Meet the team

Sheryl Cooke leads a regional team that provides language assessment solutions for partners throughout East Asia including needs analysis, language assessment literacy training, test development, post-test services and teacher support. 

Trevor Breakspear has 18 years of teaching and training experience within the Chinese ESL and EAP contexts and over 10 years of project management experience within localisation and assessment fields. He is currently pursuing an MA in Language Testing with Lancaster University.

Johnathan Cruise graduated with a BA in Linguistics and Literature in 1991 and obtained a PGCE in General Primary Education in 1993, before then moving to China to train English teachers. In the last 20 years, Johnathan has worked as an examiner and examiner trainer and obtained an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL with a focus on assessment of Speaking tests in 2010.

Jan Langeslag is an experienced language instructor, trainer and assessment expert, holding an MA in Language Testing. His expertise lies in the assessment of the productive skills and analysis of rater behaviour. In his current post with the British Council in Guangzhou, Jan promotes assessment literacy among teachers and other stakeholders through workshops and conference presentations and also plays a role in product validation research. 

Jonathan Dixon has worked in the assessment sector for the British Council for over three years. He has been involved in the Chinese ESL industry for around 17 years, working as a teacher, trainer, manager, and assessor. Jonathan holds diplomas in language teaching and academic management, and is currently studying an MA in Language Testing with Lancaster University. Jonathan came to China in 2002 and has worked for a variety of public and private institutions across the country.

William Bayliss has worked in the field of language teaching and assessment for 10 years. Working as teacher and then academic manager in Chinese private language schools, before transitioning into the role of assessor, he has a wealth of experience in team management, programming and assessment delivery underpinned by an MSc in Applied Linguistics from Edinburgh University.

Neil Stead is located in Japan and is currently a project manager for the New Directions in English Language Assessment Conference (East Asia edition). Neil has been involved with and managed a range of online and offline language learning products, some of which have been in the academic development department of one of Japan's largest English language schools. He has a degree in English Literature from Exeter University and is a PMP-certified project manager. 

Radosveta Valkova works as an Assessment Solutions Consultant for the British Council. Apart from her extensive teaching experience, Radosveta's background is in management, project management, and research. Her engagement in projects is varied: from validity research and language analysis to new product development and presentations.She holds an MBA from Strayer University, a Trinity College DipTESOL and CertTESOL, and is currently studying an MA in Language Testing with Lancaster University.