Page 12 - ELG1810 Oct Issue 461

OBITUARIES.

Professor Cyril J. Weir

Melanie Butler remembers her old friend Cyril, Scouser, Scholar and Godfather of
modern English language testing, who died this month.

By Melanie Butler His area of interest led to a visit
My friend Cyril was larger than from the Shah’s secret police,
life. He had a brain the size of who went off with half his library.
a planet, a heart of gold and a A born academic, he then
memory capable of recalling the switched to EFL, taking an MSC
quickest way to every pub he had at Edinburgh under testing guru
ever liked in every town he had Alan Davies and then, being an
ever visited. early convert to communicative
The Powdrill Research language teaching, doing
Professor in English Language his PhD at the Institute Courtesy of The University of Bedfordshire
Acquisition, Cyril was a major for Education.
influence in language testing He never lost his love of history,
worldwide; his years of research though, writing extensively on
culminated in his socio-cognitive the history of English Language
framework for language test Testing including a book,
development and validation. co-authored with Mike
Not bad for a boy from a Milanovic, on the history of
Liverpool council estate who Cambridge Proficiency.
won a scholarship to a local On leaving Cambridge
public school and went up to the Assessment, Mike Milanovic was Cyril never lost his love of history,
University of Reading aged 16. persuaded by Cyril to become
Though he lived near Reading a professor at the famous Weir though, writing extensively on the
for many years, he was a Scouser hothouse for growing language history of English Language Testing
to his core. He never lost his testers, otherwise known as,
Liverpudlian accent or his the Centre for Research in puzzle and persuaded me to When he sent me an e-mail
passion for Liverpool football English Language Learning and moonlight as a tester checking in 2015 telling me had been
team, a love exceeded only by Assessment, or Crella. the multiple choice distractors awarded an OBE I e-mailed
that which he had for his wife, Cyril nurtured a generation for a the new English Language back saying I had now officially
Shigeko, and their children of language testers: Barry Testing System. known him for forty years,
James and Mary. O’Sullivan, Tony Green, Nick The exam went on to become ‘Is that all,’ he wrote back, ‘it
Like many of us, Cyril did not Saville... He was the Bill Shankly Ielts and I went on to become a feels a lot longer.’
set out to work in EFL. When of British testing. journalist. I don’t think he ever I will miss him. All of us
I first met him in the middle of He even tried to convert me. quite forgave me – though he who knew him will miss him.
an Iranian desert in 1975 he was When I arrived on his doorstep was swift always to inform the When I think of him, I think of
funding his PhD thesis on, from in 1979 he got me a job in his Gazette when there was any the crowds singing at his beloved
memory, 19th century Russian school, taught me how to do news about him he thought we Anfield. Cyril Weir never
diplomacy, by teaching English. the Daily Telegraph crossword should publish. walked alone.

Simon Greenall: author, IATEFL ex-president, trustee

of International House London and thought leader

By Melanie Butler
Radio, according to my old and was also a member of the in their students. This is
Simon Greenall, who died in colleagues there. He went on board of the English Language my remaining and enduring
September, was the epitome of to write successful television Teaching Journal. commitment to the profession.”
the ELT professional. series, too; one of the only ELT In 2013 he was awarded an The ELT profession owes
A successful author of writers to excel across media. OBE (Officer of the Order of him a debt of gratitude.
courses including Reward and Never one to rest on his the British Empire) for services
Move Up. Last year he argued laurels, Simon ploughed to English language teaching.
passionately in these pages for a his energy, his time, and his In an interview with EFL
return of author-led books. money into supporting the ELT magazine in 2016 he summed
His writing success, profession. He was President up his philosophy: “I invest my
though, was not limited to of Iatefl from 1997 to 1999 time and money in projects to
books. In the 80’s he and co- when he introduced the Wider develop teachers, to help them
writer Judy Garton Sprenger Membership Scheme. He appreciate their own worth,
‘revolutionised’ the output joined the board of trustees of which will allow them to instill
of World Service English by International House in 2011 good principles of citizenship Courtesy IH London

12 October 2018