DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, COMMUNICATION PEDAGOGICS AND SPORTS

The Department of Foreign Languages, Communication, Pedagogics and Sports is the successor of the Department of Foreign Languages which was established in 1962. In accordance with the requirements of the Law on Higher Education by a Decision of the General Assembly from June 26^th 2000 a new structure of the Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov” was adopted according to which the Department of Foreign Languages was transformed into a linguistic department. The new structural division at the Medical University was approved as Department of Foreign Languages, Communication, Pedagogics and Sports in March 2001 by the Ministry of Science and Education (Letter Re. № 10646/27.03.2001). Since its foundation the academic division has made multi-faceted contributions to the establishment of the modern European image of the Varna Medical University and its consolidation as a modern higher school preparing professionals for the future.

The training in foreign languages and communication at Varna Medical University has practical orientation directed entirely to the specific features of the foreign language in view of the prospective professional needs of every concrete specialty, e.g. oral and written communication in specific scientific and professional fields with experts from oher countries, independent usage of scientific literature in a foreign language, participation in international scientific events. The development of the European integration and Bulgaria’s involvement in various European structures has enhanced the need for communicative mastery of general language and language for specific purposes. This trend will continue to be increasing with the development of the international scientific and cultural exchange, particularly after Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union. All the above means that the Department will continue to be a much needed and useful structural unit of Varna Medical University.

Assoc. Prof. Violeta Tacheba, Philology Doctor, is Director of the Department.

І. Teaching activities at the Department

The department carries out training in foreign languages for specific purposes, communication, pedagogics and sports to students, postgraduates and PhD students in all the specialties offered by the Medical University in the obligatory and the elective programmes. Since 1990 a preparatory course has been lunched at the department in Bulgarian language for foreign students and postgraduates which for its 16 years of existence has developed into one of the most reputed linguistic centres for Bulgarian language training for academic and medical purposes in Bulgaria. The teaching activities of the Department cover a total of 8 000 – 10 000 academic hours annually in the following subjects:

• Latin language for medicine, dentistry, nurses and midwives;

• Modern European languages (English, German, French, Russian) for medicine, dentistry, nurses and midwives;

• Bulgarian as a foreign language and for academic purposes - preparatory course;

• Bulgarian as a foreign language for medicine, dentistry and healthcare management;

• Business communication for healthcare management, healthcare and public healthcare;

• Pedagogics for healthcare and public healthcare;

• Sports.

The above subjects are studied in the different specialties with the following total number of academic hours:

The examination and evaluation of the linguistic knowledge and skills are carried out by means of a modern and complex system of progress and final tests covering all the skills in written and oral form.

The preparatory course in Bulgarian language for foreign students was established in 1990 and updated as a structural unit to the Department at Varna Medical University in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Higher Education, Art. 26a and the Regulations for Students’ Admission to Higher Schools in Republic of Bulgaria (State Newspaper, issue 40 from 16.05.2000, Part V, Art. 16-19).

The organization of the teaching process in Bulgarian language in the preparatory course at Varna Medical University strictly complies with the state requirements as specified in the Regulations for Students’ Admission to Higher Schools in Republic of Bulgaria, Part V, namely “Linguistic and specialized preparation of foreigners admitted as students in Republic of Bulgaria, Art. 16-19, referring to the academic staff, the curriculum, the teaching syllabi, total number of academic hours, teaching, methodological and technical provisions, phases of education, examinations administration, issue of ceritifcates for completed preparatory course.

The language and specialized preparatory training is carried out in accordance with Art. 17 (2,3) with the following curriculum:

Following a successful written and oral examination the foreign students and postgraduates obtain an official certificate for proficiency in Bulgarian language.

The Bulgarian Language Section organizes group and individual courses in Bulgarian as a foreign language to meet students’ needs and wishes.

ІІ. Academic faculty of the Department of Foreign Languages, Communication, Pedagogics and Sports

The academic faculty of the Department includes 16 full-time teachers, of whom 1 associate professor, 9 senior assistant professors and 6 teachers.

When needed, part-time teachers are also attracted to assist the Department. The Departmental staff includes a specialist in information technologies for technical and software assistance of the teaching in the language laboratories together with 1 hygiene worker.

The department has successfully completed 3 international and 1 national projects thanks to which in 1995 – 1998 a scientific and methodological qualification was carried out of 9 language teachers through 19 specialisations in Edinburg (Scotland) and Goettingen (Germany). In 2004-2006 the international project “RIPE FOR THE INTERNET” gave opportunity to 4 teachers and 1 collaborator to participate in courses in Spain, Germany and Finland.

The avademic faculty is organized in the following structural units:

Section “Bulgarian language”: Assoc. Prof. Violeta Goranova Tacheva, Senior assistant professors Maria Ivanova Kostova, Vesselina Andonova Nyagolova, Sevda Ivanova Hristova; Assistant professors: Yordanka Todorova Stefanova, Evdokiya Skocheva, Katerina Georgieva, Silvena Stavreva.

Section “Western Languages” Senior assistant professors: Svetla Dimtrova Trendafilova Aneta Ilieva Dokova, Ivan Stoyanov Merdjanov

The “Latin Language” Section includes Senior assistant professor Emiliya Georgieva Dimitrova and Assistant professor Vesselin Ganchev Stoykov.

Assistant professor in medical pedagogics: Stanislava Pavlova Peneva

Technical assistant: Daniela Anatolieva Toncheva sssk_bg@yahoo.com

Yanka Ivanova Nedyalkova – sanitation worker

Teaching and scientific sector “Sports”: Senior Assistant professor Momchil Prodanov and Assistant Professor Zhulieta Videnova

ІІІ. Scientific activities of the Department

The main fields of the scientific research activities of the departmental staff include cognitive and applied linguistics, comparative linguistics, theory and methodology of foreign language teaching for specific purposes.

Since 1998 the Department has traditionally organized international theoretical and practical scientific conferences held every three years in applied linguistics and focused on scientific research in the following main fields:

• Foreign languages and scientific and professional development

• Professional realization and business through a foreign language

• Linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural aspects of specialized language teaching

• New technologies, strategies and approaches in specialized language teaching.

This conference has become a unique forum for the meeting of language specialists and presenting some of the best achievements in linguistic theory and practice. Many foreign and Bulgarian linguists relate Varna Medical University to the following brilliantly organized conferences held at a very high professional level:

• Languages for Specific Purposes: 150 participants from 14 countries with 110 reports in 5 sections, 4-6 June 1998, Varna;

• Languages for Specific Purposes: 130 participants from 10 countries with 100 reports in 15 sections, 8-10 June 2001, Varna;

• Language As The Means For Education, Research And Professional Development: 150 participants from 12 countries with 120 reports in 16 sections, 10-14 June, 2004, Varna.

For the last five years from 2000 to 2005 the faculty at the Department has made 58 publications, of which 17 in international and 55 in Bulgarian journals.

ІІ.1. Textbooks, monographs, collections published by the faculty of the Department:

1. Foreign Languages for Spesific Purposes, ISBN 954-9685-04-7, Varna, 1998, т. І - 321 стр. и т. ІІ -213 стр. , format 16/70Х100

2. Languages for Spesific Purposes, Steno, ISBN 954-449-104-X, Varna, 2001, 297 стр.,

format 16/70Х100

3. Language As The Means For Education, Research And Professional Development, Steno, Varna, 2004 г , ISBN 954-449-203-8, format 16/70х100, volume 35,5 size (566 стр.)

4. Dokova., A. English-Bulgarian Glossary for Health Managers, ISBN 954-9685-01-2, Varna Medical University Printing House, 1997

5. Trendafilova S., A. Dokova. English for Health Care Management, ISBN 954-449-203-8, STENO Publishing House, 2003

6. Георгиева, E.Учебник по латински език за висшите медицински институти индекс 802/809, София 1982

7. Тачева, В. Бизнес комуникация в здравеопазването. ISBN 954-449-194-5. Из-во “Стено”, 2004 г , формат 16/70х100, 127 стр.

8. Тачева, В. Български език за медицински цели. ISBN 954-449-080-9. Издателска къща “Стено”, Варна 2000 г, 170 страници, формат А 4

9. Тачева, В. Делова комуникация за здравен мениджмънт. Издание на Медицински университет - Варна, 2000 г , 68 страници

10. Учебен речник по български език като чужд за подготвителен курс (по видеокурса “Говорите ли български?”) в три варианта:

Българо- английски речник. Колектив. 2 000 г., формат А₄ , 60 стр.

Българо- гръцки речник . Колектив. 1999 г, формат А₄ , 68 стр.

Българо-турски речник. Колектив. 1995, формат А₄, 68 стр.