MISSION
Every day we give our best to help you learn Bulgarian with pleasure as you explore the local culture and traditions and ultimately, you feel at home.
VISION
To be the first language and cultural center in Bulgaria to establish high standards in teaching and learning Bulgarian as a foreign language through profound understanding of our subject matter and applying contemporary teaching methodology.
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VALUES
LOVE FOR WHAT WE DO – passionate teachers inspire others and make a difference in the classroom and in the world
MOTIVATION & DETERMINATION – hard work makes us a little bit better every single day
FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY – we will keep exploring new approaches to teaching and learning so we can better meet the needs of our students, because no single method is better than a great teacher
RESPECT & ACCEPTANCE – Edno School is a place where anyone is welcome and everyone should feel safe to be themselves
TEAMWORK – teachers and students are partners in the process of learning; each class is a team, where members help each other
LIFELONG LEARNING – both staff members and students can benefit from our multicultural diverse environment and continue learning at any age and stage of life
Ellie Zareva-Hristova
School Founder
I fell in love with teaching in 2009. I believe I have found my vocation and I feel truly fulfilled when working with people. In 2015, I started working on a beginner’s course in Bulgarian as a foreign language. Every step since has been quite an adventure! The more I learn about our beautiful language and culture, the more I feel proud to be Bulgarian. It has become my personal mission to spread this love as well as the love for learning. Edno School has challenged me, thrilled me, taught me, rewarded me and pushed me beyond my own limits more than any other thing in my life! I am truly grateful to be living my dream of creating a special place where learning can thrive, a place where we all learn and develop ourselves by being a part of something worthy. None of this would be possible without this wonderful, creative, open-minded, curious, loving and caring team.
Antoniya Icheva
Teacher
I am Antonia and I have been a Bulgarian language teacher at Edno School since 2018. I have a degree in Bulgarian philology and European studies from Sofia University “Kliment Ohridski”. I believe that teachers have the creative power to build and change worlds – this is why I have chosen this profession. My favorite aspect of teaching Bulgarian is that I can analyze and learn new things about my native language, as well as the languages and cultures of my students. This enriches my worldview every day.
Besides teaching, I love travelling and being in nature, cinema and photography. I take great interest in exploring languages, reading and writing for pleasure. I love learning new things.
Bilyana Todorova
Teacher
My name is Bilyana, I was born in Varna and I have been living in Sofia since 2012. I speak Bulgarian, English, a little Russian and a little German, which I am currently trying to improve. I have three cats and three professions: I am a teacher, a musician and an actress. My love for the Bulgarian language is in the core of all three of them. And I hope that through teaching, I will be able to pass this love forward.
Lyuboslava Hristova
Teacher
Hi! I’m Lucy! I’m a teacher by day, an arts and culture student by night.
I became a Bulgarian language teacher so that I can share my love for my language with enthusiasts from all over the world.
The best thing about being a teacher for me is the “Aha!” moment when a difficult part of the language becomes a piece of cake, and also the smiles on my students’ faces when they actually have fun during a game I have been planning all night. I enjoy digging deeper into the culture and the mindset behind the language with the help of my students, who always provide fresh new looks and unexpected discoveries.
I am a culture vulture wannabe, a Ravenclaw by test and a Gryffindor by heart, a Korean language enthusiast, a cat lover and a coffee addict. My favorite Bulgarian word is “вдъхновение“. What’s yours?
Velina Babacheva
Teacher
I am Velina and I am in that stage in life where I am exploring all of my interests. One of them certainly needs no further exploration – it is the Bulgarian language. I have always had a special attitude toward our language – it is one of the few things that excites me greatly and makes me give my best. Another one of my passions is communicating with people – it makes me feel motivated and fulfilled. Luckily, the teaching profession enables me to turn these two hobbies into a way of living. In my leisure time, I love getting creative by making beautiful things such as cards, clothes and jewelry, and I never fail to listen to good music.
Dedicated Teachers
Our teachers truly love what they do. They all have the training, knowledge and support to deliver high-quality lessons and lead you to your success in learning Bulgarian and understanding the local culture.
Flexible Approach
Our teachers apply contemporary language teaching techniques in the classroom. Each group of students determines the pace and the approach that will be used. We are open to any methods, approaches or tools that are effective.
Teamwork
We see our students as partners in the classroom – to each other and to the teacher. Good work dynamics between the students and lots of collaboration create a safe and friendly environment where speaking and learning becomes easy.
Diversity in Courses and Levels
We offer a wide range of courses and lessons both face-to-face and online. We have developed our own courses and course materials for levels A0 to B2. For levels C1 and C2 we offer tailor-made courses or individual lessons.
Learning Materials
We work very hard to provide structured course material that corresponds to our students’ needs. We keep improving them and implementing new ideas. We have started working on a database of online materials and resources.
Small Groups
We prefer to keep our groups small (4-8 people) for the general Bulgarian courses. This way we ensure that every student’s learning needs will be taken into consideration. Group work is very important in all of our courses.
Personalized Student-Centered Lessons
We have a plan of what and when to teach. However, our students’ learning interests, needs and language abilities always take priority. We also plan a variety of activities in each class so students can learn in their preferred style.
Focus on Speaking
We try to allow plenty of speaking time in each class. We put a lot of effort to create a safe and supportive learning environment so every one of our students feels free to speak Bulgarian from day one.
Language and Cultural Input
We believe that it is best to link the Bulgarian language and culture whenever possible. This includes music, slang, different regions, historical events, literature and anything that helps our students understand the context better.
Cultural Events
As a part of our students’ training we organize monthly cultural events. Usually, these are connected to national holidays happening in that month. Here are some examples: a traditional Bulgarian Christmas dinner, a visit to the Rose Picking Festival in Kazanlak and Easter egg painting. These events can also be Bulgarian film nights, lessons in Bulgarian folk dance, arts and crafts workshops, Bulgarian cooking lessons and many others.
With individual lessons where the teacher knows the native language of the student, she may use it to make comparisons or distinctions between the two languages.
Our goal is to use less and less English in the classes, starting from A1.1 level. By the end of it, 90% or more of the lesson could be delivered only in Bulgarian, depending on the group, of course.
We organize a lot of different events, where students are encouraged to speak only Bulgarian if they feel like it.
Lesson planning & Lesson structure
For each one of your lessons, we follow these steps:
Before the lesson
First, the teacher gets familiar with the individuals in the group and tries to select and adjust the topics in a way that is meaningful to everyone.
When planning the lesson, the teacher takes into account the language abilities and pace of everyone in the group and adjusts the intended material to deliver a lesson that is well-paced for everyone.
We try to prepare fun, engaging and creative activities in the lessons in order to provide an opportunity for the learners to use the new language freely and with joy.
During the lesson
We try to start each session with something relaxing, fun, engaging and comfortable, so our students can smoothly make the transition to the Bulgarian classroom. These activities often include some revision from previous lessons.
Then we introduce the new topic and the new language.
There are several types of tasks and interaction patterns in every lesson – sometimes students work as a class, alone, in pairs, or in smaller groups. Each one of these approaches and task allows the students to work on the new language and learn most of it in class.
At the end of the lesson, there is usually a game, a creative or communicative task, in which students are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in Bulgarian.
After the lesson
The teacher reevaluates the course plan based on how students felt during the lesson and what difficulties they had. She may create some additional materials to support the group or individual learners.
