Interview with Colin Swatridge

Magda Goraj

As the words in Sting’s song go  ‘…I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien, I’m an Englishman in New York…’, how do you feel as an alien – Englishman in Hungary?

I do feel a bit like an alien. Hungarians are a little bit different, they revel in the difference, in the fact that their language is so distinctive. It’s all connected with the history. ‘A bruise under the skin’ – 1920 – Trianon – tells the story when part of Hungary was taken away from the rest of the country.

I can recall one situation in the bus when I happened to talk to a Hungarian lady and she claimed that she hates French for what had happened in the past, because of Trianon.

The Hungarian language cuts me off: I realized that I could not learn it, because every word, sentence has to be perfectly correct to be accepted. Their language, in fact, is the same throughout the country whereas English varies from one place to another. My wife made an attempt to ‘absorb’ it, all in vain…

How did your adventure with Hungary come to existence?

I arrived in Miskolc ten years ago. I came through an organization that sends native speakers to other countries to transfer skills of different kinds. My wife and I observed Hungarian teachers, made notes, comments on their style of teaching and then we proposed some different ideas, a more communicative approach.

You mentioned you are a freelance writer, how is it to see others using your books for teaching purposes?

I used to write for Macmillan Publishing – the simplified versions of classics; so that readers at a lower level could also read the books of famous writers.

For example ‘A Passage to India’ by E.M. Forster from 1923, a story about the British in India and their ‘adventures’. I altered the level of the book to intermediate and upper levels which was connected with a considerable reduction in size. What can be easily cut out or resized are the descriptions, whereas dialogues that carry the most significant plot, the core of the story need to stay unchanged most of the time.

I do not write for Macmillan any more, instead I write for an Oxford publisher – course books for British students.

Do you drink tea at 5 o’clock as befits an Englishman?

No, not when I am here, in Hungary; I am always here in the university at that time. When I am back in England yes, although I am not a great drinker of tea. Occasionally I will have a cup of tea here, but not in the British way – without milk… and usually fruit. In England we rather drink black tea with milk.

Besides the fact that you are a teacher you also perform as an actor. Which profession is closer to your heart, destiny or devotion.

While I was teaching in school, in the beginning of my teaching career I was produced a couple of plays. The second, for example, ‘PR’ from 1982 – included thirty characters, we put that play on the college stage. The plot was simply about British history, though somewhat surrealised. The main image depicts a family, servants, cooks, butlers, placed outside the big house on the grass. It was a kind of tableau of British History. The final scene – the cast of thirty characters stand in front of the camera, and there’s a flash of red light, and it’s all over. I haven’t acted for years – except that all teachers act.

Your lessons are quite a spectacular performance. You perfectly know how to entertain not only your audience but also students. Some of them are going to be teachers some day… What would you suggest to make their teaching interesting as far as performance is concerned?

Try to show your students that you like them, and what you are doing. A positive attitude will evince a positive response. I did not like teaching at the very beginning, but once you learn confidence in a role you do not have to pretend any more.

This is actually the reason why I keep coming back to Hungary; Hungarian students are quite reserved, or inhibited; therefore it takes time to get to know them, but it is worthwhile taking the trouble. It can be very rewarding.

You are an extremely busy person. Do you ever get tired ?

Of course I do,  but not when I am on duty. Once I’m off duty, I can relax. My schedule differs a little bit here from what it is in England – my day starts between 6:00 – 6:30 …all day in the university can be tiring too.

Some students from previous years compare you to Monty Python – as funny as him, as extraordinary as him – do you find it as a compliment or rather an offence?

I am surprised, but in a good way. Probably I was compared to Michael Palin…

As a Englishman you have probably visited quite a number of countries. Which place in the world do you admire the most and for what ?

I admire the Dutch – for their attitude to nature – they build a lot of new houses, and yet take care of the environment. Every square metre counts, although this country is so densely populated.

Have you noticed any significant differences between British students and e.g. Hungarians? If so, does it come from the impact of culture or different education systems?

Both, I would say. Students are taught to listen in Hungarian schools, and to accept what they are told. They are not often asked their opinion. Students in the UK are expected to participate more, and to study in a more independent way. I cannot say that the results are conspicuously better than those in most Hungarian schools.

Critical thinking is one of your specialisms; when observing the surrounding world, do you stay critical all the time or rather blink an eye on some aspects of life etc.?

That discipline does not always apply to our life; this is not the way we interact – we usually operate on the feelings level.

I consider myself rather a fairly critical thinker. It’s a matter of degree. But it’s as well to subject much of what politicians, journalists and advertisers say to some critical thinking.

One day Mark Twain said these words: ‘I have never let my schooling interfere with my education’. Twain definitely sees some difference between the two things. How would you define the difference between schooling and education?

It’s a difference between short and long. Being contained in an abstract environment vs. being in control. At school one is not in control; that comes later. But it makes a good start. If school was not here we would have to invent it. Schools fail because they try to do what previous generations have been doing. Every generation should ask the question: ‘What knowledge is of most worth’ ?

If I could, I would teach a class called ‘How to live simply but satisfyingly’. People will have to scale down their expectations. Human beings have a desire to strive, excel, but we often do that at the expense of others and the planet.

Schooling is too competitive; education should be more about co-operation than competition.