GERMAN

Faculty

Dave McCarley

Dave McCarley has been our German evening instructor for more than fifteen years.He teaches German and Russian at Adolfo Camarillo High School. He has often presented on technology and language acquisition. He has been recognized for three consecutive years as the AATG's outstanding teacher of German for Southern California. He has been a mentor teacher in the Oxnard Union High School District. He was a Russian Fellow in Moscow for two summers as guest of the Russian government. He is a recipient of the IBM LLAMA grant for multimedia instruction.

Dana Jakubowski

From Cowboy Stuntman to German Teacher
I haven't always been a German teacher, and I think that's good! In my circuitous route to becoming a teacher, I experienced many types of work, from setting pins in a German bowling alley, to working as a "High Fall Stuntman" at a movie studio in Arizona. As a matter of fact, I may be the only German teacher in the world to have been in a film with John Wayne! Working my way through college as a musician, I took classes during the day and worked at night. I must admit that because I usually worked until 1.30 a.m., I wasn't always wide awake in some of my morning classes! Such various experiences of my own as a young person, have made me more appreciative of the trials faced by the working students in our own midst.

This is my first semester teaching German here at Ventura College and I'm enjoying it very much. The students are great! One of the real pleasures and challenges of teaching at a community college is the wide variety of age groups in class. For instance, one of my favorite students is Wanda Gale. She is 86 years young and eager to learn. She loves to travel and she feels that learning German will help her get acquainted with the culture and history of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on her next visit ! Wanda is a wonderful role model for other students, too. They can see first hand that learning doesn't need to stop at a certain age. Wanda's proud of her age, and has a positive outlook, saying that she enjoys life to the best of her ability. She's also one of my best students.

Two of my other students, Ralph and Kay Armstrong, are a married couple. Their daughter is married to a native German, and they have a new baby. As Ralph and Kay will be the grandparents of a German-speaking child, they are very enthusiastic about learning the language and visiting the extended family in Germany. But, Ralph observes, "Studying German is fun by itself. I think the language lends itself to humor. And it's not that hard if you keep up with the homework."

It's important to understand that students enroll in a foreign language class for different reasons. Some want to fulfill a language requirement; others want to become fluent in the language; still others just want to get familiar with the German culture, and travel in German-speaking countries. Several of my current students chose German for their foreign language requirement because of their major field of study, such as Political Science, International Business, Psychology, Music and Environmental Studies. Enrolling in German I or II will supply you not only with the basics of the language, but also the basics of the culture and history and geography of Germany. Studying a foreign language expands your horizons!

Why do people learn German? If you have ever harbored secret dreams of traveling in the charming''Old World" of Europe, German will probably go the farthest in helping you communicate with the most people, as it is the principal language in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland When I was 14 years old, my father was stationed in Germany. My family lived in a small town, in the second story of a 200-year-old inn. I realized I wanted to communicate with other youngsters my age, and that was the start of my interest in German.

Later on, I decided to major in German, to learn what the great German philosophers had to say in their own language. I loved the people, the country, and the language. One of the most interesting experiences in my life was traveling through Europe as a "wandering minstrel." With my guitar as my companion, 1 sang American rock music, as well as the German folk songs I was collecting at the time. Thanks to the German I had studied, it was an unforgettable adventure, whose memory I treasure.

Courses

Ger 1 - ELEMENTARY GERMAN I - 5 Units
Class hours: 5 hours lecture, 1 hour laboratory weekly
Training in communication, comprehension, pronunciation, elementary principles of grammar, reading of prose, and simple composition; progress in oral-aural skills emphasized throughout the course and supplemented by outside use of the language laboratory; introductory cultural material is given to stimulate interest in and develop an understanding and appreciation of the German- speaking peoples and countries.
Field trips may be required. Formerly Ger 1A. Transfer credit: CSU; UC. CAN GERM SEQ A (with Ger 2) or CAN GERM 2.

Ger 2 - ELEMENTARY GERMAN II - 5 Units
Prerequisite: Ger 1 or 2 years of high school German or equivalent
Class hours: 5 hours lecture, 1 hour laboratory weekly
Continued training in communication, comprehension, pronunciation, elementary principles of grammar, reading of prose, and simple composition; progress in oral-aural skills emphasized throughout the course and supplemented by outside use of the language laboratory; introductory cultural material is given to stimulate interest in and develop an understanding and appreciation of the German-speaking peoples and countries.
Field trips may be required. Formerly Ger 1B. Transfer credit: CSU; UC. CAN GERM SEQ A (with Ger 1] or CAN GERM 4.

Ger 51A - SITUATIONAL CONVERSATION IN GERMAN I - 3 Units
Prerequisite: Ger 1 or 2 year of high school German
Class hours: 3 hours lecture weekly
A course designed to give the student with some knowledge of German further opportunity to practice the language through conversation, role-playing, and other activities in German. The course will be conducted entirely in German.
Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU.

Ger 51B- SITUATIONAL CONVERSATION IN GERMAN II - 3 Units
Prerequisite: Ger 2 or Ger 51A or 3 years of high school German
Class hours: 3 hours lecture weekly
A course designed to give the low-intermediate level student of German further opportunity to practice in the language through conversation, discussion groups, role-playing, and other activities in German. The course will be conducted entirely in German. Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU.

Ger 51C - SITUATIONAL CONVERSATION IN GERMAN III- 3 Units
Prerequisite: Ger 3 or Ger 51B or 4 years high school German
Class hours: 3 hours lecture weekly
A course designed to give the intermediate level German student further opportunity to practice the language through conversation, discussion groups, debates, role-playing, and other activities in German. The course will be conducted entirely in German.
Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU.

Ger 89 - WORKSHOPS IN GERMAN - 1/2-10 Units
Prerequisite: varies with topic
Class hours: lecture and/or laboratory as required by unit formula
Designed to meet specific needs of the college and community as required and/or requested by persons whose needs in this area are not met by present course offerings.
Fees may be required. Courses with same title may not be repeated; may be taken for a maximum of 4 times. Transfer credit: CSU; UC; credit limitations - see counselor.

Ger 90 - DIRECTED STUDIES IN GERMAN -1-6 Units
Prerequisite: varies with topic
Class hours: lecture and/or laboratory as required by unit formula
This course offers specialized study opportunities for students with intermediate skills, who wish to pursue projects not included in the regular curriculum. Students are accepted only by written project proposal approved by the discipline prior to enrollment. May be taken for a maximum of 4 times not to exceed 6 units. Transfer credit: CSU; UC; credit limitations - see counselor.