On September 17–18, 2021, we will be hosting a free two-day virtual conference to explore current teaching trends and the future of education technology. At this conference, you’ll connect with organizations and teachers, share your experiences and expertise, and help shape the future of English language education. This article is part of a series of posts introducing some of the conference speakers.

Meet Dr. Margaret E. Malone, the Director of Assessment and Research at ACTFL. Margaret holds a PhD from Georgetown University and has more than three decades of experience in language education. Her expertise includes the development of language tests and materials, teacher training, data collection, and program evaluation. Her current research focuses on language assessment literacy, the influence of the Seal of Biliteracy on language teaching and learning, and the development of shortcut proficiency measures.

Margaret entered the English teaching world in university. When Margaret was an undergraduate student, she took a class on language teaching methods and volunteered at a middle school where she provided support for English learners.

These days, Margaret gets excited about assessment and research.

“I love seeing how assessment and research can be used to improve education and make language education available to more students. Reading about ways that language programs serve learners from pre-k to adults reminds me that we are all lifelong learners and language is necessary to learning.”

Margaret is also passionate about equity.

“We need to consider what tools our learners need and have and how we can best support them where they are. We also need to remember that people learn differently, and that we need to help all our learners.”

On September 17, Margaret will be joining us to discuss assessment in the digital age and maximizing technology to improve relationships. 

“During the pandemic, I focused a great deal on relationships and how to strengthen such relationships through online teaching and assessment. I think of assessment as a communication tool, and we need to use our tech tools to foster these relationships.”

To hear Margaret speak, be sure to register for our virtual conference.