In his career, Marc Yamaguchi creates bridges. But he isn’t a civil engineer. Instead, Yamaguchi is a Centennial College English professor and Foundations Coordinator, English and ESL. So, while the bridges are proverbial, they are leading to real success for Yamaguchi’s students — and to a more connected Centennial community.
“There are some students who come in with low self-esteem because they are struggling with English,” says Yamaguchi, who has worked at Centennial since 2010. “My hope is that after they spend some time with us, they feel they are in a good space to continue and to do well in their studies. In Foundations courses, we’re providing a level of support that should improve their quality of life within Centennial and hopefully has an impact beyond that. I think amazing things can happen if you create a space for learners to open up and have human to human moments.”
The Road to Becoming an English Professor
Before Yamaguchi was creating bridges at Centennial, he had to create one for himself. With a Masters in Environmental Education and Communication, Yamaguchi’s entry into teaching English started in Japan in 2000. While visiting the country, he taught to supplement his income. When Yamaguchi returned to Canada, he made his way through various non-profit and private sector jobs. He soon realized that teaching resonated with him the most. That’s when Yamaguchi transitioned into teaching at Centennial.
“My environmental background always inspires me to give back, and I have a commitment to my children’s futures to ensure things are sustainable and that we’re leaving things in a good way — that includes people,” says Yamaguchi, who still remains involved in environmental causes in numerous ways, including helping with Centennial’s pollinator gardens. “That’s the crossover.”
Teaching English Courses in Toronto
Through the Foundations courses he teaches, Yamaguchi is now creating pathways for his students. The courses — which include eight hours of English studies per week as opposed to the standard three hours — allow Yamaguchi and his fellow professors to easily identify how best to support learners. As a result, he’s cultivated ongoing partnerships with numerous Centennial College student services such as the English Tutoring Centre, Library Learning Strategists, and Centre for Accessible Learning and Counselling Service (CALCS).
“You can’t imagine how complicated students’ lives are,” says the English professor. “What we do in this department is create a bridge between us and CALCS counsellors, for example, who provide focused, counselling support or who help students with disabilities access individualized accommodation support plans. As a Foundations professor, I have the sensibility to see early signs of someone who is struggling and help to direct them to the right place to get help. Centennial has one of the best support networks.”
Creating Connections Across Centennial
Those bridges to success, says Yamaguchi, then extend to his fellow faculty members. The deeper understanding with which students leave the courses he teaches creates a smooth transition to success in their program.
“Our Educational Researcher found that students who take Foundations courses are doing 10 per cent better than those who don’t,” he says, “That makes sense when you consider they are getting more hours of support. The extra programming works in their favour. Our colleagues in other academic schools also benefit as they gain students who are having better results in understanding their assignments and are succeeding in communicating. Everyone wins.”
In addition to Marc's work as a English professor, Marc also recently lead a breakout session at The Symposium on Critical Thinking in Education at Centennial College. You can watch Marc's lightning talk here.