A CFI AND HIS STUDENT PLT CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY 4 AFTER BEING CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4. ACFT HAD TO CROSS RWY 4 AT MID FIELD TO GET TO TKOF END AT EWN; NC.

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WHILE PARKED AT THE GA RAMP AT NEW BERN; NC; WE CONTACTED NEW BERN GND AND REQUESTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR A WBOUND VFR DEP. THE GND CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'TAXI TO RWY 4.' I THEN ASKED THE GND CTLR IF HE WANTED TO TAXI VIA TXWY B AND TXWY A; AND HE REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' WE BEGAN TAXIING ON TXWY B. DURING THE NEXT MIN OR SO; MY STUDENT AND I DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY (RWY 4). WE BOTH FELT THAT WE HAD BEEN 'CLRED' TO TAXI TO RWY 4 AND; THEREFORE; IT WAS OK TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY (RWY 4). UPON XING RWY 4 AND TURNING R ONTO TXWY A; THE GND CTLR ASKED US 'WHAT WERE YOUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS?' I REPLIED THAT 'WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4;' HE REPLIED THAT 'TAXI TO RWY 4 DOES NOT GIVE YOU CLRNC TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY; AND YOU HAVE JUST CREATED A RWY INCURSION.' I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS XMISSION. WE DEPARTED THE ARPT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON ARRIVING BACK AT OUR HOME BASE; I RESEARCHED THE PHRASE 'TAXI TO RWY X' IN THE AIM. THERE I FOUND THAT THE CTLR WAS RIGHT. TAXIING TO A RWY DOESN'T GIVE ONE CLRNC TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. UPON DISCUSSING THIS PHRASE WITH SEVERAL PLTS; INCLUDING A RETIRED CHK AIRMAN FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE; WE ALL AGREED THAT THE PHRASE 'TAXI TO RWY X' IS MISLEADING; CONFUSING AND UNSAFE. UNLESS YOU READ; UNDERSTAND; REMEMBER AND APPLY THE PHRASE (FROM THE AIM) IN AN ACTUAL CIRCUMSTANCE; WE ALL FELT THAT THE NATURAL UNDERSTANDING OF 'TAXI TO RWY X' IS THAT ONE WOULD BE CLRED TO TAXI ALL THE WAY TO THE RWY IN QUESTION. TODAY I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AT NEW BERN AND HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH HIM REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO TELL PLTS TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY X' WHEN ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THAT REQUIRE ONE TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. IF WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT RWY SAFETY AND REDUCING RWY INCURSIONS; HOW LONG DOES IT REALLY TAKE FOR THE GND CTLR TO ADD TO HIS INSTRUCTION 'TAXI TO RWY 4; HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE' AND ADD THAT EXTRA SAFETY MARGIN? MY STUDENT AND MYSELF LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS. I WILL BE CERTAIN TO BRIEF STUDENTS ABOUT TAXIING ACROSS ACTIVE RWYS. IN ADDITION; I WILL INCORPORATE A REVIEW OF OPS AT TWRED ARPTS FOR ALL FLT REVIEWS I CONDUCT IN THE FUTURE.