Alderson, J. Charles

Abstract

In a humorous tribute to his parents, the dedication in Charles Alderson's oft‐quoted publication Assessing Reading (Alderson, 2000) reads: “I only hope they would not have been too disappointed that I did not become the Town Clerk of Burnley, as my mother hoped.” Though he failed to follow that exact path, Alderson's mother accurately predicted that his work would have a wide sphere of influence. Indeed, he has been described as “a major force in the advancement of language testing for the past 30 years, particularly in Europe” (ILTA Lifetime Achievement Award Committee, 2008 – htfp://www.iltaonline.com ).