Interviu cu dl. prof. de engleza Edward Croger (UK)

:: Did you have any passions when you were a child and what kind of subjects did you like most in general school?
:: Ce pasiuni ati avut cand erati copil si ce materie v-a placut cel mai mult in scoala generala?

When I was a child I was passionate about collecting things. I used to like collecting a lot of different name. Badges,  coins, cards,  collectable cards. I like drama. I did not like maths at all. I liked history a bit. And I liked geography too!
Cand eram mai mic eram pasionat de colectarea anumitor lucruri. Obisnuiam sa colectionez o multime de lucruri: insigne, monede, cartonase.. Imi placea teatrul. Nu mi-a placut matematica deloc. Mi-a placut si istoria un pic.. si geografia deasemenea.

:: Why did you choose this job?
:: De ce v-ati ales aceasta meserie ?

Cause I like working with children and it’s fun and interesting and you get to meet lots of people and no day is the same, every day is different and you get to help people and you get to play games and it’s fun.
Pentru ca imi place sa lucrez cu copiii si este distractiv si interesant cand ajungi sa intalnesti multi oameni si fiecare zi este altfel, este diferita si poti sa ajuti oameni, sa te joci .. si este distractiv..

:: Do you think English will help us when we are big?
:: Credeti ca limba engleza ne va ajuta cand vom fi mari ?

I am sure English will help us when we are big. I am sure it’s gonna help you everyday.
Sunt sigur ca engleza ne va ajuta cand vom fi adulti. Sunt sigur ca o sa va ajute in fiecare zi.

:: In what way ?
:: In ce fel ?

I speak Spanish, and since I learned Spanish my world became a lot  bigger, I was able to meet new people, to travel to new places and English will do the same for you. It will open doors, it will give you the oportunity to meet people, to go to places that you wouldn’t go to, otherwise.
Eu vorbesc spaniola si, de cand am invatat spaniola, lumea mea a devenit mai mare: am putut sa intalnesc oameni noi, sa calatoresc in locuri noi iar engleza va face acelasi lucru si pentru voi. Va deschide usi, va crea oportunitati de a intalni oameni noi, de a merge in locuri unde nu ati pleca altfel..

:: Much of what we learn at school (60-80%) is forgoten  over the next few years. What do you think about this?
:: O mare parte din ceea ce invatam la scoala  (60-80%) se uita in urmatorii ani.. Ce parere aveti despre asta?

I think it’s true, an example is with maths: I learned enough to pass my math  exam, and then I didn’t practice, so I kind of forgot. But, it depends, if you are interestesd in something it doesn’t have to be forgotten . It’s naturally, you can’t remember everything that you learned, so you are studying 8 things or 9 , but you reduce them to the one you are very interested.
Cred ca este adevarat..de exemplu cu matematica: am invatat suficient pentru a trece examenele de matematica si apoi, nerepetand, am cam uitat ce am invatat... Dar depinde, daca esti interesat in ceva nu trebuie neaparat sa uiti... Este natural, nu iti poti aminti tot ce ai invatat, cand studiezi 8 materii sau 9, dar vei reduce totul la una de care esti foarte interesat..

:: School by playing or playing in school? How important is it for children to be happy to come to school and to perceive the academic process as a playful play?
:: Scoala prin joaca sau joaca in scoala ? Cat de important este pentru copii sa fie fericiti ca vin la scoala si sa perceapa procesul academic ca o joaca placuta ?

Well, I like to include a lot of playing in my teaching. I  think it’s very important that children enjoy school. Cause if they don’t enjoy it, they don’t want to come, and that is a problem. So, I  try and play a lot of games. But games  that help you learn. Maybe you don’t realize you are learning, and that’s the idea, it’s just fun. I think play it’s an important part of the learning. I mean, before you come to school, you learn to playing. I teach my son things by playing with him. So yeah, I think playing is an important way to learn.
Ei bine, imi place sa includ joaca in educatie. Cred ca este foarte important ca toti copiii sa se bucure de scoala. Daca nu le place la scoala, nu vor dori sa vina si asta e o problema. Deci, incerc sa aplic o multime de jocuri. Dar numai jocuri care te ajuta in a invata. Poate nu realizezi ca inveti, dar asta este si ideea , sa fie placut ! Cred ca joaca este o parte importanta din educatie. Vreau sa spun ca , inainte de a veni la scoala , ai invatat mai intai sa te joci ! Mi-am invatat copilul lucruri jucandu-ma cu el. Deci , da , cred ca joaca este o metoda importanta de a invata !

:: Are new methods used today in schools in Romania compared to your country methods in education?
:: Se compara metodele de predare folosite astazi in scolile din Romania cu cele din tara dumneavoastra ?

I think a lot, I mean using interactive whiteboards or ways of teaching , … I think perhaps there are a bit more adventurous in the  UK,with some teaching strategies, maybe it’s a little bit more traditional here, but it’s  not that different they're quite similar.
Cred ca se aseamana mult, adica in sensul folosirii tablei “albe” interactive si modalitatile de predare... Cred ca , poate, este putin mai aventuroasa educatia in UK, aplicandu-se alte strategii educationale.. poate ca aici educatia este un pic mai traditionala.. dar nu sunt atat de diferite.. sunt chiar asemanatoare !

:: Is it important to bundle computer science with old teaching methods in schools?
:: Este importanta impletirea informaticii cu metodele vechi de predare in scoli ?

Umm…Well, computers are very important nowadays, the hole  world is organized by computers, so I think it’s vital that kids are experienced with computers as well as traditional methods. And I think that traditional methods exists  for a reason, so is good to keep both. I am more of  a fan of traditional, than very high-tech classes. You got to move with the time. Both of them are important and there should be combined.
Hmmm. Ei bine , computerele sunt foarte importante in zilele noastre, intreaga lume este organizata de computere, deci cred ca este vital ca toti copiii sa fie pregatiti atat cu ajutorul computerele cat si in modurile traditionale.  Ambele sunt importante si ar trebui sa fie combinate.

:: What do you think about getting information from students via the internet, for example? Why books, board and chalk and not keyboard and monitor?
:: Ce parere aveti despre obtinerea de informatii de catre elevi prin intermediul internetului, de exemplu ? De ce carti, tabla si creta si nu tastatura si monitor ?

As I said, I am more of a fan of the traditional things, but this might be because of my age, or the background that I have, the way I went to school. I agree, why not computers? But as a teacher I am more comfortable with my students using  pens and papers and the board. Chalk? I could do without a chalk. But yeah, you are right. From the students point of view, why not keyboards? And also, of course, things has changed about the way we get information. ..Looking books,  you need  to go to the library, and now you can find all the information on the internet, so.. it’s a good idea !.
Asa cum spuneam, sunt mai apropiat de modurile traditionale, dar asta poate fi din cauza varstei mele, sau a trecutului educational, a modului in care am facut scoala. Sunt de acord.. de ce nu computere ? Dar, ca profesor, ma simt mai confortabil daca elevii mei folosesc pixul si hartia si tabla. Creta ? M-as decurca si fara creta.  Dar, da.. ai dreptate. Din punctul de vedere al elevilor, de ce nu tastaturi ? Si , bineinteles, modul in care obtii informatiile s-a schimbat ! Cauti carti.. ai nevoie de o librarie.. dar acum poti gasi informatiile pe internet, deci.. e o idee buna !

:: What do you think about the evolution of instant automatic translation gadgets (devices)? Why learn foreign languages ​​instead of using such a gadget that translates what we are talking or writing instantly into 50 foreign languages?
:: Ce parere aveti despre evolutia gadgeturilor (aparatelor) portabile de traducere automata instantanee ? De ce sa invatam la scoala limbi straine  in loc sa folosim un astfel de gadget care traduce ceea ce vorbim sau scriem, instantaneu,  in 50 de limbi straine ?

Yeah, that is a good point. I mean, I think technology will throw away lot of language teaching  jobs, unfortunately for us language teachers. Imagine something you can put in your ear and you can suddenly understand everybody. I think that is a revolutionary idea. If it happens, if it works, when the technology is ready, I would use it! I mean, who wouldn’t use it? If you can put something in your ear, and not  go through years of language class, and you can communicate through lots of more people. I think it’s a great idea! But that means that us teachers will not have so much work. Maybe I shouldn’t said that. Maybe I shouldn’t be such a fan! :) 
Da, este o observatie buna ! Cred ca tehnologia va inchide multe slujbe de profesor , din pacate pentru noi.. profesorii de limbi straine! Imagineaza-ti ceva pus in ureche si dintr-o data sa ii poti intelege pe toti din jur ! Cred ca este o idee revolutionara ! Daca se va intampla, atunci cand tehnologia este gata, am sa o folosesc si eu ! Adica , cine nu ar folosi-o ? Daca poti pune ceva in ureche si nu trebuie sa mai treci prin ani de studiu de limbi straine, si poti comunica cu oricine... Cred ca este o idee super ! Dar asta inseamna ca noi, profesorii de limbi straine, nu vom mai avea de lucru... Poate nu trebuia sa spun asta ! Poate nu ar trebui sa fiu asa de incantat de idee ! :)

:: What are your difficulties in dealing with students?
:: Care sunt greutatile dvs. in relatiile cu elevii ?

The discipline is always a difficulty. Some groups are more disciplinate than others. And there are expectations, sometimes their expectations  are  different than my expectations about what we are going to do in class or what they gonna get.  Like after lunch, they could be hard to teach because they are too excited or they are too tired... or similar problems.. they could  be hard to motivate when they are tired... Yeah, I think those  are my biggest problems.
Disciplina este intotdeauna dificila. Anumite grupe sunt mai disciplinate decat altele. Si sunt si asteptarile.. uneori asteptarile lor sunt diferite de asteptarile mele.. despre ce vom face in clasa sau ce vor primi.. Ca de exemplu dupa masa.. ei pot fi greu de educat/invatat pentru ca sunt prea agitati sau prea obositi.. sau alte probleme similare.. uneori pot fi greu de motivat cand sunt obositi.. Da, cred ca acestea sunt cele mai mari probleme...

:: What do you think of our initiative to create an online magazine?
:: Ce parere aveti de initiativa noastra de a crea o revista online ?

Was it your idea to create it?
A fost initiativa ta de a crea aceasta revista ?

:: Yeah.
:: Da

Why not. A great idea. Yeah, I mean there will be some work, quite some work for you, but I think it’s a wonderfull idea. It’s an interesting thing to do...
De ce nu ? Este o idee super ! Da, inteleg ca trebuie depusa munca, chiar multa munca pentru tine,  dar cred ca este o idee minunata !  Este un lucru foarte interesant de facut !