The Bulgarian Language Program

Bulgarian has been taught in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures at Ohio State for over 20 years.Students have chosen to study Bulgarian either in periodic classroom instruction, or in the Individualized Instruction Center.

Bulgarian qualifies in the United States as a less-commonly taught language, however, it continually attracts a number of American students who:

• have traveled or stayed in Bulgaria, such as Peace Corp volunteers
• are interested in business in the growing Bulgarian market
• are looking to get involved in governmental or NGO work
• have Bulgarian ancestry, or other personal ties to the country
• simply wish to explore Slavic and Eastern European cultures other than Russian

Bulgaria
Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe.It was founded in 681 in the picturesque Balkans when only two other states were in existence in Europe- the Western and Eastern Roman Empires.Since this time, Bulgaria and Bulgarian culture have flourished. Since the fall of communism, present-day Bulgaria boasts a young European democracy, which will soon join the European Union (in 2007).

From the Black Sea to its numerous mountains, lakes, and rivers, Bulgaria is an attractive place for tourists from all over the world.And, because of its unique geographical position and long history, Bulgarian cuisine, much like its culture, has evolved into an interesting mixture between Slavonic, Greek and Turkish influences.This is a mixture, which very much resembles the mentality of the Bulgarian people, who are known for their great hospitality and laid-back attitude. Bulgarian cultural traditions are popularized all over the world by famous Bulgarian folk singers, musicians, and dancers.Get to know this great tradition and great people by taking Bulgarian at the Ohio State University!

Why Bulgarian?
Students who wish to learn a Slavic language will find Bulgarian interesting and exciting. Not only are students at OSU taught by a native speaker (something, which is a luxury in other North American universities), but they also have the opportunity to take advantage of the vast Bulgarian resources on campus, including the OSU Main Library, the Center for Slavic and East European Studies, and the Hilandar Library.The Bulgarian natives of the Columbus and Central Ohio also provide a great resource to students of Bulgarian, organizing their own clubs, meeting regularly, and organizing cultural events (folklore dances, cuisine nights, etc).All of this makes the Ohio State University one of the premier places to study Bulgarian in the country.

Students who are interested in Slavic linguistics will benefit from taking Bulgarian not only because it resembles English in its grammatical system (Bulgarian does not have a case system like Russian), but also because it shares certain grammatical and lexical features with the other languages of the Balkans (Greek, Macedonian, Serbian, Romanian and Turkish, which are all part of the so-called Balkan Sprachbund). OSU is fortunate to have Prof. Brian Joseph, who is one of the best specialists in the Balkan Sprachbund and who teaches regular classes on that topic.

American students who are interested in Bulgarian history, economy, or politics should consider taking Bulgarian language, especially if they would like to do research in Bulgaria (the average Bulgarians do not speak English). Bulgaria is a small country but its prominent place on the crossroad between Europe and Asia, its rich history and culture, developing democracy, investment opportunities and tourist attractions are all factors for the country's growing popularity in the USA.

Courses

Language Courses:
The Slavic Department offers first-year Bulgarian to undergraduate and graduate students who wish to speak the language. Depending on the demand and the availability of the instructors (graduate students), students can take second and third-year Bulgarian.

Structure of Bulgarian (Course #) is a graduate course, which fulfils the South Slavic Language requirement for graduate students in Linguistics. This course is regularly taught by Dr. Charles Gribble, a prominent figure in the field of Bulgarian Studies in the United States.

Reading Bulgarian (Course #) is another graduate course, which targets primarily Russian-speaking graduate students who wish to obtain a reading knowledge of another Slavic language.

Culture Courses:
Students with interest in Slavic cultures who are curious to find out more about the mystery of Bulgarian folklore and mythology could benefit from taking both Slavic 245 and Slavic 130.

Slavic 130, "The Vampire in Eastern European and American Culture" is offered every fall quarter, it fulfills some GEC requirements.The course is taught by our chair, Dr. Daniel Collins, a specialist in Slavic historical linguistics, and is one of our most popular undergraduate courses.

Much of Bulgarian culture and literature is also covered in Slavic 245, which also fulfills GEC requirements.A faculty member teaches this course, known as "Balkan Slavic Culture and Conflict," every year or every other year.

Faculty and Instructors of Bulgarian

Tanya Ivanova
Graduate Teaching Associate

Resources on the Web
Alphabet Information:
· http://www.plovdivcityguide.com/thingstoknow/1/cyrillic/?lang_id=1 (information about the language and the alphabet)
· http://www.b-info.com/places/Bulgaria/cyr (Cyrillic fonts)

Online News Sources:
· http://www.online.bg
· http://www.bgnewsnet.com
· http://www.news.bg

Cultural Sites:
· http://cult.bg (only in Bulgarian)
· http://www.omda.bg/engl/common/history.htm (information about the country)
· http://www.travel-bulgaria.com (travel agencies, hotel reservations, plane tickets, tourist attractions)
· http://vlib.iue.it/history/europe/bulgaria.html

Others:
· http://www.pitt.edu/~bsa (Bulgarian Studies Association)
· http://www.predavatel.com (Bulgarian Radio online)
· http://www.bulgariancds.com (Bulgarian Music Store online)