Join us at the Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge, MA from October 30-31 . Hotel stay available for purchase.

 

Friday, October 30 - Featured Conference

• 7:00AM- Registration Opens
• 9:00AM-10:00AM- Session A
• 10:00AM-10:30AM - Exhibit Break
• 10:30AM-11:30AM - Session B
• 11:30AM-12:30PM - LUNCH
• 12:30PM-1:00PM - Panel Discussions/Exhibit Hall
• 1:15PM-215PM - Session C*
• 2:30PM-3:30PM - Session D*
• 1:15PM-3:30PM - Workshop 1 or 2 in lieu of Sessions C and D.
• 3:30PM-4:00PM- Exhibit Break
• 4:00PM-5:00PM- Session E
• 5:00PM-6:30PM- Member Reception/TOY 
• 6:30PM-8:00PM - Social Activities

*During the Session C and D timeslots, attendees may choose to attend either Workshop 1 or Workshop 2 instead of attending the sessions. Workshops are two hours. 

Saturday October 31 - Featured Workshops (included in registration price)

• 7:00AM - 9:00AM- Registration
• 9:15AM - 12:15PM - Featured Workshops - Choose ONE
  • WORKSHOP with L J Randolph
  • Leading For Proficiency with Catherine Ritz
  • Practical Frameworks for Building Inclusive, Proficiency-Aligned Classrooms? with Joshua Cabral
  • Greenhouse Leadership: Designing a World Language Program Where Every Student Can Bloom with Jessica Haxhi
  • Tools, Not Rules: Reframing Grammar Instruction with Michael Travers and Timothy Chavez

• 12:30PM-2:00PM - Business & Awards Luncheon ($)

($)- indicates an additional cost for the event

 

Saturday Workshops, Included with registration.  Please choose one or if not attending, check Not Attending.  Also include on POs

9:15AM - 12:15PM- Choice Of Deep Dive Workshops

Workshop 1 - Humanizing and Liberating Curricular Frameworks for Language Education
Presenter:  L. J. Randolph
This workshop begins by identifying and unpacking ways that language learning can often be a dehumanizing experience for learners (e.g., abuse of AI, use of capitalist language in programming and curriculum, and productivity-centered models of assessment). Then, building on theoretical foundations informed by transdisciplinary frameworks and liberation-centered movements, the workshop will link theory to practice across curriculum, instruction, and assessment in language education. Through guided reflection, discussion, and hands-on activities, participants will not only walk away with concrete strategies but also with a renewed perspective on the humanizing, transformative power of language learning.

Dr. L. J. Randolph Jr. (he/any) is a linguist, educator, researcher, and social justice advocate. He was born and raised in southeastern North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied Linguistics and Romance Languages (B.A.), Language Education (M.A.T.), and Curriculum and Instruction (Ed.D.). Before transitioning to higher education, he worked for a decade as a Spanish and ESL teacher in North Carolina’s public high schools. Dr. Randolph’s scholarly work focuses on how language learning can be a liberating and inclusive experience for all learners, especially for students from minoritized and marginalized linguistic and racial identities. His research and teaching engage with justice-centered, antiracist, and anticolonial pedagogies; the teaching of Spanish as a heritage or community language; and the centering of Blackness and Indigenousness in language curriculum. He is co-editor of the volume How We Take Action: Social Justice in PreK–16 Classrooms (Information Age/Emerald Publishing, 2023). He has also served in leadership roles in multiple professional organizations, including past president of ACTFL (formerly the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), Fostering Language Acquisition in North Carolina (FLANC), and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin, where he is a faculty member in World Language Education and Second Language Acquisition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He enjoys running, cycling, watching horror movies, reading horror and sci-fi novels, playing video/board games, and spending time with his wife Davida and daughter Vada.

Workshop 2 - Leading for Proficiency
Presenter:  Catherine Ritz
This interactive workshop for aspiring and current program leaders focuses on strengthening leadership practice and driving measurable improvement. Participants will examine the qualities of effective leadership, reflect on their own practice, and set professional growth goals. The workshop also explores how to review program performance-to-proficiency targets and develop strategic plans that define mission, annual goals, and action steps. In addition, participants will learn practical approaches to supporting teachers through supervision and evaluation, conducting effective observations and feedback conversations, planning productive department meetings, and designing professional development aligned with program priorities. The workshop also offers opportunities to network with fellow leaders, fostering collaboration, shared insight, and practical takeaways that can be implemented immediately.

Catherine Ritz, EdD is a World Language teacher and teacher educator. She taught French and Spanish at the middle and high school levels for many years – obtaining National Board Certification in teaching French – before becoming the Director of World Languages in a public school district outside of Boston. Catherine is now a Clinical Associate Professor and program director for World Language Education and Curriculum & Teaching at the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Catherine has served on the Board of Directors of MAFLA, NECTFL, and the Executive Board of AATF as Vice President. She is the author of Leading Your World Language Program: Strategies for Design & Supervision, Even If You Don’t Speak the Language! (Routledge, 2021), co-author of Proficiency-Based Instruction: Input & Interaction in World Language Education (ACTFL, 2022), and co-author of Proficiency-Based Instruction: Teaching Grammar for Proficiency (ACTFL, 2024).

Workshop 3 - Practical Frameworks for Building Inclusive, Proficiency Aligned Classrooms
Presenter: Joshua Cabral
Teachers will learn practical, repeatable frameworks for building inclusive classrooms grounded in proficiency-based instruction. Participants will gain insights on designing purposeful, communicative tasks across the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes while increasing access and meaningful participation for all learners. We will unpack scaffolding strategies for each mode, teaching grammar in context to support communication, and designing effective performance assessments. Emphasis will be placed on clear routines, aligned expectations, and sustainable planning practices that work across languages and levels. Teachers will leave with adaptable tools and ready-to-implement ideas.

Joshua Cabral has been teaching French and Spanish at the elementary, middle and high school levels for 29 years and has done extensive graduate work in Applied Linguistics and Instructional Coaching. In addition to teaching at Tower School in Marblehead, MA he regularly presents workshops on language proficiency and cultural competence at state, regional and national conferences. He also consults with schools and districts across the country as they build proficiency-based language programs. Joshua is passionate about access to education in developing countries and often travels to work with teachers and students in Nicaragua. He also hosts the World Language Classroom Podcast.

Workshop 4 - Greenhouse Leadership: Designing a World Language Program Where Every Student Can Bloom
Presenter: Jessica Haxhi
Just as a greenhouse provides the ideal environment for growth, a successful world language program requires intentional structures to cultivate equity, joy, and proficiency. This session explores the practical architecture behind strong program design—from building a shared vision and writing curriculum to setting performance targets and establishing collaborative systems. We’ll discuss how focused professional learning around key instructional practices can build teacher capacity and ensure that all students—including native, heritage, and world language learners—feel seen, supported, and capable of success. Participants will have dedicated time to review their own programs against the examples given, collaborate with peers, and ask questions of the presenter.

Jessica Haxhi has been the Supervisor of World Languages for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut since 2013, overseeing 85 teachers and expanding the program to nine languages. She was President of ACTFL in 2021 and is a past President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. Jessica served on the Northeast Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Board from 2006-2010, the ACTFL-NCSSFL Can-Do Statements Committee, and the Connecticut World Languages Standards Review Committee. Previously, Jessica taught Japanese for 20 years in a PreK-5 program and has taught world language methods as an adjunct instructor at local CT universities.

Workshop #5 - Tools Not Rules: Reframing Grammar Instruction
Michael Travers and Timothy Chavez
One of ACTFL's Guiding Principles calls on us to teach grammar as a concept in context, but putting that principle into practice is often easier said than done. There's no doubt that grammar instruction is essential, but how we go about that instruction needs to look different as we shift from a focus on grammar knowledge to a focus on student proficiency. In this interactive workshop, we will explore how to bridge the gap between best practices and classroom reality. Participants will gain practical experience designing lessons using structured input and other processing-focused strategies that help learners process grammar for meaning. From there, we will explore how to scaffold tasks for learners and gradually move toward independent use of grammar in speaking and writing. Teachers will leave with adaptable frameworks, ready-to-use strategies, and concrete ideas for supporting Novice and Intermediate learners in making grammar a tool for authentic communication. 

Mike Travers is a teacher at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts and has taught Spanish and French at the novice and intermediate levels. He is an active presenter at MAFLA, NECTFL, ACTFL, and currently serves as MAFLA's president. He is the co-author of the recently published book Proficiency Based Instruction: Teaching Grammar for Proficiency. Mike has a true passion for working with districts and teachers as they make the shift to a student-centered, proficiency-based approach in their world language programs.

Timothy Chávez is a seasoned Spanish teacher with over a decade of experience in communicative language teaching, focused on building language proficiency. A researcher by nature, he loves exploring language acquisition research and integrating it into lesson plans and curricula. As a queer educator, Timothy is dedicated to creating lessons and curricula that center social justice and authentic voices.

 

 

POs are accepted but cannot be used for the Early Bird Pricing. 
POs must reflect the Regular Pricing and/or Late Pricing if appropriate. 
PLEASE FOLLOW PO Instructions in the tab below

IMPORTANT!

Cancellations: Any registrant who needs to cancel their registration while registration is still open is able to do so with a 15% fee.
After October 18, the amount of the refund is at the discretion of the Program Director.

POs are accepted but cannot be used for the Early Bird Pricing. 
POs must reflect the Regular Pricing and/or Late Pricing if appropriate. 
PLEASE FOLLOW PO Instructions in the link below

Instructions for paying by PO are available HERE. 

 

MAFLA Conference 2026 FAQ

MAFLA 2026 Conference FAQ

 

What is the conference schedule?

• Friday: Sessions, workshops, and a panel discussion after lunch

• Saturday: Workshops, Awards Luncheon, and the Business Meeting

• Exhibitors: Available both days, with scheduled exploration times and raffles

What’s the difference between sessions, workshops, and panels?

• Workshops:
  In-depth, extended learning on a focused topic led by local and national speakers
  • Friday: Two 2-hour workshops

  • Saturday: Five 2-hour workshops

• Sessions:
  60-minute presentations (Friday only)
  • Friday includes over 30 sessions

• Panels:
  Interactive, discussion-based presentations held after Friday lunch

What registration options are available?

• Full Conference Registration (Friday + Saturday)

• Saturday-Only Registration

• Meals included vary by registration type; additional meals may be added

• Business Meeting attendance does not require registration for the Awards Luncheon

What meals are provided and can dietary needs be accommodated?

• Coffee and tea are available at designated times.

• Friday lunch is included with registration.

• Dietary options include gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.

Where should I stay?

• A limited discounted room block is available at the Wellsworth Hotel.

• Rooms are first-come, first-served. Book early using the provided link

Is there a conference app?

Yes! We use EventMobi to:

• Build your personal agenda

• Access session handouts

• Network with attendees

• Participate in raffles and win prizes

Bring your own device for full app functionality.

Is parking available?

• On-site parking is available

• MAFLA is not responsible for vehicles or personal property

Where do I check in when I arrive?

• Location: First floor

• You will receive:
  • Your conference badge

  • Tickets for any additional purchases

• All sessions and workshops are located on the first floor

• Refer to the Maps tab in the conference app for details

What if I didn’t register online or want to add something on-site?

• Visit Member Services on the first floor

• MAFLA volunteers can help you:
  • Register on-site

  • Add extras

  • Join or renew your MAFLA membership

• Payment accepted: credit card, check, or cash

Is Wi-Fi available?

Yes. Wi-Fi is available to all attendees. Login information is posted in the conference app.

I’m presenting—what should I bring?

Please bring a dongle/adapter to connect your device to the projector or TV (HDMI).

Who organizes the conference?

The conference is supported by the MAFLA Board and coordinated by the Conference Chair and Coordinator.

MAFLA is entirely volunteer-run and organized by current and retired world language educators.

INFORMATION FOR EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS

What: MAFLA 2026 Fall Conference

Where: Wellsworth Hotel and Conference Center in Southbridge, MA

When: October 30-31, 2026.

REGISTER HERE AS AN EXHIBITOR

TO SPONSOR CLICK HERE

View the MAFLA Prospectus

Sponsorship proposal - MAFLA 2026 (3)

The Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge, MA is offering MAFLA Conference attendees a special rate to stay at the hotel.

The Hotel block will be open in June.  

Follow THIS link for special event pricing at the Wellsworth Hotel.