‘Real People’ was a popular American NBC television program that aired from 1979 to 1984. Each segment of the show featured people with unique occupations. One day the show's producer, John Schlatter, overheard his secretary singing a song from my book ‘O, Susanne, ja konjugier für mich.’ When John asked her what she was singing, she told him about me - her singing and guitar playing German teacher at the New School for Social Research in New York City. One month later NBC shows up at my German class!
In addition to filming segments from the class, we traveled to Wall Street where I taught stock brokers Spanish and construction workers French on the 45th floor of a skyscraper that was still under construction.
Well, it was a long time ago, but I was proud to have, in my own way, helped popularize and encourage the pursuit of foreign language education very early on! You can now view the entire segment from that show on YouTube.
Well, it was a long time ago, but I was proud to have, in my own way, helped popularize and encourage the pursuit of foreign language education very early on! You can now view the entire segment from that show on YouTube.
In the early 80’s, I called up NBC at Rockefeller Center and asked to speak to the talent coordinator for The David Letterman Show (which was then a late night NBC show that followed the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson). A nice lady answered the telephone and asked me what my call was about. I told her that I was a German teacher at The New School in New York City and that I taught many useful language functions to my classes using universally known tunes. As an example, I told her I taught my students how to order schnitzel and beer to the tune of 'When the Saints Go Marching In.’ Well, she laughed and invited me for a get-together. 
