involves: setting the group’s research agenda, assessing reading, raising internal awareness to the CEFR, and building arguments for assessment products. Hanan represents Cambridge ESOL in EAQUALS special interest groups. Research interests include: standard setting, qualitative research, ethical and fairness issues in educational assessment.

Validation Officers

Evelina Galaczi

Evelina has a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Teachers College, Columbia University (USA). She has extensive experience as an ESOL teacher, teacher-trainer and program administrator. Her role involves providing ongoing operational and quality assurance support for the speaking component of Cambridge ESOL examinations as well as publishing research on these products. She is also involved in providing validation and research support to the Teaching Awards Suite of examinations. Her research interests include performance assessment with specific reference to the testing of speaking, discourse analysis and qualitative approaches to assessment research.
Fiona Barker

Fiona holds a PhD in Language Description and Corpus Linguistics from Cardiff University (UK). She has experience of the theoretical and practical issues associated with building language corpora and taught English in the UK secondary sector. With responsibility for corpora, she develops collections of spoken and written learner data and provides support to the English Profile project. She edits the quarterly publication Research Notes and works with external consultants, researchers and research students. Her research interests include: written/spoken corpus development, comparative analysis of learner speech and writing and vocabulary range/growth.
Szilvia Papp

Szilvia holds a PhD in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Edinburgh (UK). As a lecturer in Higher Education, she has taught on various Applied Linguistics and TEFL/TESOL courses. Within Cambridge ESOL, she has specific research and validation responsibility with regards to Young learners’ examinations. She provides support to assessment products and to the English Profile project in terms of research related to the construct of Writing. Her research interests include the assessment of young learners, learner corpus analysis, language testing for citizenship, second language acquisition of grammar and vocabulary.
Andrew Blackhurst

Andy holds a PhD in History from University College London (UK). Before joining Cambridge ESOL, he assisted in teaching and assessing undergraduate students at University College London. He now manages a team with responsibilities for the IELTS examination and for computer adaptive testing such as BULATS and Skills for Life. He also undertakes routine operational analyses, research projects, and external presentations related to the above mentioned products. Current research interests include: the assessment of English for academic purposes, the East Asian learner and the ethics of test usage.
Sacha DeVelle

Sacha holds a PhD in Linguistics with specific reference to language processing from the University of Queensland (Australia). At Queensland University, she co-ordinated the Psycholinguistics Testing laboratory within the Linguistics Program. She also has extensive experience in teaching Spanish and Psycholinguistics at university level and preparing students for IELTS and FCE examinations. Her role is primarily concerned with statistical analyses and research projects for the IELTS exam. Her research interests include all aspects of IELTS performance assessment and the cognitive processes that underlie language processing at the semantics/pragmatics interface.
Karen Ashton

Karen holds a Master's degree in Forensic Linguistics from Cardiff University (UK) and is completing a PhD in reading comparability from the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. Previously, she worked as a Research Assistant and as a teacher of English in Japan. She works on Asset Languages, where her role involves researching areas of comparability, the impact that Asset Languages has had to date, and standard-setting for performance assessments. Her research interests include: assessment of reading, particularly construct related issues, comparability of assessments, comparability of frameworks..
Andrew Somers

Andrew holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge (UK). Working at Cambridge ESOL, he has gained extensive experience in working with special arrangements and malpractice cases. He is now working on using Structural Equation Modelling in relation to test construction and modification. He also manages a team with responsibilities for the analysis of Main Suite Examinations as well as pretesting analysis. As such he has built up management experience and knowledge of quantitative research methodology. His research interests include: electronic script management, test equating and grading methodologies.
Dittany Rose

Dittany holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Anglia Ruskin University (UK). Before joining Cambridge ESOL, she worked in Russia, Indonesia and Malaysia, as an EFL teacher and manager. After a number of years developing and managing the production of Cambridge test materials she now works in the Research and Validation group. Her role currently involves co-ordinating work on the examination review and evaluation process and liaising with other ESOL groups to ensure that quality assurance standards set by ALTE and ISO 9001:2000 are established and effectively implemented and maintained.
Ivana Vidakovic

Ivana holds a PhD in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Cambridge (UK). Previously, she worked as an EFL teacher overseas where she taught adult learners and has conducted a series of quantitative research activities as part of her postgraduate studies. Her role involves statistical data analyses, provision of validation support to ILEC, ICFE and Skills for Life examinations as well as conducting research related to ESP assessment. Her research interests are in the domain of testing English for Specific Purposes.
Svetlana Kurtes

Svetlana holds a Ph.D. in Contrastive Linguistics from Novi Sad University (Serbia). She has worked as a Lecturer in English at Belgrade University and at Cambridge University Language Centre where she was involved in advising on autonomous language learning, pedagogical and linguistic evaluation and documentation of language learning materials. Her current role involves the coordination of the English Profile project, a collaborative research project set up to provide a reference level description for English as a foreign language. Her research interests involve pedagogically oriented contrastive linguistics, language education, intercultural pragmatics and sociolinguistics.
Angeliki Salamoura

Angeliki holds a PhD in Second Language Processing from the University of Cambridge (UK). She has previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher on English language processing at Cambridge University where she developed a strong background in quantitative research. She has also worked as an EFL teacher overseas. Her current role involves working on state sector projects, on the validation of bespoke assessment products and providing support to the English Profile project in terms of its link to the CEFR. Her research interests include framework issues, quantitative research methodology and bilingual language processing.
Michael Corrigan

Michael holds an MA in Linguistics for Language Teaching from Lancaster University (UK). He has worked in universities and language schools in Europe and Asia and has held various test-related roles, such as item writer, test designer and test administrator. His current responsibilities involve working with four members of ALTE (the Goethe-Institut, the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, the Università per Stranieri di Perugia and the University of Lisbon) to validate and develop their tests of German, Irish, Italian and Portuguese as a foreign language. His research interests include cross-language comparability.
Lucy Chambers

Lucy holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Anglia Ruskin University (UK). Previous to working at Cambridge ESOL, she taught English in Japan, the Czech Republic and the UK in both the private school and business sectors. Her current responsibilities include providing statistical analysis and construct validation argument to the business examinations; BEC and BULATS. She also manages our ongoing monitoring examination difficulty project (Live Anchor), the workflow of internal research requests and the reporting of internal publications. Her research interests include English for Specific Purposes and computer-based versus paper-based written assessment.

European Projects Officer

Barbara Stevens

Barbara holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics and ESP from Aston University (UK). She has extensive experience as an ESOL teacher, teacher-trainer and textbook writer in Spain. Her last post was as a lecturer at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid. In her current role, Barbara has been involved in the development of the EAQUALS ALTE electronic language portfolio, and the production of multi-lingual testing glossaries in the less widely spoken languages e.g. Hungarian, Latvian and Basque. She is also involved in the organisation of events and selection process of speakers in both the biannual and international ALTE conferences.

Assistant Validation Officers

Laura Cope

Laura holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge (UK). She joined Cambridge ESOL soon after graduating. Her current role involves database management and ensuring that the algorithms for computer adaptive tests such as BULATS are performing appropriately via ongoing testing. She assists on research projects that are related to IELTS as well as providing statistical support for computer-based products.
Thomas Brett

Thomas holds a BSc in Geology from the University of Durham (UK). After graduation, he worked for the Assessment and Operations group of Cambridge ESOL before taking up his current position. His role chiefly consists of performing pretesting and grading statistical analyses for Main Suite exams. He also provides analysis support for a variety of ESOL examinations including IELTS and Teaching Awards.
Daniela Stablum

Daniela holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Padova (Italy). Previous to working at Cambridge ESOL she worked in a non-for-profit organisation in Italy where she conducted research on the role of family climate in mental health and on expressed emotion. In her current role, she is engaged in statistical analyses for a variety of ESOL examinations.