About Deborah Kennedy

Deborah Kennedy is the founder of Key Words. Ms. Kennedy has deep expertise in English for specific purposes, with a focus on English for the workplace and life skills English. An experienced teacher, materials developer, teacher trainer, and program director, she has taught in and directed programs for adult English language learners at every level of proficiency from basic/beginning through advanced professional, and is experienced in online and face-to-face modes of instruction. She has over 25 years of experience working with governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations, and was formerly the Associate Vice President for Adult English Language Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics.

Currently Ms. Kennedy is a senior consultant for the National Coalition for Literacy, where she was executive director 2020-2024. In that role she led advocacy activities at the federal level on behalf of adult basic education and English as a second language programs throughout the United States, worked with staff on Capitol Hill to provide briefings and information on return on investment for WIOA and related federal funding streams, provided webinars and conference presentations on advocacy as a key responsibility of adult education practitioners, and worked collaboratively with member organizations to maintain connections and ensure consistency in presentation of information.

Ms. Kennedy is an active professional development workshop facilitator, currently teaching in TESOL International’s Core Certificate Program. She develops curriculum and materials for online facilitated courses and self-instruction modules in language teaching practice for instructors and language skills development for multilingual adult learners of English, and is an experienced user of Canvas, Blackboard, Sakai, Moodle, and several other LMS platforms. Her current work also includes editorial services for applied linguistics publications for professional associations and institutes, including ACTFL and TESOL.

Ms. Kennedy holds degrees from Boston University, Harvard University, and American University, as well as a certification in online instruction from Quality Matters and a certification in Developing an Online Teaching Program from TESOL International.

More information:

Projects and Professional Experience
Publication History
Presentation History

Professional affiliations:

American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE)
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers (AALPD)
ASTM International (vice chair, Language Testing subcommittee, 2011-2013)
Coalition of Distinguished Language Centers (board member, 2007–2010)
Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE)
Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR)
National Coalition for Literacy (CAL representative, 2013-2016; board member, 2014-2020; board president, 2016-2020)
Open Door Collective (ODC)
ProLiteracy
TESOL International Association

Open Researcher and Contributor ID:
orcid.org/0000-0003-3270-614X