Bilingual/Dual Language Education programs; equitable access to specialized school programs; EL learner engagement; parent choice; gentrification; family language policy; and social justice

Dr. Margaret S. Marcus obtained her Ph.D. in the Applied Linguistics and Language Education (ALLE) program at UMD in the Spring of 2020. Her dissertation research, titled, "Bilingual in a Monolingual District: Stakeholder Perspectives on Equitable Access to Dual Language Programs" explored the similarities and differences of parents, policy-makers, and school leaders and access to dual language education (DLE) programs in a local school district. 

Prior to returning to school for her Ph.D., Dr. Marcus was an instructional coach in a bilingual DC Public Charter School and a former DLE teacher in a DC public school. She began her teaching career in Puerto Rico teaching 9th grade Spanish.

Dr. Marcus has a Master in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School at Tufts, where she studied Development Economics and International Monetary Theory and Policy. She worked as an Economic Analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency prior to deciding she wanted to return to the classroom. 

She has a B.A. from Skidmore College with a double major in Spanish and Economics.

In her "free time," Dr. Marcus loves to read novels, play tennis, practice yoga, and spend time with her family. She has three daughters who she is raising bilingually (Spanish). Her husband, Robert, works on Capitol Hill. She also has four cats and a new Portuguese Water Dog puppy. 

Budde, C., Marcus, M., Martin-Beltran, M. “I want you to find evidence that’s going to support your claim”: Exploring how teacher talk relates to linguistically diverse student talk in small group reading discussions. Manuscript in preparation.

MacSwan, J., Guzman, N., McAlister, K. T., & Marcus, M. (2020). Effects of home codeswitching practices on bilingual language acquisition. In J. MacSwan & C. Faltis (eds.), Codeswitching in the Classroom: Critical Perspectives on Teaching, Learning, Policy and Ideology. New York:  Routledge.

Dr. Marcus currently co-manages the EL Virtual Learning Forum, a platform for educators to share best practices and engage in conversations related to English Learners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Fall 2020:
  • TLPL445/695: Methods I: K-12 World Language Teaching Methods and Technology
  • TLPL450/696: Advanced World Language Teaching Methods and Technology
  • TLPL479/689: Field Experiences in Education
  • Spring 2021
  • TLPL663: Practice and Theory in Teaching Second Language Learners