There is a guy named Sorin who goes around soliciting Romanian lessons to people. Now, while I have NO idea how he is as a teacher, I do, however, have a little insight to who he is as a person. Below I've posted the ONLY correspondence I have EVER had with this person. And as you can see, he's quite the charmer. So if he emails you or comments on your blog, don't say I didn't warn you....
--this was sent Dec. 17, 2007
Hi Monica
You have been referred to me as willing to learn Romanian. If you are serious about it, I can teach you good Romanian. In fact I am a teacher of English (with almost 17 years of experience in tutoring), but 4 years ago, seeing there were a number of people interested in learning Romanian, I thought I could use my teaching skills the other way round. I know that the materials for someone who wants to study Romanian as a foreign language are of very low quality - coursebooks and dictionaries. As a language teacher, I know how many have tried to learn English from books (even from web sites!). The simple truth is you do need a teacher to guide, correct, organize you, it just doesn't work with books only, let alone when their quality is so poor... So, I have designed my own line of course, which is now available to potential students.
As I am located in Romania, this is an ONLINE course, interactive, with text and live audio. You'll need to have some skill in using file transfer and audio over the Internet. You will have to install the Yahoo Messenger or even better Skype (a 15 minute job, unless you already have either). Also you must have sound capabilities on your computer - a mike, headphones - and a decent Internet connection. We'll meet on the YM to get acquainted and discuss further details, including a convenient schedule. I can also offer you a good dictionary.
It is going to be just like the usual tutoring sessions (if you did that before), except the 2 persons are not in the same room, but connected via Internet.
How did you become interested in RO and Romanian? Are you going to visit RO in the near future?
Looking forward to meeting you (online first!)
Sorin
(Yahoo Messenger ID: sorinromanian)
You have been referred to me as willing to learn Romanian. If you are serious about it, I can teach you good Romanian. In fact I am a teacher of English (with almost 17 years of experience in tutoring), but 4 years ago, seeing there were a number of people interested in learning Romanian, I thought I could use my teaching skills the other way round. I know that the materials for someone who wants to study Romanian as a foreign language are of very low quality - coursebooks and dictionaries. As a language teacher, I know how many have tried to learn English from books (even from web sites!). The simple truth is you do need a teacher to guide, correct, organize you, it just doesn't work with books only, let alone when their quality is so poor... So, I have designed my own line of course, which is now available to potential students.
As I am located in Romania, this is an ONLINE course, interactive, with text and live audio. You'll need to have some skill in using file transfer and audio over the Internet. You will have to install the Yahoo Messenger or even better Skype (a 15 minute job, unless you already have either). Also you must have sound capabilities on your computer - a mike, headphones - and a decent Internet connection. We'll meet on the YM to get acquainted and discuss further details, including a convenient schedule. I can also offer you a good dictionary.
It is going to be just like the usual tutoring sessions (if you did that before), except the 2 persons are not in the same room, but connected via Internet.
How did you become interested in RO and Romanian? Are you going to visit RO in the near future?
Looking forward to meeting you (online first!)
Sorin
(Yahoo Messenger ID: sorinromanian)
--this one was sent on Jan. 31, 2008
Salut Monica
How are you? Where have you disappeared?
Are you still interested in learning Romanian? Or was it just "un foc de paie"? (approx: a fleeting caprice)
For info on the course, please see:
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Sorin
-- i sent this reply Jan 31, 2008
--Sorin,
Thank you for your interest in teaching me Romanian, however I am currently taking lessons and am quite satisfied with my progress. If I do decide to change my minde, I will be sure to let you know.
Thanks,
MonicaMonica Payne
"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" ~Proverbs 31:30
--this was sent to me on Feb. 4, 2008
Dear Monica
The main question is how serious you are about learning Romanian.
Because, if you are, you cannot waste your time just like that. Very few people learn a foreign language on their own, and even so they need good materials. The materials that you can find about learning Romanian are no more that pathetic garbage, so not even the greatest language genius can have any real progress. You don't even have the right dictionary, so what progress do you think you are making? Actually that is very easy to test. Whenever you are ready.
Actually, that would be called a "regress"! You'd have been better off, if you had never started with those materials. Now you got wrong knowledge and wrong reflexes which will be very hard to correct later. Many of my students went through this ordeal of having to get rid of previous trash. The real Romanian proved to be very different from what the lame materials had described to them.
In case you are not willing to learn Romanian in an organized manner, the language teacher's advice is to just stop those "lessons". They will only harm you.
Sorin
--i sent this reply on Feb. 4, 2008
--i sent this reply on Feb. 4, 2008
Sorin,
Please remove my name and email information from your mailing list. I would appreciate it GREATLY.
Have a great day,
Monica
--this was sent to me on Feb. 11, 2008
Yeah.... uh, am I the only one who thinks that this is totally un-called for and offensive? I take my faith very seriously and am very upset by what was said to me in the last email. So if you are a current student of this person or considering being a student of this person, I just thought you ought to know who you're dealing with.
--this was sent to me on Feb. 11, 2008
Dear Monica
I noticed you are one of those strange people who vainly attach some quote from the Bible to the end of their emails. I wonder what connection is there between being a Christian and your rude and freakish attitude?
Why do you pretend you are a Christian, when you are tormented by the devils of blinkeredness and haughtiness???
Are you planning to bring those devils with you to Romania?
I pray the Lord that you are guided to find a gifted Romanian priest to exorcize those nasty devils from you...
Sorin
Yeah.... uh, am I the only one who thinks that this is totally un-called for and offensive? I take my faith very seriously and am very upset by what was said to me in the last email. So if you are a current student of this person or considering being a student of this person, I just thought you ought to know who you're dealing with.
2 comments:
Hi Monica,
I'm a TEFL volunteer in group 23, and I also had a run-in with this guy. He wanted to join our group 23 Yahoo Group so he could sell his services to PCVs. I could tell he had a somewhat unpleasant attitude because he bad-mouthed the Peace Corps language teachers, saying that their methods of language training are a joke. This seemed a brash thing to say, especially since my experience with the PC language teachers was nothing short of awesome. I learned more about Romanian in two months than I ever learned about Spanish in 4 years of highschool.
Needless to say, Florin is a bit full of himself. He thinks he holds the one and only key to learning Romanian--even though how one learns a language depends largely on the individual's learning style and level of motivation.
Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're taking Romanian lessons and enjoying them. With that sort of drive, I'm sure you'll enjoy the language training once you arrive here in Romania.
Enjoy your time before departure!
Sorin is rather well-known amongst afficianados of Romania. He is indeed an ass that should be ignored.
I assume you are in Group 24. I was slated to be included, but my needed dental work has prevented it.
As you are in Ploiesti I assume you know the American Air Corps bombed the hell out of it in 1943.
You are invited to join my "we_love_romania" Yahoo Group and also note my web site: http://www.AThousandBooks.us.
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