REGISTER HERE

Purposes and goals of the program

Our Communicative Bulgarian weekly courses emphasize spoken Bulgarian. Class time stresses communication in the language in everyday situations and invites students to begin speaking from the first day of class. The emphasis is on conversation; however, we also work on listening, reading and writing since these four skills are essential to language acquisition. The curriculum taught in these language courses range from beginner to advanced.

The Bulgarian School of Seattle’s teaching philosophy is built on the belief that learning a language is more than understanding grammar and memorizing vocabulary; it is expanding one’s perspective and learning how to understand another culture from the inside out.

Program type & Schedule

Program type: Youth to Adults

Total hours per week: 2

Times per week classes meet: 1 to 2

When classes take place? The School onside classes take place each Sunday from 9:30am to 11:30am.

Where classes take place ?  Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island at 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040

Registration deadline: September 8, 2018

First semester: September 2018 – January 2019.

Second semester: January 2019-May 2019

Tuition:  All classes are one school year long split in two semesters. Classes cost $ 167/month .

Please contact us at 425-200-5428 or administration@bulgarianschoolofseattle.com for more information.

Levels

Bulgarian  1

By the end of this session, the student will be able to interact minimally in Bulgarian. Classes are conducted in Bulgarian; grammatical and cultural notes may be clarified in English. Extensive practice of pronunciation is provided to create a solid foundation for proficient speech. Participants will learn the present tense conjugation, basic greetings, numbers, the days of the week, months, negation, pronouns, some adjectives, etc. Vocabulary focus is on meeting and greeting people, describing people, expressing opinions about others, organizing a vacation, expressing likes and dislikes, and family.

Bulgarian  2

Prerequisite: Completion of Bulgarian 1 or instructor’s permission
Material introduced in this course includes the present tense, adjectives and adjectival agreement, the present perfect, the command form,  adverbs of quantity and frequency, expression of location and telling time, pronouns, and prepositions of places, etc. Vocabulary includes daily habits, directions, work-life, shopping, foods, dates, times and places, describing, comparing, evaluating and giving opinions..

Bulgarian  3

Prerequisite: Completion of Bulgarian 2 or instructor’s permission
Bulgarian Level 3 course is designed for students at the intermediate to low advanced level and it will start with reviewing and solidifying skills learned in the previous levels. The focus is on increasing comprehension and fluency in the language, vocabulary building and revision of grammar points.  Discussion on topics of interest will help students to express their ideas correctly, clearly and effectively. By the end of level 3, learners will be able to correspond via letter or email. Learners in Level 3 will also be able to talk about important moments in their lives and recall scenes of a movie using time sequence terms and dates.  The course is customized to fit the needs of class members. Great for travelers, too!

Instructional methodologies used in the program

Balancing structure and freedom: We strive to provide an effective structure to language learning that guides students towards greater levels of knowledge and proficiency. Curriculum, lesson plans, textbooks, and systematic feedback are a significant part of this effort. But we all recognize the differences in students’goals and learning styles, as well as differences in our teachers’ individual styles and strengths. So we strive to plan enough freedom and flexibility into classes that students can learn in the ways most effective for them, and teachers can highlight their own strengths. Although this is challenging, a good balance between structure and freedom is essential for our language education.

Using the language: In Level 1 classes, our teachers strive to conduct at least 85% of class time in the target language. It is important for us that they use vocabulary and grammar structures that are understandable from context and from supporting visuals aids, such as pictures, videos, drawings and gestures. If necessary, English is being used to give complex instructions and explain difficult grammar points. As students advance to high levels of proficiency, English is being phased out and removed from the class.

Striving for quality: We recognize high quality teaching when students learn to use language effectively in multiple ways and want to continue learning outside and beyond the class. We achieve this high quality teaching when we use a variety of teaching models that effectively introduce and reinforce language knowledge and skills, challenge students with interesting and relevant projects, reinforce and recycle content in a variety of ways, and compassionately guide students through the process of foreign language learning.

Aspects of culture included in the program

The classes include cultural and social facts, so that learners may build a deeper understanding of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian national identity. These classes on Bulgarian cultural competences help develop spoken language, as well as cognitive skill and creative imagination.

Technology

The Bulgarian school of Seattle strongly encourages the effective use of educational technology in courses. For teachers who wish to use Blackboard, Kanopy (online videos), EdPuzzle, Ucha. se, they send a request to school administration to activate student accounts. All teachers have school laptops and some classrooms have projector display and sound system.  The school has a license to an authentic lesson & video language learning website.

Assessments used

  • Teachers give students regular assignments. These may include: worksheets, writing samples, voice recording, in-class games, individual or group projects, presentations, role-plays, interviews, puzzles, quizzes, exams, peer-editing, etc.
  • Teachers have the freedom to choose which assignments will be most effective for their students’proficiency development.
  • Teachers assess the quality of students’work and give them clear and useful feedback. This may include: corrections, comments, recommendations, follow-up tasks, grades, rubric evaluation, etc.

All scholars are expected to attain high standards.

Resources

Textbooks

  • Bulgarian language textbooks suitable for foreign language learners
  • Language Teaching Kits according to the level
  • There are additional resources in Bulgarian language available on the library shelves on campus
  • There are online materials available through the school library
  • There are print materials in the school storage cabinets
  • Additional materials and videos are available through Ucha.se
  • Learners may check out books at the library using their library card, which receive from the Program Assistant and Adviser when classes are confirmed.

Self-designed materials, meeting the following criteria:

  • Creative and innovative supplement to existing materials
  • Based on authentic materials, if applicable/relevant to the task/purpose
  • Methodologically well organized, with clearly designed pre- and post-task activities, and teacher’s instructions
  • Tested in practice (has been used during class time and adjustments/edits have been considered)
  • Accessible online, technology-enhanced: films, videos, YouTube

Bulgarian School of Seattle. All rights reserved.                                                                                                Last update: August 2018