A Box of Books

Box of Books

I’ve told this story a few times so if you’ve heard it before, pretend that you haven’t, but it is a good illustration of the level of language skills of many Romanians.

I was standing in the dairy section of the little corner grocery right down from our apartment the other day. It is not often that one can stand and examine things at this, or any, store, for a clerk quickly wants to assist you in your selection. Like many American shoppers I like to study whatever it is I’m going to purchase before buying. I was studying Smantana. It’s like a sour cream but more creamy. I had two brands in my hand examing the labels. Although I have trouble speaking or listen to Romanian I can read it fairly well.

As I was trying to compare the two brands, a young lady clerk came and took the Smantana out of my hands and explained all about them. I commented that her English was excellent. She smiled and said thank you. I replied that I was trying to learn Romanian but everyone keeps speaking English to me. We both laughed and I bought the brand she recommended.

The number of people, especially the young people, who speak English here is amazing. I bought a five liter bottle of wine the other day and the lady behind the counter apologized for her English. She said she spoke Italian much better than English. I said her English was much better than my Romanian.

Children are expected to study English in school here, starting as early as the third grade. And the English language is all around. It’s on the radio and in the music. It is on the television. American TV shows and movies air all the time with Romanian sub titles. I wish it were Romanian with English subtitles, for that would be an easy way for me to hear the language and read the words. As it is I often turn the sound down on the television and try and figure out the story just from reading the sub titles. I do alright until they start to talk fast.

The schools in Romania are a mixed lot. As anywhere, if a student really wants to learn, they can, but the teachers are grossly underpaid and the facilities often lack the very basic materials. Many of the schools in the smaller communities lack running water for their bathrooms. Books and study materials are old and out of date. It’s amazing to me that the level of English proficiency is so high considering the difficult learning environment.

There is a program that helps this situation. It’s called “A Thousand Books” and was started by a postal worker in St. Louis who collects books and sends them to us Peace Corps volunteers here in Romania. I just received my collection yesterday. Going to the vama to collect it or any package is an experience, but that’s another story.

Unlike many of our fellow Peace Corps volunteers Nancy and I are not teachers. We work in community economic development, but these books are headed straight for the little school in the community where I work. The Luna de Sus school is a primary school going up to about the 8th grade. So my request was for books for younger readers and that’s exactly what I received. I’m sure that the children will take advantage of the opportunity to read stories in English and pass the books around. It’s a way for them to be exposed to the English language without having to absorb it all through cop shows and meaningless drivel.

(If there are readers that might be interested in learning more of the 1000 books program, I’ve included their web site here. Apparently they’ve collected lots of books but do not have the funds to mail them over. Should you be looking for a way to contribute to a cause that promotes America to the world, I suggest you check these guys out. As soon as Nancy finishes reading Charlotte’s Web, my box will get distributed, and I know it will be appreciated. http://www.athousandbooks.us/ )