CELCIS grammarian passionate about skiing, gardening, iPod

CELCIS Master Faculty Specialist Tom Marks and his wife know how to make their kids’ eyes roll at the dinner table—talk about work.

Marks has been teaching in WMU’s Career English Language Center for International Students for 12 years, and his wife, Lisa, is the writing center supervisor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He said dinner table conversations are often about teaching and writing, "while the kids roll their eyes."

Teaching English as a second language is something Marks began doing in 1985 as a Literacy Volunteer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, helping Mexican kids learn to speak English. He followed that experience with five years of teaching in Japan, while traveling throughout Asia (Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Nepal). Back in the states, he worked at Ferris State University teaching in the Intensive English program before landing at WMU.

"My wife has family in Kalamazoo, so this was a good move for us," Marks said. "I am currently teaching only one class—Advanced Reading/Writing—because I also do some administrative work for CELCIS. I have been the Curriculum Coordinator for the past two years, responsible for supervising and training new teachers. This is my last semester as Curriculum Coordinator."

Marks returns to a full-time teaching schedule in Summer I, which entails classes and office hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. He grades papers and prepares for class after dinner each night.

"It's a busy day and by far the most rewarding aspect of my job is interacting with international students," he said. "It's very rewarding to connect with students, to teach something and watch the expressions on their faces when they finally understand— it's the best part of teaching. My students have also taught me a lot about their cultures and about how to teach. I feel very lucky to have this kind of experience."

He recently returned from a week-long writing class at the University of Tokyo, where he helped philosophy graduate students and professors revise articles and theses for publication. This class was organized through WMU’s Michitoshi Soga Japan Center.

Marks' Japan classroom

"The students and professors were pleased with the class and want me to teach it again in December 2008," said Marks, who professes a love for travel. "It was great to return to Tokyo—I hadn't been there in 20 years!"

Marks’ hobbies are skiing in the winter, gardening in the summer, playing with his iPod year round, and advancing his knowledge of the English language.

"I am interested in developing a deeper understanding of English grammar and the history of the English language," he said. "I am also very interested in writing—I taught the English 105 writing class at WMU for many years. Finally, I love literature, especially British and Japanese."

Tom Marks canoing with his kids

WMU’s Career English Language Center for International Students was founded in 1975 and is fully accredited. Its seven faculty specialists and master faculty specialists hold advanced training in ESL and/or applied linguistics and enjoy tenure-track faculty status. WMU CELCIS is one of two Michigan-based English as a Second Language (ESL) programs accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) and is a member of the American Association of Intensive English Programs (AAIEP) and University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP). CELCIS enrolls more than 100 students per term.

Visit CELCIS online