Language Classes on Fast Track

Donna Lilly treks to San Dieguito Adult School every Thursday night. But she is not there to study for a high school diploma; in fact, she holds a college degree. What she is doing is learning to speak Spanish.

“I lived here 16 years, and didn’t know one word of Spanish except taco ,” said Lilly, who is in the business of selling real estate. “I didn’t realize (language study) was so easy. For my business, I really had to know. It’s much easier for my clients, and it established my credibility.”

Lilly is not alone. Interest in studying a foreign language increased steadily throughout the 1980s, according to a recent survey by the Modern Language Assn. of America.

Although precise statistics are unavailable for the numbers of adults who are learning a foreign language, the survey states that nearly 1.2 million college students enrolled in language courses other than English last fall, an increase of 18% since 1986.

Students in grades seven through 12 have increased their participation in language courses by 5% since 1985.

About a third of California high school students are enrolled in such diverse language courses as German, Italian, French, Spanish, Latin, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Vietnamese.

Elementary schools are also leaping onto the language study bandwagon. Seventy primary schools nationwide received federal grants this year for the study of foreign language, including one in Carlsbad, for the study of Spanish in kindergarten through third grade.

Although the motivation may be for work, school or leisure, San Diegans are discovering that speaking another language isn’t so foreign anymore.

Following are some of the sites in North County that offer foreign language study.

ADULT EDUCATION

SCHOOLS

Adult schools traditionally were places where students went to take courses for high school completion or to study for the General Education Diploma (G.E.D.) examination, as they are adjuncts of public high schools. Now, some of these schools also offer a variety of non-credit course for adults, from aerobic dance to watercolor painting. Course offerings include the study of languages.

At San Dieguito Adult School in Encinitas, teacher Trudy Crockett has observed an “incredible growth in the interest in Spanish” during the seven years she has been with the program. She began teaching two classes with a total of 30 students. This session, she has four classes averaging 35 students each. Another teacher has six Spanish classes at the adult school.

“The growth might be just a result of the population (growth) of this area,” Crockett said. “There has been a general increase in the Latino population (also), and in my in-class surveys as to why students are taking the class, I found more of an awareness of the population shift of the area.”

Crockett points out that her survey is “unofficial,” but she says that, at the beginning of her teaching career, students did not list work as a reason to take the class. Now, that is one of the main reasons they study Spanish.

“The whole idea is communication,” Crockett said. To further communication, her students interact once a week with students in English as a second language classes, many of whom are native Spanish speakers.

Students must be 18 or older to participate in adult school programs.

San Dieguito Adult School , 800 Santa Fe Drive in Encinitas (walk-in registration) or 710 Encinitas Blvd . , Encinitas 92021 (mail-in registration), 753-7073 .

Offers classes in Spanish, French, German and Russian; and English as a second language. Cost is $2 per class hour, for 9-week courses. Next session begins Nov. 18, with five continuous sessions yearly and no classes in August. Classes are offered at San Dieguito, Torrey Pines and Sunset high schools, and Earl Warren Junior High School.

Escondido Adult School , 3750 Mary Lane, Escondido, 739-7300.

Offers classes in conversational, intermediate and advanced Spanish, and beginning Japanese; and English as a second language. Language classes are held in the daytime and evening, ans students register in class. Fees are $45 for 10-week courses, and $54 for 12-week classes. Next session begins Jan. 6. Language classes are offered at San Pasqual High School and the Joslyn Senior Center on North Broadway.

Poway Adult School , 13626 Twin Peaks Road, 586-7500, Ext. 2560 or 679-2560.

Offers beginning and intermediate Spanish classes during the daytime hours, and English as a second language, daytime and evening courses. The 11-week sessions are free, with the next one beginning Jan. 6. Registration is held in the class. Spanish language classes are held at the Westwood Club in Rancho Bernardo.

Vista Adult School , 305 E. Bobier Drive, 758-7122.

Offers evening classes in beginning, intermediate and advanced Spanish; and English as a second language. Costs vary from $28 for a weekly class to $47 for twice-weekly classes, for 12 weeks. ESL classes are free. Winter session begins Jan. 13. Students can register by mail two weeks prior or on a walk-in basis one week before the class.

COLLEGE EXTENSION

CLASSES

Palomar College Spanish teachers Carlos Gomez and Janet Hafner became San Marcos celebrities after their “Conversemos (Let’s Talk)” program hit the local cable networks five years ago.

From 100 to 150 students sign up for the three-credit course each semester, which is carried on cable networks Daniels, Dimension, Cox, Southwestern, Julian, American and Jones Intercable.

The half-hour segments are broadcast on Tuesdays and Thursday, with an hourlong repeat on Saturdays. The videos feature Gomez, who pretends he can’t speak English and Hafner, who assists him through various situations. The program also features a melodrama of typical life situation told through stereotypical cartoon characters, Hafner said.

A story-telling segment depicts fairy tales such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Jack and the Beanstalk” in Spanish. The program was so popular that the national Learning Channel began carrying the programs three years ago, Hafner said. The Learning Channel is seen in 80 million U.S. homes, she added.

Spanish on television is just one of the many classes available to students at Palomar College. The cost is only $6 per credit, a total of $18 for many language classes. The school offers French, German, Japanese, Latin, Russian and Spanish (other than the television program), and English as a second language.

At MiraCosta College, which has campuses in Oceanside and Encinitas, classes are offered in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Russian. Cost is also $6 per credit. The second semester at both Palomar and MiraCosta will begin Jan. 21.

MiraCosta also offers a community services program, Horizons, on a non-credit basis. Beginning Spanish and Japanese courses started in September, and will not be offered again until February. However, “Speed Spanish” will be held on two Saturdays, Oct. 22 and Nov. 2, for a $67 fee. “French for Travelers” begins Oct. 24 for six consecutive Thursdays for a $44 fee. Both classes will be held at Lincoln Junior High School in Oceanside.

At UC San Diego, students can take classes through the extension program in two locations, La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo. Classes for the winter quarter include conversational courses in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Courses begin the week of Jan. 6 or Feb. 10, for five weeks. A Spanish class for health-care professionals will be offered Jan. 22 to March 11. Cost for each course is $190.

Palomar College, 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos, 744-1150.

MiraCosta College, One Barnard Drive, Oceanside, 757-2121 or 755-5155 (Horizons, ext. 287); 3333 Manchester Ave . , Encinitas, 944-4449.

UCSD Extension, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 534-3400 or 15373 Innovation Drive, Rancho Bernardo, 451-7474.

STUDYING ABROAD

Most colleges offer study-abroad programs to their students, and some offer courses in a community-services program for interested adults, usually during the summer, winter or spring holidays. However, Charlene Biddulph’s clients can attend foreign universities in an individualized program, at any time during the calendar year.

“I look at it as a study vacation,” said Biddulph, who began Language Studies Abroad six years ago in Solana Beach. “You can be more than just a tourist. You can learn the language and culture. You have a total immersion in the experience.”

Students can travel to San Jose in Costa Rica, Rome or Paris to study a language. Biddulph has contacts with 12 universities in Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, Spain, France and Germany that accept students on a continuing enrollment basis.

Students study in classes for at least four hours daily. The maximum number in a class is 12. Length of the course can vary from one to four weeks, and courses are tailored to meet individual student needs. Students can elect to stay in the homes of families or in hotels or apartments, prearranged by school personnel in the different countries.

Cost ranges from $500 for two weeks, with Mexico being one of the least expensive countries, to $1,200 for four weeks, which includes a home stay. Air fare is not included, although Biddulph will assist with travel arrangements.

During the summer months, mostly high school and college students use Biddulph’s service, but the rest of the year, she caters to adults who want a travel vacation.

“More and more people are interested in learning a foreign language, as they are faced with people from other cultures,” Biddulph said.

Language Studies Abroad, 249 S. Highway 101, Suite 226, Solana Beach, 943-0204.

LEARNING

IN RETIREMENT

There are 100 schools affiliated with the Assn. for Learning in Retirement across the U.S., and one in North County, in Rancho Bernardo.

“It’s a relatively new thing, scarcely 20 years old,” said Alex Summers, president of the Continuing Education Center at Rancho Bernardo, in existence for 13 years.

The center offers classes in a variety of subjects, including foreign languages. It is affiliated with San Diego State University. For a $15, tax-deductible yearly fee, adults 18 and older can become members.

About 80 volunteers staff the office, with the assistance of a part-time secretary whose salary is paid from the membership fees.

“I was visiting the Smithsonian (in Washington), when a tall young man with a camera was frantically approaching people,” said Doris Gimpelson, a French and German teacher in the program for five years. “When I spoke to him in German, the look on his face made knowing a language worthwhile.”

Gimpelson said most of her students take the courses as travel preparation or to attend a French film without having to rely on the subtitles.

Continuing Education Center at Rancho Bernardo, 16776 Bernardo Center Drive, Rancho Bernardo, 487-0464.

Offers classes in French, Russian, Spanish and German, 8-week sessions, next session begins Jan. 15. Cost is $20 for members; $27 for non-members.

INDIVIDUALIZED

STUDY

Jan Dunning, director of the North County Tutoring Agency, works on an individual basis with business people who need to learn a foreign language for their jobs. Her tutors also work with individuals planning to travel to a foreign country, and with high school and college students to supplement the language learning they receive at their schools.

The tutors travel to private homes or meet their students at public or school libraries. They work with a variety of foreign languages, including Spanish, German, French, Russian and Japanese. They also tutor students who need to learn English as a second language.

“This past year, I’ve noticed an increase in the demand for German,” Dunning said. “It may be due to the merging of East and West.”

Dunning, who employs an average of 50 tutors, has been in business for 12 years. Her clients include a high school student from Korea who needed to understand the intricacies of “The Scarlett Letter” and a retired couple preparing to live in Germany for a year.

“Ten years ago, we tutored almost exclusively English-speaking students who were taking a foreign language,” Dunning said. “At this point, it’s easily a 50-50 mix of the number of foreign speaking students who need English as a second language.”

Tutoring costs an average of $25 per hour, with higher fees for more intensive instruction. A student must agree to a minimum of two, one-hour sessions per week for four weeks. Tutors travel to Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Escondido and along the Interstate-15 corridor as well as along the coast, Dunning said.

“It’s a very individualized program,” she added. “The students give us the direction of what is of interest to them.”

Wendy Santamaria, a former foreign language teacher, founded ET&T; (Educational Tutoring & Training) in Encinitas three years ago. The individualized tutoring agency helps people with French, Spanish, German and English as a second language.

“We get calls from adults who can’t take scheduled classes because their time is just not flexible,” said Santamaria, who has tutored students for 14 years in foreign languages. “We tutor at their (chosen) times so as to accommodate their work schedules.”

Santamaria also charges $25 an hour, but the advantages to students include flexible scheduling, a credentialed teacher who comes to their homes, and a program based on individual needs. ET&T; tutors travel from Del Mar to Fallbrook, and have tutored at business sites where the majority of employees speak Spanish.

“We offer an English language course to them after work hours at the job site,” Santamaria said. “When they work in the factory all day, it is easier for them to stay (at work) and be in the class.”

Another employee who discovered it is much easier to take a class at the work site is engineer Andy Lincoln. Lincoln, who works for a high-tech Sorrento Mesa firm, studied Japanese for six weeks this summer.

“The company paid for materials, and we paid for the lessons,” Lincoln said. “It was an individually tailored program.”

The course was offered through the Japanese Language School of San Diego. School director Mitsyo Fukudo and one of her teachers, Toshiko Hasigawa, traveled to the company, Pacific Communication Sciences Incorporated, for weekly classes. Between 10 and 12 employees attended the sessions scheduled near the end of business hours, and a second class was scheduled to begin in October.

“We do a lot of business with Japanese companies, and a lot of (our employees) travel there,” Lincoln said. “I myself have some Japanese friends, so it was kind of fun to have someone to practice with. The six weeks this summer was just to get your feet wet. I don’t expect to conduct business in Japanese, but I think it’s good manners to know a little of the language. It builds personal relationships” with Japanese clients.

According to a survey by a locally based certified public accounting firm, Kenneth Leventhal & Co., San Diego ranks third, behind Los Angeles and Honolulu, for the largest concentration of Japanese investment in the nation.

The cost of an individualized Japanese language program offered to San Diego companies varies, Fukuda said, but the average cost for an individual lesson is about $18 per hour.

Another San Diego language school which offers a specialized service to the Marines at Camp Pendleton is Language World, near Mission Hills in San Diego. The Marines traveled to the school this summer for three weeks of Spanish instruction, and began a second course on Oct. 8. However, the teachers soon will travel to Camp Pendleton to offer a specialized language program for five different languages, director Christa Hoffman said.

The program is a first for San Diego County as Camp Pendleton servicemen usually attend the Monterey Defense Language School, Hoffman said.

Educational Tutoring & Training, 204 N. El Camino Real, Suite E-107, Encinitas, 753-2983.

North County Tutoring Agency , 7219 Manzanita, Carlsbad, 438-2544.

Japanese Language School of San Diego , 2624 Market St., San Diego, 233-5858.

Language World, 3741 India St., San Diego, 692-3181.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

SCHOOLS

Yasu O’Neill understands the frustration of living in a country without being able to speak the language.

“When I first came from Japan, I had to ask my husband to make my (telephone) calls for me,” said O’Neill, who now serves as assistant director of the California English School. “My boss is also Japanese, and he opened the school out of a concern for the foreign students in San Diego County.”

Students from Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Argentina and France now study at the school, which operates from classrooms on the Palomar College campus. They learn English for four hours each day, five days a week, at a cost of $2,780 for a 16-week session.

The goal of the program is to help students pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination, which will allow them college entry.

English classes are also offered at four locations in North County by the Service Employment and Redevelopment (SER) organization and through the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC) project. The programs are state-funded to allow immigrants to qualify for permanent residency under the Immigration Reform and Control Act. The classes are free with open enrollment.

MAAC teachers go to rural areas, ranches and farms, to find students, according to Reymundo Marin, coordinator of the educational services division.

“We go to where the need is greatest,” Marin said. “We make it convenient for the client so they can learn English for employment and for systems literacy, to function in this society.”

California English School, 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos, 591-4930.

SER, Campfire Club, 402 Brook St., Oceanside; SER Family Learning, 2642 Oceanside Blvd., Oceanside; United Methodist Church of San Marcos, 800 W. Mission Road., San Marcos; First Christian Church, 318 W. Fig St . , Fallbrook.

MAAC Project in North County, 439-5014.