20/10/2023
The Academy of Social Sciences has granted a prestigious fellowship to a Cambridge language learning and assessment expert, Dr Nick Saville. The Academy is made up of academics, practitioners and learned societies in social science. It is the sector’s leading independent voice in the UK, championing the vital role social sciences play in education, government and business.
Dr Nick Saville, Director of Thought Leadership, Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Fellowships are given to distinguished experts by the Academy in recognition of contributions to social sciences. To be elected their research must address some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies. The Academy’s distinguished Fellowship comprises of 1,500 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors.
Francesca Woodward, Global Managing Director at Cambridge English said: “It is fantastic to see Nick recognised for his exceptional contributions to language assessment and for the impact his work has had on society. This is a well-deserved honour, and a fitting accolade for his research and thought leadership. We are proud of him and celebrate his achievements.”
Dr Nick Saville has been involved in English language education for over 30 years. He is currently Director of Thought Leadership for Cambridge University Press & Assessment English. He is Secretary-General of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE), on the Board of Trustees for The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF), and on the Management Committee of the Institute for Automated Language Teaching and Assessment (ALTA) (University of Cambridge).
Before joining Cambridge in 1989, he taught in Italy at the University of Cagliari and managed test development projects in Tokyo. Dr. Saville has a degree in Linguistics, an MA in TEFL and a PhD in language testing. His research interests include the development of models for investigating test impact; the implementation of quality management systems in test development and validation; and the uses of language assessment for migration and citizenship purposes. He regularly advises on issues related to multilingualism, language policy, and the role of English as a lingua franca.
Dr Saville presents regularly at international events and has published widely on issues related to language assessment. He was a founding associate editor of Language Assessment Quarterly, is joint-series editor of the Studies in Language Testing series.
Speaking about his election to the Academy, he said: “It is an honour to be elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. “I’m delighted to join the 1,500 Fellows of the Academy and look forward to sharing my expertise and passion for language assessment and to engage with some of the world’s leading minds in social sciences.”